Assessment
Assessing student learning is critical to the mission of the college and reflects the value placed on excellence in teaching and learning. Through a variety of assessment practices, academic divisions, and student support, units work together to foster continuous improvement and promote a comprehensive approach to enhancing the student experience at Rose State College.
Core Competencies
The College uses the CARE framework – Communication, Awareness, Reasoning, and Engagement – to define the core competencies expected of all graduates. These skills are developed through the general education curriculum and reinforced through program requirements. Students may demonstrate proficiency in each of these competencies through the achievement of one or more of the Institutional Learning Outcomes within each category.
Communication
- C1 Compose a written document suitable to one’s target audience.
- C2 Express information verbally.
- C3 Create visual media to deliver a message or information.
Awareness
- A1 Interpret cultural variations within and between communities.
- A2 Evaluate aesthetic expressions of human identity or experience.
- A3 Contextualize historical phenomena across time and place.
Reasoning
- R1 Recognize when information is needed and how to locate, evaluate, and use sources.
- R2 Develop critical thinking and relation to a scenario or problem.
- R3 Evaluate quantitative relationships.
Engagement
- E1 Engage in collaborative learning inside or outside a classroom.
- E2 Identify skills that are transferable to work or continued education.
RSC's Assessment Process
Rose State College uses a course-embedded assessment process to evaluate and improve student learning. The process relies primarily on direct measures—including assignments, essays, projects, exams, and performances—that align Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) with Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). Faculty assess student work using standardized rubrics or discipline-specific measures designed to evaluate achievement of established ILO performance indicators. Assessment results, along with cocurricular and indirect measures such as completion rates, transfer data, student satisfaction surveys, advisory board feedback, and employment outcomes, are used to identify opportunities for improvement and inform decisions that enhance student learning.
Entry-Level Assessment
Students seeking enrollment in college-level courses at Rose State College demonstrate academic readiness prior to course registration and placement advising. Initial placement is determined using the College’s Placement Guide, which considers multiple measures, including high school GPA, ACT scores, SAT scores, and Next-Generation ACCUPLACER scores. For nontraditional students, Next-Generation ACCUPLACER serves as the primary placement measure in reading, English, and mathematics.
Mid-Level Assessment
The institution has developed a structured process for identifying and mapping General Education courses to specific Institutional Learning Outcomes. This process involves collaboration among faculty, program coordinators, and academic advisors to determine where institutional competencies are explicitly taught and assessed within the curriculum. Assessment of student learning in General Education is course-embedded and designed to capture achievement of Course Learning Outcomes relative to Institutional core competencies.
The College examines student learning data from one core competency each semester within a rotating multi-year framework. This approach allows for focused data collection, deeper analysis, and intentional implementation of improvements before the next cycle of review. Faculty play an active role in identifying assessment measures, interpreting results, and refining instructional strategies. These activities ensure that General Education assessment remains both academically meaningful and aligned with institutional priorities.
Program-Level Assessment
The College employs a comprehensive approach to program-level assessment that integrates course-level assessment, curriculum design, program mapping, and a structured program review process aligned with Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) requirements. Program assessment focuses on evaluating student achievement of Program Learning Outcomes and the effectiveness of degree and certificate programs in preparing students for transfer, employment, and continued learning. This work builds on the foundation established in General Education and shifts toward discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Program assessment is inherently cyclical and emphasizes continuous improvement. Findings from assessment activities are used to:
- Revise curriculum and course sequencing,
- Update instructional strategies and assessment methods, and
- Inform program goals, resource allocation, and strategic planning.
Through this integrated approach, program-level assessment ensures that academic programs remain aligned with institutional goals, responsive to external expectations, and focused on student achievement.
Resources
CART
- CART The Curriculum and Assessment Review Team is a faculty support service created to establish and maintain consistent standards for curriculum development and assessment processes at Rose State College. The CART office can assist faculty and program coordinators in areas such as…
- articulation of student learning outcomes for courses and programs
- curriculum development and proposals
- aligning assessments for student learning at the course and program level
- providing support for meaningful and efficient program reviews
- Contact: [email protected]
Various faculty resources are available on the Academic Affairs SharePoint site to support assessment, curriculum development, and instructional planning. These resources include RSC’s Glossary of Assessment Terminology, CARE (ILO) Performance Indicators, the General Education ILO Map, Program Map Templates, assessment rubrics, the Division Course Syllabus Checklist, and the Curriculum Handbook.
Results
The College’s assessment framework reflects a comprehensive and evolving system designed to measure and improve student learning at all levels. Through intentional alignment of outcomes, integration of assessment technologies, and sustained faculty engagement, the institution has established a strong foundation for data-informed decision-making.
Below are some examples of how assessment information is being used at RSC to improve student learning.
Assessment-Driven Changes Yield Early Gains in Calculus II
Using assessment data from the Calculus II course, the mathematics department identified two Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) as areas needing improvement: CLO 1: Applications of Integration and CLO 2: Techniques of Integration. After reviewing student performance on in-class assessments, Calculus instructors determined that the textbook’s sequence of topics may have limited students’ ability to develop the integration skills needed for success in applications. As a result, faculty intentionally reordered the course content by flipping Units 1 and 2, allowing students additional time to strengthen their integration techniques before studying applications of integration.
Initial assessment results indicate that this change has had a positive impact on student learning. From Fall 2025 to Spring 2026, mastery of CLO 1 (Applications of Integration) increased from 46% to 56%, while mastery of CLO 2 (Techniques of Integration) increased from 34% to 49%. Although these early results are promising, mathematics faculty will continue to examine longitudinal assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of the curricular change. Faculty will also monitor course withdrawal rates, with the goal of reducing the number of students who withdraw from the course after the first or second exam.
Data-Informed Grading Reform in Developmental Education
Using student success data from developmental mathematics and English course sequences, the Developmental Education Success Committee (DESC) identified a strong relationship between performance in prerequisite developmental courses and success in subsequent coursework. The data showed that students earning grades below 70% in a developmental course were significantly less likely to succeed in the next course in the sequence.
Based on these findings, DESC advocated for the elimination of D grades in developmental education courses. Because developmental courses do not count toward a student’s GPA, the committee recommended a grading scale of A, B, C, or F, clearly emphasizing that a grade of C or better is required to successfully complete a developmental course and progress to the next college-level course. The change was intended to provide students with a clearer understanding of academic expectations and better ensure that those advancing through the sequence are adequately prepared for future coursework.
Assessment results and annual reports are available upon request through the Curriculum and Assessment Review Team. Email [email protected] for all requests.