Assessment at Tarleton is the strategic-planning process applied to student-learning and is one aspect of institutional effectiveness. The assessment process provides valid, reliable, and robust information needed to make effective, ongoing strategies for continuous improvement of student learning in programs and core courses.
Assessment
Effective assessment relies on four very simple, straightforward questions:
- “What is it we want students to know, do, and value?”
- “What valid and reliable data can we measure to discern if students do in fact know, do, and value these things we as faculty see as central to our program/course?”
- “Where, when, and how can we gather this data?”
- “How can we use this data to guide improvements in our curriculum, pedagogy, etc. to help ensure that students know, do, and value the things we as faculty see as central to our program/course?”
Academic Program Assessment
Academic program assessment addresses summative (end-of-program) student-learning for academic programs of study – what are the knowledge, skills, and values/attitudes we want our students to attain by the time of graduation. Program assessment is applied to majors and certification programs.
General Education (Core Course) Assessment
The Texas Core Curriculum (TCC) is established in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 61, Subchapter S and the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter B (see the THECB Texas Core Curriculum). Each public institution of higher education is required to evaluate its core curriculum through the assessment of the core objectives on an ongoing basis, reporting the results of the assessment to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Core Course (General Education) assessment addresses assessment and continuous improvement in the university’s core courses. See the General Education page for more details on the Texas Core Curriculum.