STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

SUMMARY FORM AY 2012-2013

Degree and

Program Name:

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PART ONE

What are the learning objectives? / How, where, and when are they assessed? / What are the expectations? / What are the results? / Committee/ person responsible? How are results shared?
1. Identify principles of human development and family science to the family service profession. / A. FCS 1800 (Lifespan Human Development; required course)
Three quantitative exam questions (uniform across all course sections) require students to demonstrate knowledge of the following subject areas: lifespan development time periods; lifespan theoretical perspective of developmental change; and lifespan developmental characteristics.
B. Senior Exit Survey Item: “I am able to identify principles of human development.” / A. A minimum of 80% of students will achieve correct responses to all exam questions pertaining to the three subject areas.
B. A minimum mean score of 4 on a 5-point Likert scale. (5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree) / A. 87.75% of FCS 1800 students correctly answered all exam questions pertaining to the three subject areas.
B. M=4.53
A./B. These data tell us that the majority of our students know that the human lifespan includes individuals from the time of birth through death. Also, the majority of our students know that the lifespan development perspective includes a focus on individuals’ ages and stages, unique traits, shared developmental characteristics, and familial and cultural influences. / A. FCS 1800 instructors
Results are shared/discussed in Family Services Program Area faculty meetings (which are held monthly) and results are provided to the Family Services Program Area Coordinator.
B. FCS Undergraduate Assessment Committee Chair disseminates Senior Exit Survey data to all FCS faculty. Assessment results are analyzed and discussed at Family Services Program Area faculty meetings.
2. Examine and analyze types of social services and public policies related to needs and challenges of individuals and families. / A. FCS 2800 (Family Relationships; required course)
Eight quantitative exam questions (uniform across all course sections) require students to demonstrate knowledge of the following subject areas: social services available and relevant to individuals/families and assess how/ which services address diverse needs, concerns, and problems of individuals/ families.
B. Senior Exit Survey Item: “I can determine appropriate resources and services to address the needs, concerns, and problems of individuals and families.”
C. Senior Exit Survey question: “I can analyze the impact of legislation, regulation, and standards on individuals, and families and the programs that serve them.” / A. minimum of 80% of students will achieve correct responses to all eight exam questions pertaining to the subject areas.
B. A minimum mean score of 4 on a 5-point Likert scale. (5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree)
C. A minimum mean score of 4 on a 5-point Likert scale. (5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree) / A. 97.7% of FCS 2800 students correctly answered all eight exam questions pertaining to the subject areas.
B. M=4.63
C. M=4.06
A./B./C. These data tell us that the majority of our students are aware of existing social services resources, programs, and related public policies. The majority of our students are informed as to how to serve as a professional resources to link individuals and families with appropriate social services. As future professionals, our students will face complex and multi-layered issues, challenges, and problems being experienced by their clients. Our students must be aware of types of social services and which social services best meet the general and specialized needs of their clientele. In addition to social services, public policies at the federal, state, and local levels impact individual and family resources and well being. The data tell us that our students have a moderate confidence level of their ability to analyze legislation, regulations, and standards. / A. FCS 2800 instructors
Results are shared/discussed in Family Services Program Area faculty meetings (which are held monthly) and results are provided to the Family Services Program Area Coordinator.
B. / C. FCS Undergraduate Assessment Committee Chair disseminates Senior Exit Survey data to all FCS faculty. Assessment results are analyzed and discussed at Family Services Program Area faculty meetings.
3. Plan, implement, and evaluate activities, programs, and/or services for individuals and families. / A. FCS 3853 (Practicum in Child Development; required course) A uniform Professional Credentialing Module (PCM) is implemented in all sections of FCS 3853 to further students’ knowledge of professional caregiving responsibilities for children and their families and to measure students’ competencies as professional caregivers working with children and families.
In FCS 3853, students attend two lecture sessions per week and then, twice per week, engage in a practicum experience working with children ages two through five and their families. Examples of students’ responsibilities in FCS 3853 include weekly lesson planning, implementation, and evaluation, scheduling/time management, communicating and establishing relationships with children and families, and following safety/well-being procedures. The assessment of students’ competency is conducted by the FCS 3853 instructors.
