Award Date

1-1-2008

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Committee Member

Cecilia Maldonado

Number of Pages

120

Abstract

This study examined how state participation in the National Forum on College-Level Learning project changed higher education system policy and institutional practices on assessment of student learning. The purpose of this study examined state higher education implementation practices for assessing student learning outcomes in selected land grant and community colleges before and after participation in the National Forum on College-Level Learning project; The results of this study are limited to the states of Nevada, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. To determine the implementation of state assessment policy at the institutional level, this study's theoretical framework was implementation theory. The research questions which guided this research were: (1) What was the state higher education system's policy for assessing student learning before and after participation in the National Forum on College-Level Learning project? (2) What practices of assessing student learning have been implemented at the institutional level following participation in the National Forum on College-Level Learning project? (3) What are the similarities and/or differences in assessing student learning across the states participating in the National Forum on College-Level Learning project?;While the efficacy of establishing national benchmarks was not determined through this project, some of the outcomes of this include the identification of similar regional accreditation association standards on assessment. All institutions within each state were able to articulate a compliance with state policy requirements for assessment. Also similar, was the consensus among all community colleges that Work Keys(c) was not an appropriate assessment instrument for two year students. The states of Oklahoma and Kentucky identified the adoption of the Collegiate Learning Assessment to assess general education at the four year institutions. Oklahoma and Nevada offered financial incentives to faculty to conduct assessment, and only Oklahoma authorized institutions to assess student fees to support assessment activities. Officials in the states of Oklahoma and Kentucky indicated that participation in the National Forum on College-Level Learning project had resulted in a state wide effort to standardize assessment among all institutions within the state.

Keywords

Assessment Instruments; Assessment Of Student Learning; Case; Education; Education Policy; Kentucky; Learning; National Forum On College-level Learning; Nevada; Oklahoma; States; Student

Controlled Subject

Education, Higher; Educational tests and measurements; School management and organization

File Format

pdf

File Size

1699.84 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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