MAC Meeting Minutes November 2005

Missouri Assessment Consortium
Meeting notes - November 10, 2005

The meeting was held at the Mid-AIR meeting in Columbia. Beth Nolte hosted. Dave Oehler served as historian. Attendees/participants: Mike Grelle, John Clayton, Sue Pieper, Steven Beal, Ned Steinke, Jeremy Kintzel, Ron Pennington, Chris Frazier, Janet Juhlin, Martha Kirker, Charles Van Middlesworth, Rick Mihalevich, Mike Easter, Natalie Alleman, Jay Dee Martin, Rick Axelson, Nancy Asher, Emily Petersen, Jeff McEnroe, Michelle Dunham, Dawn Clayton, Delores Honey, Mardy Eimers, Beth Nolte, and Dave Oehler.

5:00 Welcome, agenda preview

5:08 Value added (CLA) Project and MAC involvement
On Tuesday (yesterday) there was a consortium meeting and value-added assessment was discussed. Some better practices in assessment systems were shared. Positives and negatives about the CLA pilot were discussed. The creation of a state-wide policy on assessment was proposed, with discussion of who might be involved in creating the policy, how such a policy might be refined, what form it might take, etc.

Discussion ensued about the need for and desirability of a state assessment policy. What is the driver for the need for a policy? What are the issues that the policy needs to address? Who is the audience for such a policy? Would the policy be a state endorsement of the range of activities that institutions should engage in, in order to insulate us from legislative mandates?

MAC reached general consensus that members support the general notion of examining this issue -- is there a policy needed and what is needed? If this is a needed activity, we are interested in participating in a yet to be defined manner.

5:55 DHE website follow-up
Please send website updates/changes to Kandis to be forwarded to DHE.

5:56 Joint meeting with CAOs
We should talk to our CAOs individually, and discuss the assessment policy issue at another meeting before deciding whether/when we want to engage in group dialogue with the CAOs as a group.

6:00 Data Sharing Project follow-up
Ron provided a brief overview of the data sharing project for new members.

6:02 Developmental Math Project follow-up
No report at this time.

6:03 Other items/issues
Mike Grelle asked Ned Steinke (from ETS) about the pervasiveness of managing information as a common outcome for general education in other states.

Ned shared that ETS is piloting the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Literacy Test (about $30 apiece). Two versions will be released - a junior level "advanced" version, and a freshman level "core" version. Later there will be a workforce development version, and a graduate student version. The new version of the Academic Profile will be called MAPP (Measure Academic Proficiency and Progress). ETS owned the questions in the Academic Profile, so the MAPP will provide consistent results. There will be more forms available, it will be available online, and additional modules may be added (scientific critical thinking, advanced math, ethics and citizenship, writing, etc.).

Jeff McEnroe from ATI (College Assessment Institute) introduced himself and described some of their assessment offerings. They have been involved in assessment in the health care sector, and have some initial offerings in general education assessment. They have some basic instruments and can provide customizable online general education assessment. They are currently collecting feedback from institutions to define product needs.

6:15 Announcements
None.

6:15 Professional Development ? Vocabulary builders
Furphy -- rumor, as in water cooler conversion.
Backronym -- a word that was an acronym first, and then the words were made up.

Next meeting date:
Spring in Warrensburg, in conjunction with Central's exemplary assessment practices showcase, (March) unless a meeting is called sooner. If a January or February meeting is needed, Delores Honey volunteered to host.

Next meeting host:
Mike Grelle will host the meeting. Dave Oehler will serve as historian.