Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 5 of The Illinois Commitment
Outcomes Project (TOP)
Waubonsee Community College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
The Outcomes Project (TOP) was created to address the assessment of student learning at Waubonsee Community
College. The goal of the project is to create a culture of assessment that is evidence-based and meets the needs of our
faculty and students. The assessment of student learning at the community college level is complex due to the wide
variety of programs, courses, and services offered. TOP is connecting these complex areas by creating a standard
language and understanding of the outcomes process. The development of the TOP MEASURE model and
Waubonsee’s Outcomes Cycle has facilitated this process.
Description of the effective practice:
TOP (The Outcomes Project) is a multi-faceted, institution-wide, faculty-driven initiative with a mission to improve
the process of assessing student outcomes. The TOP initiative is dynamic in nature with an emphasis on process,
rather than a final destination.
During its first year, TOP laid a foundation for the analysis, design, and development of an outcomes assessment
strategy that incorporates continuous quality improvement. The 2004 academic year marked the initial alignment of
systems, processes, and resources to systematically assess student learning outcomes. Significant steps toward this
process included the creation of the Center for Learning Assessment through the realignment of systems, processes,
and resources of the Assessment Services department and the implementation of compliance measures for
Waubonsee’s GED Testing Program. The realignment process included the construction of a new testing center at the
Sugar Grove campus with double the testing capacity.
During 2005, The Outcomes Project (TOP) Learning Excellence Team discussed college-wide outcomes and the use
of the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP). In order to further Waubonsee’s commitment to a
holistic outcomes process, the TOP Learning Excellence Team recommended that all Waubonsee graduates be asked
to take the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) during the semester prior to graduation. Results
will be forthcoming after a spring 2006 pilot test administration with the May 2006 graduates. These results will not
be reported in this year’s State Performance Report, but will be reported next year.
The size and scope of The Outcomes Project meant that it needed both faculty and staff support to succeed. The TOP
Team (The Outcomes Project Learning Excellence Team), one of eight Waubonsee Learning Excellence Teams, was
formed in the fall of 2004. The goal of the TOP Team is to, in relation to the principles and criteria for a learningcentered
college: (1) identify how to enhance and/or improve the process of assessing student outcomes and (2)
recommend plans for enhancement and/or improvement to programs, processes, and procedures that impact the
assessment of student outcomes. The position of Outcomes Assessment Specialist was created in order to assist
faculty and staff with outcomes assessment planning. This position is available to answer questions, provide
resources, and help with projects including the creation of syllabi, writing course and program objectives, and
assisting faculty in the development of Outcomes Strategies.
One of the initial goals of The Outcomes Project (TOP) was to discover what student learning objectives the full-time
faculty members believed were important for student success, regardless of their area of study. In order to
accomplish this goal, TOP facilitated discussions during 2004 and 2005 faculty orientations that helped to shape an
outcomes model, the TOP MEASURE. The TOP MEASURE is a holistic outcomes framework developed with a
specific language created by Waubonsee’s faculty.
TOP MEASURE MODEL: Waubonsee Community College is committed to placing Learning First! in every facet of
the college experience. Students build a firm foundation during their time at our college. This foundation will
provide our students with the following abilities:
• Managing Human Interaction: the ability to make and navigate relationships
• Expanding Knowledge: the ability to build on one’s own knowledge base
• Adapting Concepts: the ability to build upon a concept
• Shaping the Future: the ability to use knowledge for change
• Utilizing Facts: the ability to apply a fact to a new situation
• Reflecting: the ability to think about one’s own thinking and learning
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