The Skyline College process for outcomes assessment centers on dialogue to ensure a systematic, ongoing cycle of authentic assessment.

Such assessment is crucial to our continuously evolving understanding and improvement of student learning.

Authentic assessment promotes continuous improvement by providing necessary evidence to guide effective decision-making at all levels: course/classroom level; program level, including student/learning support services; and institutional level.

slo cycle

The central questions we are continuously assessing are:

  1. Upon completing a course/ program/ degree (including utilization of or participation in student/learning support service), what do we want students to know, understand, and be able to do?
  2. How well did students learn what we expected them to learn?
  3. How will we address areas of improvement that emerge from the assessment?

This cycle of assessment that helps to build on strengths and address areas of improvement through reflection is captured in program review.

For a hands-on resource to engage in SLOs and assessment, consult the Framework, which explains key terminology and concepts as well as provides step-by-step directions. For your convenience, these steps and related resources are distilled down to the most basic information on the Steps, Tips, and Worksheets page, with helpful models of completed assessment cycles on the Examples page. Be sure to check the three-year assessment calendars for when your program has scheduled courses for assessment.

For departmental coordinators, suggested timelines of outcomes assessment are available as handy reminders: instruction  / student services  . 

Please contact Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness Karen Wong at wongk@smccd.edu or x4369 with any questions or concerns pertaining to assessment. She and/or a SLOAC coach -- Michael Cross, Nick Kapp, Tiffany Schmierer, Ronda Wimmer (for instructional programs), and Lorraine DeMello, Melanie Espinueva, Ernesto Hernandez and Liz LLamas (for student services programs) -- are happy to assist.