Central Connecticut State University College Portrait

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Students
Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend CCSU.
Admissions
See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at CCSU. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.
College Costs & Financial Aid
Learn about costs to attend CCSU and how much financial aid is typically awarded.
College Cost Estimator
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Classes and Campus Life
Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at CCSU.
Student Experiences
Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at CCSU – inside and outside the classroom.
Majors, Graduation and Next Steps
See which majors are most popular at CCSU and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.
Student Success & Progress
Discover how many students who start at CCSU finish their bachelor's degree and how long it takes.
Student Learning Outcomes
Figure out what learning gains to expect in critical thinking, writing, and other important subjects at CCSU.

Student Learning at Central Connecticut State University

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.

In accordance with CCSU's mission to prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible and successful citizens, the University evaluates student learning at multiple levels including in individual courses, academic programs, and institution wide. Faculty have the primary responsibility for determining and evaluating student learning outcomes. On an annual basis, departments provide a report that includes a list of learning outcomes for graduates of their program, the findings from their evaluation of student learning, an analysis of what these results mean, and how these results have been used to make curricular or programmatic adjustments. CCSU's Office of Institutional Research and Assessment is responsible for campus-wide coordination of assessment activities and assists in the development of a culture of assessment directed at continuous improvement based on data-driven decisions and adjustments.

Learning Assessment Examples

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.

2009-10 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.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1087
Senior Score: 1155
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1019
Senior Score: 1045

Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1109
Senior Score: 1274
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.