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Minutes 02/05/2002



Governing Board Work Session
February 5, 2002

Minutes

An executive session and work session of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board were scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. at the District Support Services Center, 2411 West 14th Street, Tempe, Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. Section38-431.02, notice having been duly given.


Present

Governing Board
Donald R. Campbell, President
Nancy Stein, Secretary
Linda B. Rosenthal, Member
Ed Contreras, Member
Gene Eastin, Member


Administration
Fred Gaskin
Phil Randolph
Anna Solley
Debbie Thompson for Rufus Glasper
Ron Bleed
Larry Christiansen
Fred Gaudet
Ken Atwater
Stan Grossman
Homero Lopez
Carol Scarafiotti for Linda Thor
Tessa Martinez Pollack
Art DeCabooter
Corina Gardea
Arnette Ward
Gina Kranitz
Raul Cardenas
Pete Kushibab


State Board Nick Balich, Absent

Call to Order
 President Nancy Stein called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.

Executive Session
The Governing Board met in executive session, notice having been previously given.
The meeting recessed at 6:20 p.m.
The meeting reconvened at 6:35 p.m.



Work Session: Progress Reports on Maricopa Community Colleges' Governing Board Goals

Teacher Education
Dr. Anna Solley, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Cheri St. Arnauld, National Director of the Teacher Education Program, provided an update on this new Governing Board goal. The goal on Teacher Education came about as a result of Chancellor Gaskin’s vision of working with community partners in developing programs and services intended to recruit and prepare students to become PreK-12 teachers to serve our communities. Commissions, associations, and committees that have been put in place as a result of this goal are:

1. Teacher Education Partnership Commission (TEPC) National Association of Community Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) Maricopa Early Childhood Education Consortium of Colleges (MECECC) Teacher Education Committee

TEPC: In view of the teacher shortage, the purpose of TEPC is to address PreK-12 teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention issues and to respond as a partnership in the establishment of programs and services. The Commission has been in existence for 1-½ years and has looked at areas that need to be addressed to fill the needs of the community with reference to addressing dropout rates among minority students and workers within the various school districts. The strategic plan of the TEPC is three fold in that it addresses communications, programs, and policies for building awareness of needs and shortages.

NACCTEP: The NACCTEP met on September 22. Twenty-five colleges representing fifteen states were in attendance. This commission is working on addressing global teacher shortages.

MECECC: MECECC has set in place plans for hosting a national conference in February 2003. They have also been successful in setting in place a two-year child development certification program.

TEC: The Teacher Education Committee met January 25 and will meet again in March to discuss further issues and measures.

Dr. Gaskin commented that at a recent Presidents' Summit at ASU, the three public university presidents and state community college presidents agreed to support the development of an Associates Degree in Teacher Education.


Diversity
Teresa Toney presented an update on Diversity. The Diversity Advisory Council, tri-chaired by Governing Board Member Linda Rosenthal, Vice Chancellor Raul Cardenas, and President Tessa Martinez Pollack, is fifty people strong. While the Maricopa Community College District has policies and commitments in place, we need to work harder at building an environment that promotes equity and mutual respect. It is necessary that questions be asked regarding what skills and knowledge employees should have relative to diversity. Students and employees are Maricopa’s resources, and outputs are the programs and services it provides. It is necessary that the organization determine what outcomes are desired of students and employees. It is also important that the organization determine what equity and mutual respect look like.


Post-Secondary Student Competencies
Jeanne Canham, Chair of the District Student Academic Achievement Assessment Committee, facilitated the report on Post-Secondary Student Competencies. The MCCCD Governing Board goal on Assessment states that “students will demonstrate post-secondary competencies in communication (writing, speaking, listening), reading, the humanities, science, critical thinking, problem solving, computer and information literacy, and mathematics. The measurement and documentation of the degree to which students are attaining specific learning outcomes are defined and valued by faculty and the college community.

