DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY
Unit Strategic Plan and Annual Report -- Academic Year 2008-09
____X__ Academic Unit ______Administrative/Support Unit
I. Unit Title: Languages and Literature
School/College or University Division: College of Arts and Sciences
Unit Administrator: William S. Hays
II. Educational Program Learning Outcome Assessment Plan (Academics)
Learner Outcomes identified for the major.
Learner Outcomes for a B.S.E. in English 2008-2009
A. Learning OutcomeWhat should a graduate in the
BSE in English
major know, value, or be able to do at graduation and beyond? / B. Data Collection & Analysis
1. What assessment tools and/or methods will you use to determine achievement of the learning outcome? 2. Describe how the data from these tools and/or methods will be/have been collected.
3. Explain the procedure to analyze the data. / C. Results of Evaluation
What were the findings of the analysis? / D. Use of Evaluation Results
1. List any specific recommendations.
2. Describe changes in curriculum, courses, or procedures that are proposed or were made/ are being made as a result of the program learning outcome assessment process.
Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze works of major writers (mostly British & American) who compose(d) in English and selected works of other major writers whose works can be read in English translations, including works written for young adult readers.
GE 1,2,6,7,& 10 / PRAXIS II scores in English Language and Literature
and
a satisfactory grade in English 304 (Advanced Composition), a capstone course for all English majors
PRAXIS II scores are reported by Educational Testing Services, the company that produces and evaluates the exam,
and
English 304 grades are collected and reported by the instructor of the class.
The goal is to reach a PRAXIS II score of 157, the score required to receive a Class A teacher license in Mississippi,
and
the goal in English 304 is to make a grade of C or higher. If students meet these goals, they have reached a satisfactory SLO for this objective. / 100% of the students (N=7) who took the PRAXIS II exam made a score of 157 or higher (See Table I).
92% of the students (N=24) who completed English 304 in the current year made a score of C or higher (See Table II & Appendix A). / The two students who did not have a C or better in the class will be encouraged to repeat the course and attend one-on-one help sessions with the instructor twice a week.
Students will demonstrate proficiency in expository writing and in the ability to determine such necessary considerations as thesis, purpose, audience, and organization.
GE 1,2 & 3 / The PRAXIS I Writing Test
or
the Writing Proficiency Exam.
Educational Testing Services, the company that develops, distributes, and evaluates the PRAXIS I Writing Test, reports the scores to the Unit.
The DSU Office of Institutional Research reports the aggregate WPE scores to the Unit, after they have been evaluated by faculty readers who are chosen from the entire full-time faculty.
Students who receive a PRAXIS I Writing Test Score of 171 or higher (the minimum score required to enter the DSU
Teacher Education Program),
or
students who receive a CR (Credit) on the Writing Proficiency Exam have demonstrated SLO proficiency in this area.
/ For the current year, 91% of the students (N=10) in the program who took the PRAXIS I Writing Test scored 172 or above. (See Table III.)
And, for the current year, 100% of the students (N=3) in the program who took the Writing Proficiency Exam received a score of CR. (See Table IV.) / The one student who did not score 172 will repeat the test, after he has received developmental instruction in the Writing Center and from his advisor.
Students will demonstrate familiarity with research procedures and critical perspectives in the discipline.
GE 2 & 3 / A satisfactory grade in English 304
and
a portfolio review of selected research/analytical papers written during enrollment in the program
English 304 grades are collected and reported by the instructor of the class.
The portfolio is maintained by the student during the time the student is enrolled in the program.
The goal in English 304 is to make a grade of C or higher. If students meet this goal, they have reached a satisfactory SLO for this objective. The instructor of the class reports the grades.
The goal of the portfolio is to collect and present several papers written by the students during the course of the program of study. Each paper must have a grade of C or better. The student presents the portfolio to the Assessment Committee. The target goal is to make a score of 2.5. / 92% of the students (N=24) who completed English 304 in the current year made a score of C or higher (See Table II & Appendix A.).
A score for the cohort group (N=7) of 2.5 on all areas of evaluation for the portfolio review is considered a satisfactory SLO. 100% of the graduates received a successful portfolio review by the Assessment Committee (See Table V & Appendix B). / The two students that did not make a C or better will be encouraged to repeat the course and attend one-on-one help sessions with the instructor twice a week.
