Sample Academic Department Plan - Department of Romance Languages

Kent State University
Assessment of Student Academic Achievement Plan
Sample Academic Department Plan
Department of Romance Languages

Outcomes assessment measures that the Department will have in place for Spring 1993.

Three measures of graduate student assessment, one for each of the three options of study: Comprehensive exam or thesis and modified comprehensive exam (for literature students); translation thesis (for students who choose the translation option); teaching demonstration (on video) accompanied by a written critique and written and oral proficiency tests (for students who choose the pedagogy option).
Written comprehensive examination for graduating majors (French and Spanish). This is a test that covers language, literature, and culture. It has been prepared by our faculty, since there are no national standardized tests available. It will be given for the first time in May of 1993. In consultation with Gregory Rogers in the Office of Academic Assessment and Evaluation Services, we are in the process of developing methods of data collection and analysis. We are also looking at sample tests used in Romance Language and English departments at other universities.
Oral proficiency interview for graduating majors (French and Spanish). This is a national oral instrument developed by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages). It is administered on an individual basis by testers trained and certified by ACTFL. Two of our faculty members (Maier and Massardier-Kenney) have been trained and certified as testers. This test will be administered to majors for the first time in May of 1993.
Modified oral proficiency interviews for students completing Composition I (French and Spanish). This test has been given to students in the first semester of Composition and Conversation since the Fall semester of 1991. It is given by graduate assistants trained and supervised by Professor Maier and Massardier-Kenney.
The Kentest, an achievement test, for students in Intermediate I and II (French and Spanish). This test is administered to students at the beginning of Intermediate I and the completion of Intermediate II.

Although numbers 3 and 4 are not limited to majors and are usually given well before students are ready to graduate, they do measure the achievement of students who follow the courses that precede work in the major.
Although plans are still in the development stage, we also intend to implement an alumni questionnaire, and we should be able to issue a provisional survey to majors who graduate in May.

Although our Outcomes Assessment measure have all been developed in close association with the course work in our program, in general, we have just begun to discuss how we will use the information these measures will provide.

Since measure #5 has been administered several times, we are already using results to identify students who should be encouraged to enroll for further language study. We also have a clear idea of how we will use the information provided by measure #3 and #4, because we have wanted for some time to increase the oral skills of our students. In order to implement these measures fully, however, we will need financial support so that more faculty members can be trained as oral proficiency testers and therefore become sensitized not only to the measurement of oral skills but also to the classroom methods that can be used to develop and enhance them.

Finally, it should be mentioned that these measures have been developed in consultation with the Department of Classics and Germanic and Slavic Languages. The Merger of the three units will also include a merger of our assessments measures and--no doubt--some modifications in each of the three sets of plans.