Section III of the College Portrait, Student Learning
Outcomes, reports student learning outcomes in two ways:
through links to institution-specific outcomes data, such
as program assessments and professional licensure exams;
and through a pilot project to measure student learning
gains in key areas through either the Collegiate Assessment
of Academic Proficiency (CAAP), Measure of Academic
Proficiency and Progress (MAPP), or Collegiate Learning
Assessment (CLA). As the names suggest, these tests measure
student learning outcomes, particularly those associated with
critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and written communication at the institutional level across all academic disciplines.
The student learning results depicted through the use of these
three instruments can be understood as the learning gains that
occur between the freshmen and senior year. The “gains,” as
used here, are calculated by comparing the actual average test
scores from a group of freshmen with the actual average test
scores from a group of seniors. Institutions have considerable
latitude in determining the size and specific composition of
these two groups. Since the measurement of student learning
at the institutional level is not widespread, many university
leaders will need time to identify the method of administration suitable for their particular campus and determine how
their emerging test results may be used to improve educational programs.
Like the instruments chosen to measure student perceptions
and experiences in Section II, these student learning outcome
tests, with a methodological query, could cost between $6,000
and $10,500. VSA participants have four years to report
data in Section III. After the initial report, results should be
updated at least every three years.
Why is VSA Important?
The VSA has three goals: to demonstrate greater accountability and stewardship to the public; to measure student
perceptions and outcomes and use resultant data to improve
educational practices; and to assemble information in a transparent, accessible fashion for students and families to make
viable comparisons. Most SSAOs will see immediately the
importance of the first goal since they are the executive officers
most likely to respond to students’, parents’, and community
leaders’ calls for increased accountability. Rather than spend
institutional time, effort, and resources to develop individual
responses, SSAOs and their supervisors (frequently college
or university presidents) might consider using the already-developed, standardized College Portrait as one significant way
to respond to ongoing queries.
On many campuses, student affairs has emerged as a campus leader in setting educational benchmarks, administering
surveys, measuring outcomes, charting progress, and modifying programs to address the needs that surface through data
Reaching High School Students through the VSA
By Lori E. Varlotta
In preparing the College Portrait for Sacramento State
College, the “Nine Button Implementation” team conducted focus groups with local high school students so
they could better understand the types of questions and
issues on the minds of college-bound teenagers. The team
was committed to use of the insights garnered through
the focus groups not only as the backdrop, but also as
the foundation for the College Portrait’s nine buttons. The
focus group exercise quickly revealed to student affairs
professionals that most of us had significantly overestimated what college-bound, high school juniors and seniors
knew and wanted to know about the college experience.
Shortly into the focus group exercise it was clear
that the students were having difficulty translating high
school terms, such as main office, guidance counselor,
and principal, into university jargon. Most students were
unfamiliar with basics terms, titles, and program names
used in higher education, such as first-year experience,
major, Educational Opportunity Program, academic advisor, or vice president for student affairs. The questions the
students posed were much more basic than those long
attributed to high school students. Their most pressing
concerns were articulated in questions such as: What does
a college classroom look like? How many students does it
hold? What building is it in? How do I find my way around
a campus, especially a big one like Sacramento State? How
much does it cost to go to college and what do the costs
cover? Where can I shop and eat once I get to school?
What can I do for fun? If I need help, where can I go and
what kind of help is out there?
We then used the focus group participants’ actual words
to title our buttons and design the landing pages behind
each of them. Rather than label our nine buttons with
titles infused with academic jargon such as “Completing
the Federal FAFSA Form,” we titled our financial aid
button “Need Money?” Similarly, we opted to title the
“Participating in Co-Curricular Activities” button with a
single word: “Fun.” As we created the educational materials behind each button, we included newly produced 90-
second video clips that feature real Sacramento State students. Even the written text was drafted with the 17-year-
old high school student in mind. The questions that focus
group participants posed and the gaps in understanding
that emerged assisted us in designing College Portrait buttons that truly are student friendly and responsive to real
students’ issues and needs. As the name of our website
suggests, www.csus.edu/checkusout, we encourage you to
visit Sacramento State’s VSA portrait and check us out.
