The Office of Strategic Planning & Assessment supports educational programs in assessing learning outcomes at the course level, program level, and institutional level for continuous improvement.

What's New?

AY 2023-2024 SLO and PLO Closing- the- Loop Reports due date: September 15, 2024.

AY 2024-2025 SLO and PLO Opening- the- Loop Plans due date: September 15, 2024.

SLO/PLO Assessment Timeline and Frequently Used Resources: 

• SLO Timeline (AY2024-2025) Regular Term
• SLO Timeline (AY2024-2025) Houston-North Only (Fall 2024)
• SLO Timeline (AY2024-2025) Houston-North Only (Spring 2025)
• PLO Timeline (AY2024-2025)
• SLO Quick Navigation Guide
• PLO Quick Navigation Guide
• SLO Handbook
• List of SLOs by Courses

PLO Assessment Resources

• List of PLOs for AA, AS, AAS, and Bachelor's Degree Programs
• List of PLOs for C1, C2, CE, ATC, and ESC Programs
• Curriculum Mapping in Action - Workforce Example
• Curriculum Mapping in Action - Academic Example
• Curriculum Mapping in Action - Academic Example
• Curriculum Mapping in Action - Workforce Example
• PLO - Course Alignment Map
• Workforce Program PLO-Course Alignment Map
• AA/AS PLO-Course Alignment Map
• Building Connections and Relating in the Outcomes Tool

Assessment Process

• SLO Process Flowchart
• Detailed Explanation of the SLO Process

Step-by-Step Process Aligned with Training & Resources:

Step 1: Selecting Courses/SLOs

For assessment by Curriculum Teams (Before the start of the Fall semester).

Explanations:

1. Select two courses and 4 SLOs each academic year (Each course assesses 2 SLOs, and both courses need to be assessed and reassessed before rotating to another set of two courses);
2. Selected courses and SLOs need to be aligned with PLOs (AA/AS PLOs and Workforce PLOs);
3. Curriculum Team Chairs are responsible for filling out the Curriculum Team Forms (CT Form) for courses and SLOs selected so that campus disciplines can follow the exact SLO # and Statements for their SLO assessment plans.
4. The CT form needs to be completed before the Fall Semester.

• Guide to Completing a Curriculum Team Form 

Step 2: Planning & Sampling

By Chairs, Program Directors, Assessment Liaisons, faculty (Prior to the Start of Fall and/or Spring Semester)

Explanations for Planning:

1. Academic disciplines develop SLO assessment plans for the selected two courses with 4 SLOs (create a total of 4 SLO Assessment Forms in Compliance Assist);
2. Workforce programs, besides creating 4 SLO Assessment Forms, also create PLO Assessment Forms for all PLOs. The SLO assessment data should support the PLO assessment;
3. Assessment Plans include such elements as course-PLO alignment, SLO or PLO statements, methods of assessment, criteria for meeting the outcome, and target outcomes.

Explanations for Sampling:

1. 25% of sections need to be identified for SLO assessment;
2. If the course has 4 or less sections, then all sections need to be assessed;
3. Sections selection needs to be diversified to include online and dual credit sections, as well as sections offered at Centers;
4. Faculty members teaching the selected sections need to be notified and trained to conduct assessment activities and collect assessment data.
5. Chairs/program directors are responsible for identifying sections selected for SLO assessment using the e-Form.

• How to Create an SLO/PLO Outcome Statement
• How to Create an SLO Assessment Plan
• Examples of SLO Assessment Plan
• Examples of PLO Assessment Plan
• Section Selection Instruction Guide

Step 3: Assessing

SLOs/PLOs by Faculty (throughout Fall and/or Spring Semester)

Explanations:

1. Faculty conduct learning activities and administer assignments designed to measure the degree of mastery of the SLOs or PLOs;
2. Faculty score the assignments using rubrics or a scoring guide;
3. Faculty calculating number of students participating in the assessment, number meeting the scoring criteria, and % meeting the criteria;
4. % meeting the criteria = number met/number assessed.

• How to Design Methods of Assessment
• How to Create Rubrics
• Samples of Rubrics
• SLO Data Collection Worksheet

Step 4: Submitting Data

To SLO Data Collection Tool by Faculty (During the last Six Weeks of the semester)

Explanations:

1. SPA will send an email and a link to Outcomes for SLO Data Collection to deans, chairs, program directors, and selected faculty to submit their SLO assessment data;
2. SPA will generate the aggregated reports and send these reports to VPIs to distribute;
3. If a workforce program requires the program-level data to assess its PLOs, the program director will be responsible for collecting these data;
4. Fall semester’s data submission: from November 1 to the end of semester;
5. Spring semester’s data submission: from April 1 to the end of the semester.

• How to Submit Data in Outcomes: SLO Data Collection Entry Form Instructions
• Overview of Assessment Forms and Tools

Step 5: Interpreting Data and Making Recommendations

By faculty and Curriculum Teams (At the Beginning of the Subsequent Semester after Data were Submitted)

Explanations:

1. Engage faculty in the discussion of data, analyzing what factors impacted the results, and make recommendations based on the interpretation;
2. Recommendations can be made in the area of instructional strategies, curriculum revision, student support, and faculty professional development, etc.
3. If the campus recommendations impact curricular changes, then the Curriculum Team meets and makes recommendations;
4. Recommendations made by the system-wide curriculum teams need to be documented in Compliance Assist in the Curriculum Team Work section of the Curriculum Team Form in Compliance Assist.

• How to Interpret Data and Make Recommendations
• Examples of Actionable Recommendations

Step 6: Implementing Recommendations

By Chairs, Program Directors, and Faculty (During the
Subsequent Semester and/or Year after Recommendations were Made)

Explanations:

1. Implement recommendations during the subsequent year;
2. Report on the implementation at the end of the subsequent year in Compliance Assist in the Implementation section of the SLO Assessment Form and/or PLO Assessment Form (For example, the 2013-14 recommendations were implemented in 2014-15, so the report on the implementation should occur at the end of 2014-15 cycle and be put in the 2013-14 SLO/PLO Assessment Forms.)

• Examples of Implementation Base on Recommendations

Step 7: Closing the Loop Reporting

By the Assessment Liaisons (September 15 for End-of-Year
PLO assessment or Spring SLO assessment/February 15 for Fall SLO assessment)

Explanations:

1. The closing-the-loop reports include reports on the actual results, interpretation of data, recommendations, and implementation of recommendations (the implementation part of the report occurs at the end of the subsequent year);
2. If system-wide curriculum teams made recommendations on curriculum changes, then these recommendations and implementation of the recommendations need to be documented in the SLO/PLO Assessment Forms as well;
3. SLO Closing the Loop Reports are due on February 15 for Fall assessment;
4. September 15 is the due date for SLO Spring assessment and for the annual PLO assessment.

• How to Create an SLO Closing the Loop Report
• Examples of SLO Closing the Loop Reporting
• Examples of PLO Closing the Loop Reporting

Compliance Assist

• Compliance Assist Link (Login Required)
• SLO Form Quick Navigation Guide - Internal Users Only
• SLO Compliance Assist Navigation Tool - Internal Users Only
• SLO Assessment Form: Guide to Data Entry - Internal Users Only
• PLO Form Quick Navigation Guide - Internal Users Only
• PLO Compliance Assist Navigation Tool - Internal Users Only
• PLO Assessment Form: Guide to Data Entry - Internal Users Only

Glossary