Faculty Assessment Climaxes 2007-2008 Academic Year
by Dr. Ken Farmer, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Several years ago GBS placed at the end of the academic calendar a week dedicated to assessment, and this has now become a highlight of the school year. In addition to a few campus-wide events like the Strategic Plan Update, there is an extensive schedule of meetings for the college faculty. This year, Richard Miles held a session specifically for staff entitled "Making the Assessment Process Your Friend." In years to come, both general staff as well as the faculty of Aldersgate Christian Academy will become more involved in this process.
However, Assessment Week remains a valuable time for faculty to reflect on the past year, examine assessment results, and determine action plans for the coming year. This year there were a number of fine presentations, including the results of student focus groups, the use of peer groups in instruction, using rubrics to grade writing, and using formative assessment techniques. The faculty developed two new rubrics that can be used to track cross-curricular concerns. There were six discussion sessions where divisions were asked to share information on certain topics, such as "effective use of the division’s retention/recruitment funds."
Everybody looks forward to the division presentations given on the final day. These highlight what assessments had resulted in change within the division and how this was accomplished, and then conclude with action items the division has identified for academic year 2008–09. All presentations are rated by all faculty, and awards are given. In first place this year was General Studies (Aaron Profitt), and second place, Ministerial Education (Philip Brown).
The overall rating for Assessment Week has slowly climbed from 4.18 (5-point scale) in 2006 to 4.40 this year.
Posted on Friday, September 19, 2008
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