Assessment and Planning
Assessment at Amarillo College is a data-driven reflection process. The Offices of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) and Institutional Research (IR) work together to ensure that AC faculty, administrators, and staff are given the necessary training and tools to assess their areas or programs, review data, assess the results, and identify areas for improvement both for teaching and student learning.
In alignment with Amarillo College's Principles of Assessment, all Institutional Effectiveness practices support the College's mission, values, core purpose, and goals.
Overview of Amarillo College Assessment Plan Components
Defining: Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs)
Amarillo College adopted the following six general education competencies as of the Fall semester of 2014 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB):
Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
Teamwork (TW) - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
Assessing General Education Competencies
Foundational Component Area | Communication | Critical Thinking | Empirical & Quantitative Skills | Personal Responsibility | Social Responsibility | Teamwork |
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American History | X | X |
| X | X |
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Communication | X | X |
| X |
| X |
Creative Arts | X | X |
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| X | X |
Government/Political Science | X | X |
| X | X |
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Language, Philosophy & Culture | X | X |
| X | X |
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Life & Physical Sciences | X | X | X |
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| X |
Mathematics | X | X | X |
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Social & Behavioral Sciences | X | X | X |
| X |
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Defining: Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs) Assessment Cycle
Methodology: Amarillo College assesses its six general education competencies every two years. We utilize the Blackboard Outcomes Assessment tool for the assessment of these competencies. The instructional departments that teach the Core Curriculum as notated in the above chart assess the six competencies at least twice in a five-year period. This cycle allows for the collection, sampling, and evaluation of artifacts, IE data analysis and reporting to the departments, seeking improvements and then "closing the loop" by implementing improvements and re-assessing.
Defining: Closing the Loop
Defining: Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) Assessment Cycle
Methodology: Amarillo College assesses program student learning outcomes (PSLOs) for all academic programs every two years. PSLOs are identified by every Department Chair or Program Coordinator of our academic programs via a Curriculum Map. Many of our programs have additional external accreditation agencies and have aligned their program goals and objectives to be able to assess the outcomes for both SACS and their external accreditation agencies.
Amarillo College programs utilize the Blackboard Outcomes Assessment tool to assess PSLOs for many of our academic programs.