Student Learning Assessment at California State University, Fresno
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Fresno State is committed to the regular collection of data on student outcomes and uses the information to constantly improve our programs. Assessment takes place in the classroom and at the program and institutional levels. In addition to the university's accreditation review every 10 years by WASC, several programs are reviewed more frequently by their disciplinary accrediting organization. Internally, each academic program is formally reviewed every seven years. Programs develop and implement outcomes assessment plans on an ongoing basis. Every year, additional university and program-level outcomes assessment projects are funded through mini-grants. To assure that the necessary support exists for assessment activity, the office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning has been expanded.
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is what would be expected at an institution with students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 980
Senior Score: 1127
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average SAT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 881
Senior Score: 944
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is what would be expected at an institution with students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1064
Senior Score: 1131
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average SAT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 876
Senior Score: 941
