Background

The colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) are individually accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

The WASC requires that, “Instructional programs are systematically assessed in order to assure currency, improve teaching and learning strategies, and achieve stated student learning outcomes. The provisions of this standard are broadly applicable to all instructional activities offered in the name of the institution. The institution identifies student learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates, and degrees; assesses student achievement of those outcomes; and uses assessment results to make improvements.”

The WASC defines student learning outcomes (SLO) as the “knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that a student has attained at the end (or as a result) of his or her engagement in a particular set of collegiate experiences.”

In December 2007, LACCD established the Advisory Council on Student Learning Outcomes (ACSLO) with faculty representation from each of the nine colleges. The members identified the following items as their goals:

• Seek a unified vision on certain key issues affecting the implementation of SLO Assessment Cycles, particularly in regards to staffing and training support;
• Optimize resources for technical support;
• Share best practices; and
• Disseminate the SLO efforts of the 9 campuses to the local and district Academic Senates, to the District Administration, and to CIOs and CSSOs.

Each college has its respective campus SLO committee. Faculty and staff members are always invited to attend ACSLO meetings.

Agenda

February 21, 2008  

Minutes

February 21, 2008

January 11, 2008  

Student Learning Outcomes Representatives

District Office - Deborah Harrington (Co-chairperson)

East Los Angeles College - Barbara Dunsheath

Los Angeles City College - Daryl Kinney

Los Angeles Harbor College - Dave Humphreys

Los Angeles Mission College - Pat Flood

Los Angeles Southwest College - Glenn Yoshida

Los Angeles Trade-Technical College - Bradley Vaden

Los Angeles Valley College - Rebecca Stein

Pierce College - Barbara Anderson

West Los Angeles College - Lloyd Thomas (Co-chairperson)

LACCD College Student Learning Outcome Links

East Los Angeles College

Los Angeles Harbor College

Los Angeles Mission College

Los Angeles Valley College
West Los Angeles College

Community College Links

Bakersfield College

Cabrillo College

Riverside Community College District

Spokane Community College

Truckee Meadows Community College

Additional Links

California Assessment Institute

The League for Innovation in the Community College

Organization Links

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)

University Links

North Carolina State University

The California State University

Documents

ACCJC Rubric Table

A Handbook on Outcomes Assessment for Two Year Colleges

Los Angeles Mission College SLO Status Report

Additional Readings

Beno, B. (2004, Summer). The role of student learning outcomes in accreditation quality review. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2004(126), 65-72.

Burke, J., & Minassians, H. (2004, Summer). Implications of state performance indicators for community college assessment. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2004(126), 53-64.

Heiland, L., & Switzer-Kemper, C. (2007, June). The Learning Outcomes Project: Not Business as Usual. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 31(6), 479-481.

Friedlander, J., & Serban, A. (2004, Summer). Meeting the challenges of assessing student learning outcomes. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2004(126), 101-109.

Kisker, C. (2005, Fall). Key Resources for student affairs professionals in learning-centered community colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2005(131), 89-97.

Miles, C., & Wilson, C. (2004, Summer). Learning outcomes for the twenty-first century: Cultivating student success for college and the knowledge economy. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2004(126), 87-100.

Serban, A. (2004, Summer). Assessment of student learning outcomes at the institutional level. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2004(126), 17-27.

Seybert, J. (2002, Spring). Assessing Student Learning Outcomes. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2002(117), 55.

Skolits, G., & Graybeal, S. (2007, April). Community College Institutional Effectiveness. Community College Review, 34(4), 302-323.

Warren, J. (2003, September). Changing Community and Technical College Curricula to a Learning Outcomes Approach. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 27(8), 721.