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General
Education . . .
Assessment
of general education has been a component of the Tennessee’s
performance funding program since it was established in
1979. Although the assessment methods have changed through
out the cycles, the higher education community continues
to be challenged with the assessment of general education.
During the 2000-05 cycle, the general education standard
consists of two components – foundation testing and
optional piloting of other assessment measurements of general
education. Overall, the General Education standard is designed
to provide incentives to institutions for improvements in
the quality of their general education program as measured
by the performance of graduates on a standardized test of
general education.
During
the 2000-05 performance funding cycle, institutions have
the option of selecting from three general education assessment
instruments for foundation testing: Academic Profile, California
Critical Thinking Skills Test, and College BASE. Institutions
can earn up to 15 performance funding points based on the
successful performance of graduating students on these exams.
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Academic
Profile is a test of general academic
knowledge and skills. The test includes questions
from three academic areas – humanities, social
sciences, and natural sciences – measuring
college level reading, writing, critical thinking,
and mathematics. Two versions of the test are available.
The abbreviated test is a multiple-choice test with
36 questions that takes 40 minutes. The standard
test is also multiple-choice with 108 questions
that take 120 minutes. Most public institutions
in Tennessee have selected to use the Academic Profile
to assess their general education program.
California
Critical Thinking Skills Test is a 34
item multiple choice exam designed to measure the
skills dimension of critical thinking. At the core
of critical thinking are the cognitive skills of interpretation,
analysis, inference, evaluation and explanation. Students
have 45 minutes to complete the test. Four institutions
utilize this assessment as part of their general education
assessment.
College
Basic Academic Subjects Examination (College BASE)
is a criterion-referenced academic achievement examination
that evaluates knowledge and skills in English, mathematics,
science and social studies. Institutions may choose
to administer any one subject or administer up to
four subjects, depending on their needs. The administration
time per subject is approximately 45 minutes, plus
40 minutes for the optional essay. Six public institutions
in Tennessee administer the College BASE to their
students.
Another component of the general education standard
allows institutions to pilot alternate or supplementary
methods of evaluating the general education program.
If institutions elect to participate in a general education
pilot, five points can be earned. If an institution
has no pilot project, all points are based on the results
of the foundation test. In the final year of the cycle,
institutions will provide a summary report of their
pilot projects and provide a framework for adaptability
and feasibility for statewide implementation.
Click
below to review an institution's pilot project:
Pilot
Alternate General Education Foundation Test
Academic
Profile (standard form and essay)
California
Critical Thinking Skills Test
College
BASE
Locally
Developed General Education Test
Perceptions
of General Education Outcomes
Portfolio
Assessment of General Education
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