Survey of Classroom Assessment Practices of Community College Faculty

The Spellings Commission (U.S. Secretary of Education Commission on the Future of Higher Education) notes that there are far too many college graduates entering the workforce without the initial employment skills and predispositions needed in a current global economy. Specify measurements of relevant learning within community colleges is therefore called for as effective assessment and instruction go hand in hand to ensure that the full range of student achievement and talent is elicited. This quantitative study was designed to address the gap in faculty assessment, and gain insights into the perceptions of WV community college faculty about their classroom assessment practices. The major research focus of the study was to know if there were differences between faculty perception about the importance and integration of selected authentic and conventional practices. The data were distinguished by gender, years of teaching experience both inside and outside of the community college environment, and academic preparation. The results of this study suggested that faculty are not focused on either model of assessment. However, they do have preferences in each model for specific kinds of practices that encourage the development of critical thinking skills, selections tending to be program based. Overall, the study revealed that faculty do have a strong perception of the importance and integration of various assessment practices of student learning outcomes but may not necessarily distinguish practices as purely “authentic” or “conventional”. Authentic assessment practices that were perceived as important were highly likely to be integrated by faculty into their learning environment, whereas conventional practices that were perceived as importance were less likely to be integrated into their learning environment