Dear Annie,

“Dear Annie” is an advice column designed to assist with the development and/or understanding of Assessment issues. If you have questions about Assessment—just ask Annie. As soon as Annie has an answer, she’ll post it on this page.

Dear Annie,
Will assessment get to the point where a preassessment is taken on a students knowledge to determine if a student will have to take a course or if it could be waived as a requirement?

Dear Reader,
There are national examinations that already serve this purpose. They are widely used by colleges and universities and some examples are: CLEP, AP, and DANTES. Additionally, many colleges have Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) policies that identify ways for students to receive credit for previously attained knowledge and experience. A workgroup at NECC has recently completed a document that describes how credit for prior learning will be awarded at our institution. This proposal will follow the college approval process and should be in place within the next year. Generally speaking, the awarding of CPL requires extensive documentation and is more complicated than testing out, unless there is a well established test-out procedure in place.

Dear Annie,
Are there other accreditation organizations besides North Central Association that accredit colleges in Nebraska and/or states bordering Nebraska?

Dear Reader:
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association accredits degree granting higher education organizations within our 19 state region. There are six regional agencies in the United States.

In addition, there are seven national institutional accrediting associations that offer accreditation for particular types of organizations: religious colleges and universities, private business colleges, trade and technical colleges, colleges focusing on health related fields, and organizations offering programs primarily through distance delivery.

You can learn more about this on the following websites:
http://www.ncahigerlearningcommission.org
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

~Annie

Dear Annie,
I am just beginning classroom assessment. How many types or samples should we begin with this semester? Just Wondering How Much?

Dear How Much,
The answer to your question lies within you. How much do you feel you can reasonably accomplish and use? I’m a firm believer in starting out simple and building from there. I will offer the following suggestions:

• Start with one type of direct measurement of student learning. As you grow, you will want to implement multiple strategies including both direct and indirect measurements.
• The number of objectives you measure depends on complexity. For example, a test could measure multiple course objectives at once. A classroom activity might only measure one objective or concept.
• If you are assessing one classroom, use the entire class as a sample. If you are conducting course assessment, which involves multiple sections, you can use a random sample method consisting of 1/3 of the total number. The larger the sample, the more reliable the data is, however, it also has to be manageable.

Dear Annie,
Are true/false questions appropriate for a pre/post test considering they allow the student a 50% chance of having learned the subject material? .... wondering willie

Dear Wondering Willie,
The answer to your question is, “it depends”. The validity of any type of measurement can be argued. Even nationally standardized tests have been questioned for accuracy. However, when applied to a large group, findings become more meaningful than when applied to individual outcomes. I would assert that context, intent, and potential outcomes should be considered when selecting the best format for measurement. A well worded question in any format, could lead to accurate analysis.

Objective tests are often used for pre-test post-test analysis. True/False questioning is probably the least reliable of questioning formats. Using a combination of true/false, multiple choice, and matching questions provides a more accurate measure of student learning. Measuring concepts in multiple formats helps to confirm results. Sample size also affects the reliability of data. For example, 10 correct answers to True/False questions have less significance than 100 correct answers. The analysis of data should always include consideration of the instrument. When comparisons are drawn between multiple measurements of the objectives, it allows for more accurate analysis.

~Annie

Dear Annie,
Why does FACS include social skills and diversity, which are more difficult to access than math or communication skills? Why didn't they include computer skills or one of the Foundation Knowledge & Skills used by the Department of Education?

Dear Reader, The fundamental academic competencies and skills (FACS) were developed to: 1) define general education goals and 2) support the general education requirements for the following degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science. The FACS may be revised or expanded in the future. At the present time, there is clear alignment between:

• NECC general education mission and philosophy
• Fundamental Academic Competencies and Skills
• General Education Course Requirements for all Associate degrees awarded by the college

The US Department of Education website http://www.ed.gov provides links to assessment information but does not define foundational skills for assessment within the context of college curriculum.

The Nebraska Department of Education provides state standards for K-12 education; however, there are no guidelines for post-secondary education. A review of many other colleges’ general education goals revealed extensive reference to diversity, social interaction, global issues etc. In addition, the Higher Learning Commission looks for evidence of diversity when they evaluate post-secondary institutions for accreditation. These were contributing factors to the assignment of goals in the social skills area. The 2003/2004 NECC Assessment Report, available in the Library, includes an explanation of adoption of the FACS.

~Annie

Dear Annie,
What is the TOEFL score needed?

Dear Reader,
For acceptance into Northeast Community College, International students need the following scores on the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
500 on the written exam
173 on the computer exam.
Once accepted into Northeast, students will need to verify their ESL skills by taking an ESL proficiency exam such as the COMPASS. You can visit our website for more information on international students. If you are curious to know what other colleges or institutions require, you will need to contact them directly or search their websites.

Dear Annie, Is there a legitimate possibility of NECC losing its accreditation? If so, what happens to credits that students have acquired at this school and what will it hold for the future? If not, what is the main purpose of the HLC coming back?
Full of Questions

Dear Full of Questions: I must say that your question put poor Miss Annie into a state of near terminal cardiac arrest….Given my previous health history, you no doubt understand the gravity of which I speak….The answer to your question, of course, is a resounding “No way, Jose!”…..NECC is in absolutely no danger of losing its accreditation!!!….Our colleagues from the Higher Learning Commission – and do remember they are our peers, facing many of the same continuous improvement issues at their campus as are we – are coming to campus simply to gauge our progress on assessing student learning outcomes, particularly as it relates to general education….We are not “in trouble”….Quite to the contrary, NECC has done a remarkable job in accelerating its journey down the assessment highway and has a great story to tell!.....It may surprise (and possibly relieve) you to know that well over half of all HLC focus visits in the past few years have been targeted toward supporting assessment initiatives all over the North Central Association’s 19-state region….Focused visits like the one we will be having next week are meant to provide institutions with feedback and encouragement on creating a culture of assessment within our academic community, a challenge which we have taken very seriously here at NECC…..For those nasty, uncaring institutions (which no doubt there are only a handful in the entire world) who do not place student learning at the top of their institutional priority list might have reason to be concerned about such a visit, but certainly not us!.....So, fear not, Gentle Reader….You may definitely close the door to your anxiety closet on this issue….
Annie (with a little help from our Vice President)

Dear Annie,
I always thought we were accredited by North Central Association-NCA, now people are talking about the Higher Learning Commission-HLC. Are these two different organizations or What??
Confused by Acronyms

Dear Confused,
The North Central Association is a membership organization of colleges and schools in 19 states; American Dependents’ Schools operated overseas for the children of American military and civilian personnel; and schools and colleges in sovereign U.S. tribal nations within the 19 states. Two independent corporations, the Commission Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI) and The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), also hold membership in the association. The two commissions hold the legal authority to conduct accrediting activities for educational organizations. CASI accredits schools below post-secondary and the HLC accredits higher education organizations.
Historical Note: In the year 2000, when the institutional members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools agreed to a corporate restructuring of the association, the “Commission on Institutions of Higher Education” changed its name to the “Higher Learning Commission”.

More Information

Misty Wortman
(402) 844-7374
misty@northeastcollege.com