Student Learning Outcomes
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A History of SLOs at Cabrillo
1997-98

-The Division Chair Council begins a year-long study on learning outcomes assessment.

1998-1999

-The Division Chair Council works with the Faculty Senate to design a faculty project for experimenting with outcomes assessment.

-Cabrillo applies for and receives a year-long grant from the Lucile and David Packard Foundation to enable faculty to explore outcomes assessment.  Grant activities include:
A two-week Summer Institute for 15 faculty to learn about outcomes assessment and design a research project focused on applying assessment methods to one class.

Fall implementation of the research project.

Spring analysis of results.

Production of a Learner Outcomes Handbook that details the results.

-Marcy Alancraig, English instructor, is selected as faculty leader for the Packard Project.

-Inaugural Learner Outcomes Summer Institute is held.

1999-2002

-3 more summer Institutes are held, instructing a total of 57 faculty in SLO assessment.   Faculty produce the Handbook and a Toolkit about the results of their assessments.  See the Learner Outcomes Institute Fact Sheet for more details.

-Cabrillo’s Institute experiences are presented at several statewide conferences including The Learning Paradigm conference and the California Assessment Institute.

-Cabrillo holds several flex workshops about the Institutes and learning outcomes.

2001-2002

-The Faculty Senate convenes a new subcommittee, Learner Outcomes and Accreditation, whose task is to monitor the development of the new accreditation standards and choose an assessment method for the college.

-Marcy Alancraig, English, is appointed to the new position of SLO Assessment Coordinator at 25% reassign time beginning in Fall 2001. In addition to planning the summer Institute, her responsibilities include gathering information on assessment models, trying to interpret the new accreditation standards and serving on the Senate subcommittee on SLOs.  She presents a report on her activities to Vice President Claire Biancalana in Spring 2002.

-Fall 2001, Marcy Alancraig teaches a class, English 180S, the  Literature of Educational Theory and Pedagogical Paradigms, to interested Cabrillo faculty on the learning outcomes approach.  It is the Learners Outcomes Institute in a classroom-based format.  Diane Putnam, English Division Chair, produces a research project on approaches used at colleges across the nation that is presented to the Learner Outcomes and Accreditation subcommittee and forms the initial basis for their work and investigations.

2002-2003

-The Faculty Senate defines the college core competencies

-The Learner Outcomes and Accreditation subcommittee continues to debate assessment methods and explore options for Cabrillo; it urges the adoption of the Transfer Breakfast and Cabrillo Festival as assessment activities.

-Summer Institute alumni complete a follow-up survey that shows continued use of outcomes assessment; see the Learner Outcomes Institute Fact Sheet for detailed results.

-Marcy Alancraig presents the results of the follow-up survey to the Governing Board in May 2003.

-Cabrillo’s approach to assessment is presented at the California Assessment Institute and at workshops sponsored by the Research and Planning Group at Santa Rosa, San Francisco City and West Valley community colleges.

-Marcy Alancraig prepares a report on her activities as Assessment Coordinator to Vice President of Instruction Claire Biancalana in August 2003.

2003-2004

-The Faculty Senate designs an assessment process for the college core competencies and asks those departments going through Instructional Planning to pilot it. The Council for Instructional Planning (CIP) approves both the process and the forms added to Instructional Plans to document the assessment results.

-The SLO Assessment Coordinator position is suspended in Fall 2003 due to budget constraints and re-instated in Spring 2004 at 50% reassign time. Responsibilities are expanded to include on-going work with departments in the pilot, refining the instructional assessment plan, working with non-instructional components to develop assessment plans and archiving Cabrillo SLO work.

-The Assessment Coordinator and Faculty Senate President train faculty undergoing the pilot in the new assessment method.

-The SLO Assessment Coordinator writes three workbooks (Classroom/Course Level Workbook, Occupational Program Workbook, Instructional Planning Workbook) that also train faculty in the pilot assessment method and are used during the flex workshops.  Later, they are posted on the Learning Outcomes website.

-The Curriculum Committee adopts changes in Course Outline forms to include SLOs; the Curriculum Handbook is amended and Fiesta is altered to reflect those changes.

-The Assessment Coordinator and Faculty Senate President present the Instructional assessment plan to each division to gather feedback on it.

-The Accreditation Planning Committee is formed to design a college-wide assessment plan, develop an institutional timeline for accreditation, and develop a plan to implement dialogue as part of campus processes.

-The Learning Outcomes website is designed and produced by Jing Luan, director of Planning and Research.

2004-2005

-Fall Flex week features several workshops on SLOs.

-The college-assessment plan and dialogue process, developed by the Accreditation Planning Committee, is presented during Spring Flex week in a workshop called “Chewing On Learning Outcomes.”  A booklet that describes the assessment process for each sector of the campus is prepared for attendees and attendees are surveyed about their concerns and understanding of Cabrillo’s SLO plans.  This workshop also includes the premier of the Core 4 song, written and performed by Faculty Senate President Rory O'Brien.

