ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Office of Special Programs
Administrative or Educational Support Unit)

September 2003 to August 2004
Assessment Period Covered

August 24, 2004
Date Submitted

Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose Linkage:
Institutional Mission/Goal(s) Reference:
Texas A&M International University, a Member of the Texas A&M University System, is committed to the preparation of students for leadership roles in their chosen profession and in an increasingly complex, culturally diverse state, national, and global society… Through instruction, faculty and student research, and public service, Texas A&M International University is a strategic point of delivery for well-defined programs and services that improve the quality of life for citizens of the border region, the State of Texas, and national and international communities.

Administrative or Educational Support Unit Mission Statement:
The mission of the Office of Special Programs is to encompass the following programs and/or services:  continuing education, pre-college, and early intervention initiatives for college prep, such as GEAR UP.

Intended Administrative Objectives:

1. The Office of Special Programs will facilitate, organize, and manage local conferences, institutes, and seminars pertaining to continuing education.

2. The Office of Special Programs will administer pre-college programs such as TEXPREP and “Bridge to Success” in order to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in post-secondary education, especially in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology through academic preparation.

3. The Office of Special Programs will facilitate early intervention programs at the high schools, such as GEAR UP “Creating a Vision,” that seek to increase the number of low income students in post-secondary studies through direct services, including: counseling, tutoring, mentoring, summer coursework, and parental involvement activities.

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Office of Special Programs
Administrative or Educational Support Unit)

September 2003 to August 2004
Assessment Period Covered

August 24, 2004
Date Submitted

Intended Administrative or Educational Support Objective:
1. The Office of Special Programs will facilitate, organize, and manage local conferences, institutes, and seminars pertaining to continuing education.

First Means of Assessment for Objective Identified Above: 

1a. Means of Unit Assessment & Criteria for Success:
The means of assessment are based on two measurements: (1) consultant evaluation at the conclusion of each training or class, and (2) satisfaction rate of participants with course delivery and content.  The criteria for success are an average rating of 3.5 on the consultant evaluations and an average rating of 3 on the participant’s responses.  These averages are based on a scale of 1 (poor) to 4 (excellent).   

1a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
After the class or training session is conducted, participants complete The College Board’s Workshop Evaluation Form.  These consultant evaluation forms are sent to the College Board directly after the institute concludes. The College Board in turn sends the completed evaluations with delivery content to the Office of Special Programs in September of each year.  We have not received the information for this year; however, at the previous session, 14 participants completed the evaluation form and rated the consultant and workshop an average of 3.93 on a scale of 1 to 4.  (Scale is as follows: 1-poor, 2-average, 3-good, and 4-excellent). 

In addition, participants complete a general survey regarding the event with questions about the facility, registration process, and support materials.  The following summary statistics were obtained from participant responses for the Advanced Placement workshops conducted on September 2003.  Total number attending were 100 participants.  Evaluation forms indicate an average rating of 3.7 on a scale of 1 to 4.  (Scale is as follows: 1-poor, 2-average, 3-good, and 4-excellent).

1a. Use of Results to Improve Unit Services:
Those consultants that do not meet the required percentage satisfaction rating are not invited to return as trainers for subsequent  programs. Respondents indicated satisfaction with the Advanced Placement workshops.  The lowest scoring items on the survey were Pre-conference Communication and Refreshments.  The Office of Special Programs is working on improving communication with the participants before the conference and is also working with our food services contractor to provide better food service to the participants.

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Office of Special Programs
Administrative or Educational Support Unit)

September 2003 to August 2004
Assessment Period Covered

August 24, 2004
Date Submitted

2. The Office of Special Programs will administer pre-college programs such as TEXPREP and “Bridge to Success” in order to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in post-secondary education, especially in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology through academic preparation.

First Means of Assessment for Objective Identified Above:
2a. Means of Unit Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Criteria for success are based on three percentages: (1) the ratio of recruitment to enrollment, (2) the ratio of actual participation to successful completion, and (3) the ratio of completion to retention for both the high school students in TEX PREP and the college students in Bridge.

2a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
For the college students, there is an 85% enrollment rate followed by a 90% successful completion rate.  The rate of retention in college is 90%. For the high school students, the rate of enrollment is 90% followed by a 90% successful completion rate.  The rate of retention in high school is 100%.

2a. Use of Results to Improve Unit Services:
As a result of these rate comparisons, the selection process for both programs will undergo a review and revision process. In the attached follow-up survey of former Bridge participants, the data indicates that the program completion rate is at 96%.  Post-secondary retention rate is 94% in the fall immediately after participation.  For the Tex PREP students, the evaluation report is issued by the program headquarters from UTSA in early October. This data will be added as soon as it is available.

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Office of Special Programs
Administrative or Educational Support Unit)

September 2003 to August 2004
Assessment Period Covered

August 24, 2004
Date Submitted

3. The Office of Special Programs will facilitate early intervention programs at the high schools, such as GEAR UP “Creating a Vision,” that seek to increase the number of low income students in post-secondary studies through direct services, including: counseling, tutoring, mentoring, summer coursework, and parental involvement activities.

First Means of Assessment for Objective Identified Above:

3a. Means of Unit Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Criteria for success are based on student, teacher and parent surveys administered annually to our cohort participants.

3a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Survey results indicate that 2/3 of the cohort parents did not pursue post-secondary education.  Community barriers to college attendance included:  poor grades, military service, high cost, work obligations, family support, family problems, and limited access to resources.  Four out of every five teachers surveyed felt that there were many barriers that prevented low-income students from entering and competing college degrees.

3a. Use of Results to Improve Unit Services:
GEAR UP director and staff increased the number of parent trainings on college awareness, and purchased bilingual materials explaining the FAFSA and the college application process. Director and counselors used the PSAT results to design a writing skills camp for the summer program, and scheduled a review session in September ’04. The results of parent survey showed strong indication that they were already making plans for their children to pursue education beyond high school. (Results were tabulated; please see attached charts). A full report is sent to the US Department of Education annually.