James A. Rhodes State College
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessment of Student Learning
Assessment of Student Growth
- What is assessment of student growth?
Assessment is an effort to measure learning from entry to exit. Comparing student performance at entry to performance at exit is a particularly useful way to measure the impact of our curriculum on student learning. The information provides a base line against which to assess student growth and development of general education skills and abilities.
- What instrument will be used to initially assess student abilities in communication and critical thinking?
The ACT-Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) will be used to assess beginning student competencies in writing, reading, critical thinking, and mathematics. The information will serve as the base line against which we will measure student growth.
- Who will be required to take the ACT-CAAP Assessment as a pre-test?
A significant number of new degree seeking students entering in the Fall, with the exception of post-secondary high school students and transient students, some transfer students, and certificate seeking students who are not interested in degree work will take the reading, writing, mathematics and critical thinking modules of the ACT-CAAP. Transfer students with credit in Math and English and more than 15 hours are generally excused.
- When will the ACT-CAAP be administered for the second time as a post-test?
Students taking their capstone courses will take the ACT-CAAP. Information from the exit-test will be compared to base line results gathered as freshmen. The ACT-CAAP is a required element of the capstone course. Students who do not take the ACT-CAAP during the capstone course will not receive a passing grade for the course and will not graduate until successfully completing the ACT-CAAP and capstone course.
- Does my performance on the ACT-CAAP affect my
graduation from Rhodes State?
No. You are not required to demonstrate a certain level of personal growth as measured by the entry and exit results of the assessment. However, you must take the ACT-CAAP to pass the capstone course and subsequently graduate from the College.
This page was last updated on: 01/26/2006