The unit has created a new class, ENG 486, which is partly aimed at helping students prepare their portfolios for final presentation.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of theories and practices of language and grammar.
GE 2, 7 & 10 / PRAXIS II scores in English Language & Literature,
and
a satisfactory grade in English 406 (History and Grammars of the English Language), a capstone course for all English majors
PRAXIS II scores are reported to the unit by Educational Testing Services, the company that writes and evaluates the exam.
English 406 scores are reported by the instructor that teaches the class.
The goal is to reach a PRAXIS II score of 157, the score that is required to receive a Class A teacher license in Mississippi.
The goal in English 406 is to make a grade of C or higher. If students meet this goal, they have reached a satisfactory Student Learning Outcome for this objective. / 100% of the students who took the PRAXIS II exam made a score of 157 or higher (See Table I).
85% of the students (N=20) who completed English 406 in the current year made a score of C or higher (See Table VI & Appendix A.). / The three students who made below a C for the final grade in ENG 406 failed the final exam. The next time the course is taught the instructor will offer a comprehensive, independent help session before the final exam.
Students will demonstrate basic knowledge of the theory and practice of pedagogy for grades 7-12.
GE 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 & 10 / Students will take the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) test.
ETS, the company that develops, validates and scores the test, reports the results to the unit.
If the students score 152 or above on the test, this is considered a satisfactory SLO. (Note: a score of 152 is required to gain teacher licensing in the state of Mississippi.)
During the student teaching semester, candidates are evaluated on their teaching performance by both the cooperative teacher and the university supervisor. A rubric is used for the evaluation, and the goal is to receive a 3.5 score of a possible 4 on all required NCTE standards. / 100% of the students (N=7) who took the PLT for the current year made a score of 152 or higher. (See Table VII.)
Students who did their student teaching this year received an average of 3.5 or above on 12 of the 13 NCTE standards. (See Appendix C and D.) / “An examination of the cohort group reveals that it excelled in engaging students and in demonstrating knowledge of subject matter.”
In the one area that the group fell below an average of 3.5 (Standard 4.9) “indicates the need for a continued emphasis on reading skills in the Methods course [CUR 485].”
Table I
PRAXIS II Scores for DSU English Majors
Year Candidates Range Average Score Pass Rate
2003-04 7 161-182 170.14 100%
2004-05 11 159-177 168 100%
2005-06 2 159-172 165.5 100%
2006-07 6 159-190 176.66 100%
2007-08 4 157-191 171 100%
2008-09 7 161-195 176.0 100%
Table II
Grades Reported from English 304 Classes
Year* Total # of Students Total # of Students Per cent
with a Grade of C or Higher Reaching Goal
2004 12 7 58%
2005 15 12 80%
2006 14 13 93%
2007 12 9 75%
2008 24 22 92%
*Note: Class is taught only in the Fall Term.
Table III
PRAXIS I Writing Test Results
Year Total # of Students Total # of Students Who Per cent
Reached the Target Reaching Goal
Score of 172
2006-07 9 9 100%
2007-08 11 11 100%
2008-09 11 10 91%
Table IV
WPE Results for Undergraduate English Majors (BSE)
Year # Taking Exam Number Receiving Credit % Receiving Credit
2005-06 10 9 90%
2006-07 5 4 80%
2007-08 5 4 80%
2008-09 3 3 100%
Table V
Portfolio Review for Senior English Majors
Year # Receiving Reviews # Reaching Target % Reaching
by the Assessment Committee Goal of 2.5 or Higher Target Goal
2005-06 5 5 100%
2006-07 9 9 100%
2007-08 6 6 100%
2008-09 7 7 100%
Table VI
Grades Reported from English 406 Classes
Year* Total # of Students Total # of Students Per cent
With a Grade of C or Higher Reaching Goal
2005 15 13 86%
2006 13 10 77%
2007 20 15 75%
2008 15 12 80%
2009 20 17 85%
*Note: Class is offered only in the Spring Term.
