Page Description

The following page is a two column layout. Page sections are identified with headers. The footer contains update and contact information.

Learn More

  • Students

    Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend UMKC.

  • Admissions

    See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at UMKC. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.

  • College Costs & Financial Aid

    Learn about costs to attend UMKC and how much financial aid is typically awarded.

  • College Cost Estimator

    Estimate your cost to attend UMKC in a few simple steps.

  • Classes and Campus Life

    Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at UMKC.

  • Student Experiences

    Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at UMKC – inside and outside the classroom.

  • Majors, Graduation and Next Steps

    See which majors are most popular at UMKC and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.

  • Student Success & Progress

    Discover how many students who start at UMKC 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 UMKC.

Student Learning at University of Missouri - Kansas City

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.

The primary purpose of learning outcomes assessment at UMKC is improving student learning. This purpose is best achieved by formative assessment integrated with instruction.  A second purpose of assessment, improving academic programs, is best achieved by analyzing trends in results of formative assessments related to core program learning objectives.  Assessment for the purpose of accountability is best achieved by documentation of assessment to achieve the first two purposes.  The learning outcomes results reported in the VSA are a valuable source of convergent validity, but not a substitute for assessment that directly improves student learning and informs academic program improvement.

Learning Assessment Examples

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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: 1170
Senior Score: 1236
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 25
Senior Score: 0

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1137
Senior Score: 1222

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

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

Freshman Score: 1215
Senior Score: 1283
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 25
Senior Score: 0

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1137
Senior Score: 1222

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