1. 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 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.