Table VII
PLT Scores for DSU English Majors
Year Candidates Range Average Score Pass Rate
2003-04 7 162-180 170.57 100%
2004-05 11 153-172 164.72 100%
2005-06 2 163-166 164.72 100%
2006-07 6 163-171 168.16 100%
2007-08 4 157-179 168 100%
2008-09 7 167-191 174.4 100%
Learner Outcomes for a B.A. in English 2008-2009
A. Learning OutcomeWhat should a graduate in the
B.A. in English
major know, value, or be able to do at graduation and beyond? / B. Data Collection & Analysis
1. What assessment tools and/or methods will you use to determine achievement of the learning outcome? 2. Describe how the data from these tools and/or methods will be/have been collected.
3. Explain the procedure to analyze the data. / C. Results of Evaluation
What were the findings of the analysis? / D. Use of Evaluation Results
1. List any specific recommendations.
2. Describe changes in curriculum, courses, or procedures that are proposed or were made/ are being made as a result of the program learning outcome assessment process.
Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze works of major writers (mostly British & American) who compose (d) in English and selected works of other major writers whose works can be read in English translations.
GE 1,2,6,7,&10 / A satisfactory grade in English 304, a capstone course for all English majors
English 304 scores are collected and reported by the instructor of the class.
The goal is to make a grade of C or higher in English 304. Students who reach this goal have had a satisfactory SLO. / 92% of the students (N=24) who completed English 304 in the current year made a score of C or higher (See Table VIII & Appendix A). / Students who did not have a C or better in the class will be encouraged to repeat the course and attend one-on-one help sessions with the instructor twice a week.
Last year the Assessment Committee recommended that students pursuing the B.A. degree in English take the PRAXIS II exam sometime during their senior year. The entire English faculty considered this proposal during the 2008-09 academic year but concluded that this would cause an unnecessary cost for students. The Assessment Committee will now consider developing an “in house” pre & post test for the students who are pursuing the B.A. degree in English.
Students will demonstrate proficiency in expository writing and in the ability to determine such necessary considerations as thesis, purpose, audience, and organization.
GE 1,2 & 3 / B.A. students generally take the Writing Proficiency Exam.
The DSU Office of Institutional Research reports the aggregate WPE scores to the Unit after they have been evaluated by the faculty readers who have been chosen from the entire full-time faculty.
Students who receive a CR on the WPE have demonstrated SLO proficiency in this area. / For the current year, 50% of the students (N=4) in the B.A. program in English who took the Writing Proficiency Exam received a score of CR (See Table IX). / The two students who did not earn a CR (a passing evaluation) will enroll in English 301 to make up the deficiency.
Advisors will continue to encourage students to attend the preparation sessions prior to taking the WPE.
Students will demonstrate familiarity with research procedures and critical perspectives in the discipline.
GE 2 & 3 / A satisfactory grade in English 304, a capstone course for all English majors
and
a portfolio review by the Assessment Committee of selected research/analytical papers written while the students were enrolled in the program
English 304 grades are collected and reported by the instructor of the course.
The portfolio is maintained by the student during the time the student is enrolled in the program.
The goal of English 304 is to make a grade of C or higher. If students meet this goal, they have had a satisfactory SLO.
The goal of the portfolio is to collect and present several papers written by the students during the course of their program of study. Each paper must have a grade of C or higher. The student presents the portfolio to the Assessment Committee. / 92% of the students (N=24) who completed English 304 in the current year made a score of C or higher (See Table VIII & Appendix A.).
100% of the graduates (N=9) in the current year received a successful portfolio review from the Assessment Committee (See Table X & Appendix B.). / The Assessment Committee will design a rubric specifically aimed at evaluating papers written by students seeking the B.A. in English. This rubric has been completed and is under consideration by the entire English faculty. NOTE: Students who earn the B.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing are exempt from this evaluation because they take a specific course (ENG 490) which prepares them for portfolio presentation. The grade of B or higher in English 490 is considered a satisfactory SLO for students in this program.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of theories and practices of language and grammar.
GE 2, 7 & 10 / A satisfactory grade in English 406 (History and Grammars of the English Language), a capstone course for all English majors
English 406 scores are reported by the instructor who teaches the class.
The goal in English 406 is to make a grade of C or higher. If students reach this goal, they have met a satisfactory SLO for this objective. / 85% of the students (N=20) who completed English 406 in the current year made a score of C or higher (See Table XI & Appendix A). / The three students who made below a C for the final grade in ENG 406 failed the final exam. The next time the course is taught the instructor will offer a comprehensive, independent help session before the final exam. The three students in question here will be encouraged to repeat ENG 406.
Table VIII