The first stages of program redesign to meet the 2010 IPTS mandate

The first step was to developed a scale that could be used to gather data at the I, D and P levels across all programs.   While considering options for the scale I ran into the challenge of how to connect the scale to grading in courses.  I solved this problem by determining the scale should be 5 points and that it would would be locked at each level.  For example that in a course that is assessing an indicator at the introductory level, a student can only receive a 0 or a 1, and the assessments for introductory indicators would be designed to determine only if the student has introductory knowledge.  Data on the knowledge that a student may hold that is beyond the introductory level will not be gathered until the student takes the course with the assessment for that indicator and the developing level, and at the proficiency level.  This framework forces the instructor to evaluate only the level assigned to each specific course thus avoid rating inflation, and the excessive use of the proficient ratings at early points in the program.   

Once the scale was established, I was able to create a spread sheet for each standard with the indicators and the levels.   I then considered each indicator and plugged in the course where I thought the indicator was assessed, or should be assessed into the spreadsheet in the course name column.  Next I plugged in the level at which the indicator would be taught (I,D,P).  The gray shaded sections indicates where the student should score at each level.  For example, standard 1A is assessed in EDU 3000 at the introductory level, in EDU 3600 at the developing level, and in student teaching at the proficient level.  

I used this process to assign every indicator to a specific course.  If an indicator did not seem to fit with an existing course, I recorded the indicator on a separate spreadsheet.  The list of indicators not covered by current courses would later be used to revise courses and create new courses. 

©Kristi Stricker 06/2011