Kennedy-King College’s Assessment Academy Project Report October 2013.

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Kennedy-King College’s Assessment

Academy Project ReportOctober 2013

A Brief History of Writing Across the Curriculum

• WAC has been an ongoing initiative at KKC for nearly ten years

• Two years ago, WAC was added as a project to KKC’s Assessment Academy Project with the Higher Learning Commission

• Last year, WAC worked in partnership with the Dean’s office to assess our students’ writing across the general education curriculum

What We’ve Done…

• Re-tooled scoring rubric to provide a better snapshot of student writing (based on Academy mentor recommendation)

• During 2011-12 committee collected 230 writing samples from 10 departments

• During 2012-2013 committee collected 377 writing samples from 23 different courses

What We’ve Done…

• Held workshops to train committee members on paper scoring

• Scored writing samples analytically using revised WAC rubric

• Compiled data for distribution to faculty• Provided concrete recommendations for

improving writing on campus

WAC Analytic Scoring Rubric (Old version)

2012-2013 WAC Scores (Raw Numbers)

Score Composition Organization StyleSentence Structure

Usage Mechanics

4 101 90 76 66 61 64

3 155 155 142 135 145 145

2 103 112 141 144 126 134

1 18 20 18 32 35 34

2012-2013 WAC Scores (Percentages)

Score Composition Organization StyleSentence Structure

Usage Mechanics

4 27% 24% 20% 18% 17% 17%

3 41% 41% 38% 36% 38% 38%

2 27% 30% 37% 38% 36% 36%

1 5% 5% 5% 9% 9% 9%

Some Quick Takeaways…

• Composition is the strongest aspect of our students’ writing with 68% scoring a 4 or 3.

• Sentence Structure is the weakest aspect of our students’ writing with 47% achieving only a 1 or 2.

• Usage and Mechanics also proved difficult for our students with only 55% achieving a 4 or 3 in both areas.

How We Compare To Last Year…

Composition Scores:

2012 2013 Net Change

4 – 37% 27% -10

3 – 44% 41% -3

2 – 17% 27% +10

1 – 2% 5% +3

Organization Scores:

4 – n/a 24% n/a

3 – n/a 41% n/a

2 – n/a 30% n/a

1 – n/a 5% n/a

Style Scores:

4 – 29% 20% -9

3 – 39% 38% -1

2 – 31% 37% +6

1 – 1% 5% +4

Sentence Structure Scores: 2012 2013 Net Change

4 – 32% 18% -143 – 41% 36% -5 2 – 25% 38% +131 – 2% 9% +7

Usage Scores:

4 – 22% 17% -5

3 – 43% 38% -5

2 – 32% 36% +4

1 – 2% 9% +7

Mechanics Scores:

4 – 25% 17% -7

3 – 43% 38% -5

2 – 32% 36% +4

1 – 2% 9% +7

Why The Change?

• Bigger sample size

• Rubric changes

• Submissions focused only on general education classes

• Submissions process

Concrete Things We’ve Done:

• Recommend all faculty provide writing rubrics to students for all writing assignments

• Encourage use of the Writing Center tutoring services through adoption of GradesFirst technology

• WAC Committee regularly meets with Communications Department to discuss strategies

Concrete Things We’ve Done:

• WAC Committee makes annual presentation of findings to all faculty and staff during Faculty Development Week

• WAC Committee members have been participants on college search committee for new institutional researcher

Where We’re Heading…• WAC is scheduled to officially report out

of the Assessment Academy this fall

• WAC will meet separately and with Department Chairs to formulate specific more recommendations to improve writing

• WAC will continue to explore ways to expand awareness of the project and to increase submissions.

Where We’re Heading…

• Recommendations will be shared and refined with the English Department

• Final recommendations will be distributed to entire KKC faculty through Department Chairs

Questions?

Thank you

Kennedy-King College’s Assessment Academy Project Report October 2013.

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