The PCM is adapted in full from the Child Development Associate (CDA) Competency Standards of the Council for Professional Recognition (http://www.cdacouncil.org/the-cda-credential/about-the-cda) and endorsed by one of our major professional organizations in the Family Services discipline – the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The CDA Competency Standards include six goals and thirteen functional areas within these goals, which describe child development principles and the major responsibilities and tasks that a caregiver must carry out when working with children and families.
B. FCS 4275 (Internship; required; 3 credits, 120 clock hours) Interns engage in professional development through planning and implementing activities/programs and completing summative and formative evaluations of these activities/programs and other professional duties.
The internship outcomes are measured, in part, by weekly reports submitted by interns to their assigned faculty internship supervisors. In the weekly reports, interns critically reflect and summarize the following: challenge or event or situation of the week, how it was handled, what was learned, and how they will professionally benefit; discussion and analysis regarding changes and/or growth in professional goals; professional contributions to employer and how professional growth resulted; and additional self-selected critical reflections.
Other measures include: professional oral interviews with site supervisor and written summary and reflection on professional gains from interview; and midterm and final performance evaluations by the interns and the site supervisors. All performance evaluations have 25 criteria rated on a 4-point Likert scale and complemented by narrative/subjective evaluation commentary.
C. Senior Exit Survey question: “I am able to plan, implement, and evaluate activities and/or programs for individuals and families.” / A. A minimum of 80% of FCS 3853 students will achieve a grade of C or better on the Professional Credentialing Module (PCM).
B. A minimum of 85% of the interns will achieve a grade of CR (Credit) for the completion of FCS 4275. To earn credit for FCS 4275, all clock hours, weekly reports, professional interviews, and midterm/final performance evaluations must be submitted on time and completed in full to the assigned faculty internship supervisor.
C. A minimum mean score of 4 on a 5-point Likert scale. (5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree) / A. 92% of FCS 3853 students achieved a grade of C or better on the Professional Credentialing Module (PCM).
B. 98.1% of FCS 4275 students achieved credit (grade of CR) for the internship.
C. M=4.5
A. / C. These data tell us that the vast majority of our FCS 3853 students are demonstrating competencies required of professional caregivers who work with children of different ages and stages and their respective families. A number of our students will pursue career paths requiring direct care and/or interaction with children and families in a variety of professional settings (e.g., child care centers, family child care homes, social services agencies with a home visitation component, crisis case management with children and families).
From the FCS 3853 PCM, we are able to learn that the majority of our students possess competencies and readiness to establish/maintain safe, healthy learning environments, advance children’s physical and intellectual competence; support children’s social and emotional development and provide positive guidance to children; establish positive and productive family relationships, ensure well-run, purposeful programs responsive to child and family needs, and maintain professional commitment.
B. / C. These data tell us that the vast majority of our students have successfully engaged in applied professional experiences where they have been entrusted with responsibilities and duties to the employer and the respective clients. From the data, we know that the vast majority of students have independently and collaboratively planned, implemented, and evaluated activities, programs, and services for the duration of the experience. Actual examples include planning and writing a first draft of a grant to request funding for an autism resource program, implementing a new support group for children who have experienced domestic violence in the home, or evaluating the success of a parent education workshop. The FCS 4275 data tell us that the vast majority of our students can apply the knowledge and skills learned in their academic courses and apply them to professional practice. / A. FCS 3853 instructors
Results are shared/discussed in Family Services Program Area faculty meetings (which are held monthly) and results are provided to the Family Services Program Area Coordinator. Results are also shared/discussed in Child Development Laboratory staff meetings.
B. FCS Faculty Internship Supervisors, FCS Internship Coordinator
Data on individual interns are reported to the FCS Internship Coordinator by the FCS faculty internship supervisors. The FCS Internship Coordinator provides cumulative data to the Family Services Program Area Coordinator for the purposes of this report. Results are shared/discussed in Family Services Program Area faculty meetings (which are held monthly).
C. FCS Undergraduate Assessment Committee Chair disseminates Senior Exit Survey data to all FCS faculty. Assessment results are analyzed and discussed at Family Services Program Area faculty meetings.
4. Engage in professional development activities and reflective evaluation while adhering to professional ethical standards. / A. Same “how, where, and when” as 3.B.