Ms. Canham commented that the underlying assumptions of assessment are:
  1. Student learning is a cornerstone of each college’s continuing commitment to its mission; the primary purpose of assessment is to improve teaching and learning;
  2. That assessment is a shared responsibility involving each college's faculty, staff, and administration;
  3. That the assessment process is not evaluative of faculty.
Assessment of student learning is important for responding to demands for accountability from external constituents; for documenting successes and identify weaknesses in programs; for providing evidence of institutional effectiveness; and for improving the curriculum, instruction, and student learning.

It was brought out that there are five levels of assessment in place: college level, program level, division or department level, course level, and classroom level. Ten characteristics of successful assessment programs are:
  1. The college makes a long-term commitment to the assessment program;
  2. The CAO and other instructional leaders understand and believe in the value of assessment;
  3. Faculty lead the program and own the results;
  4. Technical expertise and support are provided;
  5. Learning outcomes are clearly defined at the program level;
  6. Measurement tools align directly with learning outcomes;
  7. The program has a viable research design;
  8. Sound methodology is used for data collection and analysis;
  9. Results are used by faculty to improve learning;
  10. Assessment is linked to college planning.
Six keys to sustaining assessment are:
  1. Create an expectation for assessment among students through the catalog, schedule, student handbook, student newspaper, or web sites.
  2. Disseminate the results of assessment through annual assessment reports, faculty publications, newsletters, and web sites.
  3. Constantly evaluate the outcomes, measures, procedures, and results.
  4. Link assessment results to planning and budgeting processes.
  5. Engage faculty in decision-making during every stage of the process.
  6. Allow the program to evolve and mature.
Campus reports were made by DSAAAC Members as to how assessment was accomplished at their respective sites.

The following questions were discussed in open session:
  1. What have we learned about the assessment of student learning?
  2. How can we support college efforts in assessing student learning?
  3. What can we do to promote the sharing of best practices and to improve district-wide communication concerning assessment?
The following comments were made about each question:

Question 1: What have we learned about the assessment of student learning?
  1. No common definition for MCCD District - Assessment - maybe a good thing
  2. How many are using 33% or more?
  3. Different course levels are being used - depends on level
  4. SCC Concern - student performance on test
  5. How do we get students to perform their best?
  6. GCC - Targets graduate audience
    • Approximately 350 invited each year
    • 105 show up to take test
    • Free cap and gown and other incentives
  7. EMCC - Locally developed Instruments
    100 workforce development **** Purpose is to guide improvement efforts****
  8. Comments RE: percentages are in reports
  9. PC - 100% in specific programs
  10. SCC - course level, most high volume courses are selected
    • Common final exam
    • Importance of same size and how representative is your sample
  11. GWCC - Course level is 100% (assessed) and students in programs
  12. EMCC - Program assessment ranges from 20 to 50 to 100%

Question 2: How can we support college efforts in assessing student learning?
  1. District wide workshops
  2. Helpful if committees would get together across the District
  3. Key challenges:
  4. Broadening the base of our faculty colleagues
  5. Need support to establish customized database – to “drilldown” to examine trends, etc.
  6. Twice a year workshops
  7. Include adjuncts – GCC
  8. Reports on NCA Accreditation
  9. Share how it went
  10. Andrea Greene - MCC - talked about MCC’s program

Question 3: What can we do to promote the sharing of best practices and to improve district-wide communication concerning assessment?
  1. What other info does Board want? (no response)
  2. What do you want us to tell you? (no response)
  3. District-wide faculty forums
  4. Tonight’s work session

In closing, Dr. Anna Solley thanked the faculty leadership for their great efforts and commented that Maricopa has model programs for assessment in place. Our focus should be on outcomes and must be faculty driven and faculty owned. Faculty should strive to improve on their efforts.


Adjournment
Meeting concluded at 8:20 p.m.

Next Regular Meeting
February 26, 6:30 p.m. at the District Office, 2411 West 14th Street, Tempe.



_________________________________
Ed Contreras
Governing Board Secretary




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