Center for Academic Programs Assessment Dr. Becky Verzinski, CAPA, Office of the Provost, Bowie State University What are the general education proficiency levels of incoming students? INTRODUCTION All students must complete the required courses within the general education program as part of their undergraduate degree. The core competencies of the GEP include: written & oral communication scientific & quantitative reasoning critical thinking information literacy technological skills In order to assess student learning, the general education proficiency levels of incoming students must be measured. ETS® Proficiency Profile RESULTS ETS/EPP RESULTS Fall 2012 *COHORT BOWIE Fall 2013 # OF STUDENTS n=10,793 n=107 n= 14,651 n=114 OVERALL MEAN SCORE 427.20 432.13 431.96 Skills Sub-scores Critical Thinking 107.4 108.57 107.7 108.36 Reading 112.2 115.48 112.7 114.87 Writing 110.9 111.92 110.8 112.32 Mathematics 109.1 109.59 109.0 109.87 Context-Based Sub-scores: Humanities 112.72 111.2 111.63 Social Sciences 109.3 110.89 109.6 111.21 Natural Sciences 112.47 112.29 METHODS Instrument: Educational Testing Services’ (ETS) Proficiency Profile on-line assessment of GE competencies FALL 2012 cohort: 107 Freshmen Seminar students tested FALL 2013 cohort: 114 Freshmen Seminar students tested Proctored 45-minute test: 36 multiple-choice questions Comparative data examined BSU student cohorts with HBCU and MD cohorts *Thirteen institutions were included within the cohort: Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Auburn University, Cheyney University, Coppin State University, Elizabeth City State University, Liberty University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, and University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. DISCUSSION and NEXT STEPS Bowie State students scored above the mean in all categories for two consecutive years. Mean scores in each category remained consistent between both BSU cohorts from 2012-2013. No significant differences existed between gender or major within the BSU cohort. For fall 2014, various interventions are planned to further advance student proficiency in the core competencies.