Section 2: The Assessment Process at MC: The Assessment Cycle

Introduction to the Ongoing Assessment Process

The assessment process at Montgomery College is an ongoing process that is intended to assess student attainment of outcomes/goals associated with disciplines, general education, or academic/administrative programs for the purpose of discovering what is working well and where improvements can be made to increase student learning. The current assessment process at Montgomery College is shown as a graphic below, followed by an overview for each area:

Ongoing Assessment (6-Year Cycle) 

The General Education Program

Courses certified under the General Education Program (Foundation or Distribution courses, courses designated as Institutional Requirements, or General Education Electives), follow a 6-year assessment cycle. Every three years, faculty teaching general education courses assess (and reassess) the attainment of general education competencies through approved "signature assignments” according to the assessment plan approved within their general education certification process by the General Education Standing Committee (GESC). These assessment data are then evaluated by discipline faculty who discuss the data results, create planned actions for improvement, and summarize this information in a reflections report. This report is then reviewed by the Collegewide Assessment Team (CAT) and feedback is provided to faculty members.

All disciplines with general education courses are required to recertify these courses every 6 years. The assessment of Gen Ed competencies plays an important role in the Gen Ed re-certification process, which is necessary to maintain the transferability status of Gen Ed courses. Gen Ed courses allow students to explore and integrate learning across all courses in the Gen Ed program, as well as engage in high impact practices on and off campus, thereby supporting student success both inside and outside the classroom.

 

Certificate and Degree Programs

All certificate and degree programs at Montgomery College are also required to assess (and reassess) the attainment of each program’s learning outcomes every three years as part of a larger six-year assessment cycle. This process is known as “Program Assessment.” Results from these assessment activities, and subsequent planned actions for improvement, are then reviewed by the Collegewide Assessment Team (CAT), where feedback is provided to faculty by CAT committee members.

Certificate and degree programs are also required to perform a more comprehensive evaluative process at the collegewide level, known as the “College Area Review” (CAR). Once completed, this report is then reviewed by the College Area Review Committee (CARC), where recommendations for academic improvements are approved. These macro-level recommendations are then implemented during the next six-year review cycle and yearly status updates of these recommendations are required. Based on the information gained from these assessments, program faculty initiate changes that support student-focused improvement and/or innovation within their program in an effort to increase student success and to ensure that the institutional goals and strategic initiatives of the college are being fulfilled.

 

Administrative & Special Programs

Administrative & special programs also collect data and assess program goals on a 6-year cycle. However, because these programs operate differently than academic programs or general education courses, their cycle activities are slightly modified from the others. Administrative programs are required to assess the attainment of program goals and complete an update on their assessment activities in Year 3 of the cycle. This report is then reviewed by the Office of Assessment and feedback is provided to the program.

These programs are also required to complete a College Area Review (CAR) in Year 6 (similar to their academic counterparts). This report is then reviewed by the College Area Review Committee (CARC). Any recommendations that have been approved are then implemented during the next six-year review cycle and status updates of these recommendations are required. Based on the information gained from these assessments, changes are initiated that support student-focused improvement and/or innovation within their program to support student success and to ensure that the institutional goals and strategic initiatives of the college are being fulfilled.

6-Year Cycle Steps

Below is a circular representation of the Montgomery College Assessment cycle and a description of the steps involved during each year the cycle is implemented:

Circular Model/Steps in the 6-Year Assessment Cycle

• Initial Planning (As a new program/discipline)
  • Define learning outcomes or goals
  • Create an assessment plan and data collection plan as a new course/program or as part of the College Area Review (CAR) process
• Assessment: Collect and Analyze Data (Years 1 & 2)
  •  Assess student attainment of learning outcomes/competencies (academic programs)
  • Assess attainment of program goals (administrative and special programs)
  • Complete and submit an annual data collection update (only academic programs and general education courses)
  • Complete Gen Ed recertification in Year 2 (Gen Ed courses only)

• Analyze/Discuss Data Results & Create Planned Actions for Improvement (Year 3)
  • Complete the Year- 3 Integrated Report (All)

• Implement Action Plans/Collect Data for Reassessment (Years 4 & 5)
  • Reassess student attainment of learning outcomes/competencies (academic programs)
  • Reassess attainment of program goals (administrative and special programs)
  • Complete and submit an annual data collection update (only academic programs and general education courses)
    
    
• College Area Review (CAR)/Planning (Year 6) (Beginning and End of the 6-year cycle; the CAR integrates with planning in Year 6 for all established courses & programs)
  • Review results from assessment/reassessment and make necessary changes based on assessment data
  • Planning - During the CAR process, review and revise program outcomes, design assessment plan for the next 6-year cycle
  • Review entire program to develop strategic recommendations for the next six years
  • Complete and submit the CAR report with above information
    
    
• Repeat Cycle Rotation: Implement any Changes and Recommendations from the College Area Review (CAR) and Proceed through the Cycle Again