-Most of Spring Flex is devoted to SLOs; workshops include training departments undergoing Instructional Planning in the Instructional assessment process. 

-The departments that participated in the pilot of the Instructional assessment plan present their results as part of their Instructional Plans to CIP.

-The Assessment Coordinator and Faculty Senate President meet with campus bodies about the college assessment plan including the faculty union, CCFT, the Student Senate, and the Master Planning Committee.

-The Assessment Coordinator addresses faculty concerns about assessment in a regular section of Instruction Notes and in an article in the CCFT newsletter.

-The Accreditation Planning Committee revises the assessment plan, based on feedback received from the college; they define the responsibilities of the SLO Assessment Review Committee and how assessment activities link to the college Master Plan.

-The Accreditation Planning Committee, Faculty Senate and CCFT work to design how SLOs and faculty evaluation are linked.  CCFT and the college administration negotiate contract language on the issue.

-The Accreditation Planning Committee finalizes the accreditation time-line and completes it work.

-The Assessment Coordinator presents a proposal to the Student Senate and asks for their sponsorship of the Transfer Breakfast. The first breakfast is held; attendees are celebrated and asked for their assessment of the transfer programs and services at Cabrillo. 

-The SLO Subcommittee of the college Curriculum Committee convenes for the first time to evaluate new curriculum containing SLOs and the core competencies.  Their report is presented to the full Curriculum committee during Spring 2005.

-Michael Mangin, History, is chosen for as the Faculty Chair for the Accreditation Self-Study; the Faculty Senate begins the process to find volunteers to serve as standard and section co-chairs.

-The SLO Assessment Coordinator position is upped to 75% reassign time.

-Cabrillo’s approach to SLO assessment is presented as an exemplary model at the statewide “Assessment that Matters” conference at UC Berkeley.

-Marcy Alancraig prepares her annual SLO Assessment Coordinator’s report for new Vice President of Instruction Renee Kilmer in August 2005.

2005-2006

-Much of Fall Flex is devoted to SLOs.  “Digesting Learning Outcomes,’ a follow-up workshop to Spring’s “Chewing on Learning Outcomes” is presented to describe the concerns last spring’s attendees had about the college SLO assessment plan and what has been done to alleviate them.   Attendees are again surveyed about their understanding and concerns about Cabrillo’s assessment plans.

-The SLO Subcommittee of the college Curriculum Committee meets each semester to evaluate new curriculum containing SLOs and the core competencies.  The present the results of their work to the full Curriculum committee in a Fall 2005 report and Spring 2006 report.

-Accreditation is underway!   A “Theme Team,” chaired by the SLO Assessment Coordinator is created to help standard committees deal with each theme.  In addition, the SLO website is updated and completed to help standard committees provide evidence for Cabrillo’s SLO processes and procedures.

-The SLO Assessment Coordinator works intensively with Student Services to help them create Assessment Plans for each department.

-The Student Senate expands the Transfer Breakfast to a Transfer Lunch and votes to sponsor it along with the Transfer Center and the Faculty Senate. It doubles in enrolllment and survey data is gathered.

-The SLO Coordinator's position is established as part of the CCFT contract at 50% reassigned time through Spring 2010.

-The Learning Outcomes Assessment Coordinator presents her report of her year's activities in August 2006.

2006-2007

-The college Core Competencies are the main theme of the Fall Flex week and continue to be a feature of Spring flex week as well.  Highlights include presentations by the SLO Coordinator and Faculty Senate president on the Revolving Wheel of Assessment in Transfer and Basic Skills programs and the Revolving Wheel for Occupational Programs.

-The Learning Outcomes Assessment Coordinator presents an "State of the SLO Union" report to the Governing Board in September.  

-Work on the accreditation self-study continues.   The Theme Team read drafts of each standard, providing feedback to committees on theme information and evidence.  The SLO Coordinator works intensively to help draft the opening chapter on the history of SLOs at Cabrillo and becomes part of the "Accredibles," the small group working on finalizing publication.

-Cabriillo assessment methods are presented at two conferences "Strengthening Student Success" in October 2006 and the statewide Academic Senate's inaugural "Accreditation Institute" in Janary 2007.

-The SLO Subcommittee of the college Curriculum Committee meets to evaluate new curriculum containing SLOs and the core competencies in Fall 2006 and Spring 2007.  Their report will be presented to the full Curriculum in early fall 2007.

-The Faculty Senate, with input from faculty at large and the Student Senate, revises the college core competencies.

-The SLO Asssessment Review Committee meets for the first time at the end of the school year.

-The Learning Assessment Coordinator works with Dale Attias, Instructional Procedure Analyst, to prepare for Cabrillo's transition to Curricunet by making sure the design of the SLO component is accurate and workable.  

-The Transfer Lunch is held once again to honor transfer students; the event is sponsored by the Student and Faculty Senates and the Transfer Center.  Data on transfer issues is collected and a report issued by the Planning and Resource Office.

-The SLO Assessment Coordinator presents her yearly report to Vice President Kilmer in August 2007.

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