WTCS Quality Review Process

The WTCS has implemented a Quality Review Process (QRP) that supports the continuous improvement of instructional programs and student services. It is used by WTCS to ensure that all occupational education programs, adult basic education programs, apprenticeships, and certain student services at each institution have undergone a review at least once every five years. In order to be incompliance programs must have at least one improvement plan in the Quality Review Process Database System (QRPDS) although each program may have up to three improvement plans in the QRPDS at any one time. All improvement plans are reviewed by the appropriate educational consultant, who can then provide feedback to the program.

In addition to program review compliance the QRP will also be used to establish eligibility for funding for certain State-sponsored grant programs, such as the Perkins Program Improvement Grant. Other uses for the QRP include the establishment of program-specific benchmarks for the quality indicators, creation of an archive of best practices, support of College and program accreditation processes, data for marketing and promotional materials, and development of the program’s annual Unit Plan.

The QRP is aligned with the College’s planning processes. At the conclusion of the LSQIP self-assessment, programs will have determined their strengths and opportunities for improvement. Based on an analysis of the opportunities for improvement, the program then determines its improvement efforts, which form the basis for the Annual Unit Plan as well as the QRP. Simply complete this form and Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) will enter an improvement plan for the program into the WTCS QRPDS. The improvement plan will be tracked for progress over a five year period, when the program goes through LSQIP again. On an annual basis, instructional programs will have the opportunity to revise their improvement plans. IRE will make the revisions as necessary in the QRPDS.

The Lead Instructor/ Program Director for each program should have access to the QRPDS in order to view the plans, obtain data and view comparison information. If a program cannot access the database or if a new individual needs access, please contact IRE at 246-6408.

INSTRUCTIONS: Once you have completed the LSQIP Portfolio self-assessment, please complete the following form to have an improvement plan entered into the QRPDS. Programs must have at least one improvement plan in the QRPDS but may have more. Complete each statement or question in order to complete one improvement plan. If the program would like to have more than one improvement plan submitted to the QRPDS additional forms are available on the LSQIP Web site or LSQIP BlackBoard site. A program’s improvement plan can be revised at any time; therefore, the information submitted can represent what the program anticipates doing but does not limit the program to only the stated activities.

1.FUTURE TRENDS (Opportunities and Challenges)

Describe any specific employment or industry trends which might have a significant effect on the programin the future.

(Include any issues which may affect the program’s graduates, curriculum or stakeholders. Example: Increasing oil prices have severely affected the availability of raw materials for plastics production. This has resulted in layoffs and a reduction in employment opportunities.)

2.OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT (Improvement Plan – IP)

Based on the program’s analysis of the LSQIP Portfolio, describe at least one program-identified opportunity for improvement that the program anticipates addressing in the next year. Provide two to three sentences that explain the issue.

3.RATIONALE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Describe why it is important for the program to deal with the opportunity for improvement (Improvement Plan) and what the program hopes to improve by addressing this opportunity.

4.PROJECT TITLE

Please provide a four to six word title, which will be used to identify the program’s improvement plan in the QRPDS.

5.PROGRESS INDICATOR

How would the program measure its progress for the opportunity for improvement?

The QRPDS has standard performance indicators, with sets of indicators associated with different types of programs. Find the set that applies to your program; then decide which indicator which would best measure progress for yourimprovement plan. Choose ONLY ONE indicator per improvement plan.

Educational ProgramState Level Indicators / ApprenticeshipState Level Indicators
C200 – Course Completion / F600 – Third Year Graduation / C500 – Course Completion / G460 – Minority Completion of Paid Related Instruction
C400 – Special Population Course Completion / F800 – Fifth Year Graduation / G200 – Apprentice Retention in Paid Related Instruction / G480 – Non-Minority Completion of Paid Related Instruction
C600 – Minority Student Course Completion / I300 – Job Placement – All Employment / G400 – Completion of WTCS Paid Related Instruction / H500 – Attainment of Apprentice Completion Certificate
F200 – Second Year Retention / I600 – Job Placement – Related Employment / G420 – Female Completion of Paid Related Instruction / I500 – Wage Gain – Journey Level Worker Wage
F400 – Third Year Retention / J500 – Nontraditional Gender Enrollment / G440 – Male Completion of Paid Related Instruction / J510 – Percentage Employed Related After DWD Completion

Educational program and Apprenticeship indicators are provided here but there are also indicators for ABE, ASE, Developmental/ Remedial, ESL, Liberal Arts Transfer and General Education departments. If you need to see these indicators please contact IRE.

6.PROJECT GOAL

What is the anticipated goal for the program’s opportunity for improvement?

Current year’s Actual Value: % / + / Program’s Intended Improvement: % / = / Program’s Goal: %

Use the QRP data from the previous year, as found in the LSQIP Blackboard site, to assist in determining the goal. In QRP, goals must be written as a numeral and must be greater than the current value for the related indicator. For example, if the program’s actual indicator value is listed as a 50 and the program would like to see a ten percent improvement, the goal would be written as 60. There is no need to enter the percentage sign (%).

7.PROJECT ACTIVITIES

What does the program intend to do to reach its goal?

Please provide a short description of anticipated activities. Be sure to include in the description the current level of achievement and the anticipated improvement as a result of carrying out the activities. The program may also wish to include the personnel (by position, not name) who would be doing the activities and when the activities would be carried out.

Activity1: / Activity 2: / Activity 3:

8.PROJECT TIMEFRAME

What is the anticipated timeframe from implementation to completion?Enter information as MM/DD/YYYY

Beginning: / Ending:

9.PROJECT COST and Funding Source

a) How much does the program anticipate spending, per year, to carry out the improvement plan activities? b) From where will the program allocate funds to implement the improvement plan?

a) Cost: $ / b) Funding Source: N/AExternalWTCSOther Internal

Funding: Select from one of three choices: External= grants, donor, etc.; WTCS= state funded grants or initiatives; Other Internal= current budget, budget transfers or MATC Foundation funds

10.PROJECT ACCOUNTABILITY

Indicate the person primarily responsible for the improvement plan as well as a secondary person. In most cases, the primary person will be a program-related individual and the secondary person will be the Dean or Associate Dean. In the case of Perkins grant funded projects, the secondary individual may be the individual coordinating Perkins in the Grants Office.

Primary: / Secondary:

Thank you for providing this information. IRE will input the information into the QRPDS and notify the appropriate Educational Consultant. Please contact IRE at 246-6408 if the program finds that the information in the QRPDS is incorrect or if the program would like to revise the improvement plan.