Introduction

Minutes

Members

Minutes of ESL Assessment Committee Meeting
February 2, 2005

Attendees:  Tanya Armel, Jeff Eldot, Betsy Frank, Joseph Kimbuende, Nancy Meyers, Cristie Roe, Sara Rassas, Pam Rogers, and Ginny Simmon.

Guest:  Damita Kaloostian

Minutes began to be recorded at 2:00 p.m. because recorder was late.

1. There was a discussion of how the committee can demonstrate to NCA that ESL courses are achieving stated goals.

   a)      Problems:

   1)      How do we assess student achievement accurately?

   2)      Is our previously collected data adequate?

   b)      Suggestions:

   1)      Improve the Level 4 assessment instrument.

   2)      Better training in holistic grading.

   3)      Invite Reading Dept. to join us.

4)      Recruit tutors for ESL.

2. Damita reported that the Title V study of ESL student achievement indicates that the completion rate of ESL 040 and higher students has declined since the grant began.

   a)      Problems:

   1)      The changes in ESL course numbering may have skewed these results.

   2)      Title V operates under the assumption that all successful ESL students will continue on to the college level, which may not be a valid assumption for our population.

   3)      Title V ends in September 2005; therefore, the current (spring) semester is the last opportunity to collect data.

   b)      Suggestions: 

   1)      Recheck Title V results to screen for effects of numbering change.

2)      Develop survey instrument to obtain data on ESL students’ expectations and personal goals.

3. Damita also informed us that her office can provide us with the following assistance:

   a)      Calculate inter-rater reliability of rubrics.

   b)      Tabulate data from Levels 1-3 that was previously collected.

   c)      Conduct a retroactive longevity study tracking students’ progress from the past to the present.

4. Conclusions:

   a)      Damita will evaluate the rubric for us.

   b)      We should research other assessment methods.

   c)      We should email suggestions for ways to improve student outcomes to Pam.

   d)      We should work actively for institutional changes to improve our effectiveness.

The next meeting will be March 2, 2005 at 1:30 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Cristie Roe