ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

 

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

February 13, 2004
Date Submitted

Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose Linkage:
Institutional Mission 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 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.

College/University Goal(s) Supported:
The faculty and administrators of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department
of Mathematical and Physical Sciences are committed to providing a scholarly environment
in which students prepare for productive lives in a dynamic world and in a changing global
and technologically advancing environment

Intended Educational (Student) Outcomes:
1. Students will demonstrate their mastery of formulating and solving problems in various areas of mathematics.

2.Students will be able to communicate mathematics in well-structured sentences.

3. Students will be able to develop a variety of examples to illustrate mathematical concepts, to present several ways of solving a problem, and to illustrate applications of mathematical ideas to real situations.

 

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

 

 

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

February 13, 2004
Date Submitted

Intended Educational (Student) Outcome:
NOTE: There should be one form for each intended outcome listed.  The intended outcome should be restated in the box immediately below and the intended outcome number entered in the blank spaces.

1. Students will demonstrate their mastery of formulating and solving problems in various areas of mathematics.

First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
1a. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Graduating students will be required to take part in a pilot study program towards the end of their final semester of studies by taking the Major Fields Test in mathematics by ETS; 50% of the students taking the standardized examination will score at or above the National 50th percentile.

1a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
In the past two semesters, total of only four students took the MFT. The results were not up to the criteria above, but in this (Spring 2004) semester we will make sure that more students will take the test, and will request area-by-area sub-scores from ETS that we did not in the past, in order to obtain more accurate data.
 
1a. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will await more data from the test in April

Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
1b. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Exit survey will be conducted with graduating seniors. The survey will include questions asking the students’ perception of their own achievement pertaining to the intended outcomes; 70% of the students will respond that they are confident in their mathematical writing skill.

1b. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
No student in this program responded to the survey (because we mailed the survey after the graduation).

1b. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will make efforts to have more students respond to the survey: we will conduct the survey in the SACS week.

1c. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for success
Students in junior and senior (3000 & 4000) level courses will be required to keep a portfolio and turn it into their course instructors. The mathematics faculty will review jointly the collected evaluations and comments received from the course instructors for the portfolios in accordance with a course specific rubric to determine the degree to which the stipulated criteria for success are met. An average of 2.5 or above on a 4-point scale will be considered satisfactory. A guideline for development of the course rubric for Portfolio Review is: 1) organization of the portfolio – 25%; 2) understanding of problem statements – 25%; 3) presentation of solutions – 25%; and 4) approach to and accuracy of reasoning and solutions – 25%.

1c. Summary of Assessment Data Collected: 
Portfolios show that students’ problem solving skill is satisfactory.

1c. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
Program faculty members do not feel that changes in this means of assessment are necessary at the present time.

 

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

 

 

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

February 13, 2004
Date Submitted

Intended Educational (Student) Outcome:
NOTE: There should be one form for each intended outcome listed.  Intended outcome should be restated in the box immediately below and the intended outcome number entered in the blank spaces.

2.Students will be able to communicate mathematics in well-structured sentences.

First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
2a. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Graduating students will be required to take part in a pilot study program towards the end of their final semester of studies by taking the Major Fields Test in mathematics by ETS; 50% of the students taking the standardized examination will score at or above the National 50th percentile

2a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
In the past two semesters, total of only four students took the MFT. The results were not up to the criteria above, but in this (Spring 2004) semester we will make sure that more students will take the test, and will request area-by-area sub-scores from ETS that we did not in the past, in order to obtain more accurate data

2a. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will await more data from the test in April. No recommendations at this time.

Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
2b. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Exit survey will be conducted with graduating seniors. The survey will include questions asking the students’ perception of their own achievement pertaining to the intended outcomes; 70% of the students will respond that they are confident in their mathematical writing skill.

2b. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
No student in this program responded to the survey.

2b. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
Because the program faculty mailed the survey after students’ graduation, there was no response rate. Program faculty members plan to conduct survey earlier in the graduating semester.

2c. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for success:
Students in junior and senior (3000 & 4000) level courses will be required to keep a portfolio and turn it into their course instructor. The mathematics faculty will review jointly the collected evaluations and comments received from the course instructors for the portfolios in accordance with a course specific rubric to determine the degree to which the stipulated criteria for success are met. An averageof 2.5 or above on a 4-point scale will be considered satisfactory.

A guideline for development of the course rubric for Portfolio Review is: 1) organization of the portfolio – 25%; 2) understanding of problem statements – 25%; 3) presentation of solutions – 25%; and 4) approach to and accuracy of reasoning and solutions – 25%.

2c. Summary of Assessment Data Collected: 
Portfolios show that students’ writing skills are unsatisfactory.

2c. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will reorganize the degree plans and move some of the writing intensive courses to the earlier years of the degree plans so that the students’ will have more time to develop their writing skills.


ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

 

 

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

February 13, 2004
Date Submitted

Intended Educational (Student) Outcome:
NOTE: There should be one form for each intended outcome listed.  Intended outcome should be restated in the box immediately below and the intended outcome number entered in the blank spaces.

3. Students will be able to develop a variety of examples to illustrate mathematical concepts, to present several ways of solving a problem, and to illustrate applications of mathematical ideas to real situations.

First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
3a. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Pre-service teachers (students) will take the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) in mathematics for grades 8–12. The average score of at least 70% for a cohort of students in a particular semester on TExES Mathematics 8–12 (test 135) will be considered satisfactory

3a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Four students took the Examination and the average score was 64%.

3a. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
(1) We are giving TExES Mathematics review sessions in Spring 2004 semester. (2)  We are reviewing course content to ensure that TExES competencies are integrated into our curriculum

Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
3b. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
The students will be required to complete the mathematics capstone course (MATH 4390) in the final year of their program of study. The mathematics faculty will review jointly the collected evaluations and comments received from the course instructor of the student performance, to include the final classroom presentation, in accordance with a course specific rubric to determine the degree to which the stipulated criteria for success are met. An average of 2.5 on a 4-point scale will be considered satisfactory.

A guideline for development of the course rubric is: 1) organization of the portfolio – 25%; 2) understanding of problem statements – 25%; 3) presentation of solutions – 25%; and 4) approach to and accuracy of reasoning and solutions – 25%.

3b. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
MATH 4390 was not offered this semester.

3b. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
Without data, the program faculty can make no recommendations at this time.