B. Senior Exit Survey Item: “I can evaluate reflectively my professional behavior and that of others while adhering to professional ethical standards.” / A. A minimum of 85% of the interns will achieve a grade of CR (Credit) for the completion of FCS 4275. To earn credit for FCS 4275, all clock hours, weekly reports, professional interviews, and midterm/final performance evaluations must be submitted on time and completed in full to the assigned faculty internship supervisor.
B. A minimum mean score of 4 on a 5-point Likert scale. (5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree) / A. 98.1% of FCS 4275 students achieved credit (grade of CR) for the internship.
B. M=4.36
A. / B. These data tell us that the vast majority of our students demonstrate the ability to engage in professional development activities and ethical practices in career environments with their respective colleagues and children, families, and other clients. When credit is earned for FCS 4275, we know that our students have demonstrated competencies related to twenty-five performance evaluation criteria. Examples of criteria include: knowledge of subject matter, communication, client and colleague relations, disposition, time management, decision-making, problem solving, professionalism, and ethical behaviors/practices.
A key component in professional development and growth is the ability to self-reflect and effectively articulate those self-reflections, which students fulfill through their weekly reports and midterm/final performance evaluations. As a capstone academic experience, the internship serves as a major step in students’ transitioning and maturing to professionals who will serve diverse individuals and families with complex and layered needs, challenges, and problems. / A. FCS Faculty Internship Supervisor, FCS Internship Coordinator
Data on individual interns are reported to the FCS Internship Coordinator by the FCS faculty internship supervisors. The FCS Internship Coordinator provides cumulative data to the Family Services Program Area Coordinator for the purposes of this report. Results are shared/discussed in Family Services Program Area faculty meetings (which are held monthly).
B. FCS Undergraduate Assessment Committee Chair disseminates Senior Exit Survey data to all FCS faculty. Assessment results are analyzed and discussed at Family Services Program Area faculty meetings.
5. Demonstrate an awareness of cultural diversity within individuals and families in society and critically apply theory to practice to understand diverse human behaviors and dynamics. / A. FCS 2000 (Family Perspectives; Required course) In FCS 2000, students in all sections complete a major written course capstone assignment – the Theoretical Application Paper (TAP). For the TAP, students self-select a specific topic/issue of concern relevant to individuals/families.
For the first section of the TAP, students review professional literature and provide a written statement of the problem/justification of the importance and support their narrative with facts and statistics.
For the second section of the TAP, students develop a family case scenario which reflects diversity and depicts a family confronted by the previously identified current issue of concern (e.g., impact of substance abuse on the family system, interracial marriage prejudice, same sex couple adoption of a child, domestic violence, adolescent pregnancy and parenting).
For the third and final section of the TAP, students self-select one of seven family-specific theories (which have been learned throughout the course) and apply the theoretical assumptions, concepts, and propositions to the family case scenario. The major goal of the theoretical application is to better understand complex human behaviors, actions, and reactions of diverse individuals and families.
Students’ TAPs in FCS 2000 are assessed and students are provided feedback by course instructors at two different points: 1) upon completion of the first draft of the TAP and 2) upon completion of the final TAP.
B. Senior Exit Survey Item: “I can apply my knowledge of diversity (e.g. racial, ethnic, economic) to better serve individuals and families.” / A. A minimum of 80% of FCS 2000 students will achieve a grade of C or better on the Theoretical Application Paper (TAP).
B. A minimum mean score of 4 on a 5-point Likert scale. (5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly Disagree) / A. 86% of FCS 2000 students achieved a grade of C or better on the Theoretical Application Paper (TAP).
B. M=4.75
A./B. These data tell us that the majority of our students are aware of current issues and trends impacting diverse individuals and families and know how to review professional literature to gather facts and statistics. Cultural diversity is viewed as a broad concept within Family Services disciplines and examples include race, ethnicity, gender, generational cohorts, and geographical demographics. Our students’ case scenarios allow them to explore various forms of diversity in individuals and families. Furthermore, these data tell us that the majority of our students are competent in applying theoretical perspectives to analyze individual and family case scenarios and, subsequently, better understand human behaviors and dynamics. Analysis and contemplation of human behavior allows for strengthening of observational skills and distinguishing between objective and subjective thought processes and professional judgments. / A. FCS 2000 instructors
Results are shared/discussed in Family Services Program Area faculty meetings (which are held monthly) and results are provided to the Family Services Program Area Coordinator.
B. FCS Undergraduate Assessment Committee Chair disseminates Senior Exit Survey data to all FCS faculty. Assessment results are analyzed and discussed at Family Services Program Area faculty meetings.

PART TWO