University of Nebraska Kearney

Curriculum and Instruction Graduate Program Assessment Report 2005: Data Analysis

Submitted Fall, 2005

1. Students performed well on the comprehensive examination; all students passed the comprehensive examination.  Students were especially skilled at identifying and elaborating about growth areas (Question 31) and most powerful experiences (Question #3).
2. A small percentage (13%) of the students initially failed to identify acceptable connections between program experiences and the College of Education’s 10 Desired Outcomes for Graduates. The overall performance on the second comprehensive exam question was comparatively weak; nearly one-half of all students (47%) were in the acceptable/needs more development ranges.
3. Thematic analysis of students’ responses to examination question #1 indicates that the CI cohort experience especially fostered growth in the following two areas (more than 50% of graduates recognized growth/learning in these areas):
   1. Ability to utilize technology in the teaching/learning process
   2. Instructional Skills and Strategies
    
4. The Alumni exit survey revealed that program strengths/growth points included the following (more than 80% of the graduates responding to the survey Agreed/Strong Agreed to growth in these areas)
   1. Enhanced ability to utilize technology in the teaching/learning process
   2. Enhanced leadership Skills
   3. Enhanced skill at fostering a learning community with a classroom/school
   4. Enhanced ability to promote and implement professional/state standards
   5. Enhanced ability to assess P-12 student learning
   6. Enhanced ability to design effective instruction for all learners
    
5. The Alumni exit survey indicated that the lowest ranked “areas of growth” (less than 60% of respondents to the Alumni survey recognized significant growth) included the following:
   1. Enhanced ability to evaluate, select, utilize, and conduct research in various instructional settings (46% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed)
   2. Deepened understanding of the roles and purposes for schools in a democratic U. S. society. (53% of  respondents agreed/strongly agreed).
    
6. The Critical Friends Survey, completed by building principals, revealed three areas that were ranked the lowest:
   1. Ability to promote and implement professional and state curriculum standards;
   2. Use of philosophical views to analyze educational issues;
   3. Leadership skills