Program Evaluation
An impartial evaluation service to assist Colleges improve the quality of agriculture and natural resources curriculum and programs at their own institution thus raising the standards for agriculture/natural resource education across the state of California
Program Evaluation: An Overview
The California Community College Agriculture and Natural Resources (AG/NR) Statewide Advisory Committee conducts formative Program Evaluations at the request of College administrators with the intent of providing the program leadership evaluative information useful in improving the program, thus raising the standards for agriculture/natural resource education across the state.
Program Evaluation involves an intensive 1-3 day focused study of the program’s needs, capabilities, resources, strengths and weaknesses. The Evaluation Team utilizes the AG/NR Program Standards created by Assembly Bill 1480 to guide the evaluation.
Program Standards
Assembly Bill 1480 required the California Community Colleges Agriculture and Natural Resources Statewide Advisory Committee to identify and develop quality program criteria that may be used to uniformly evaluate the effectiveness of the agricultural education programs in community colleges throughout California. In June 2007 The Advisory Committee submitted the criteria which included the following 12 categories
(1) Institutional Mission, (2) Program Integrity, (3) Program Effectiveness, (4) Educational Programs, (5) Program Student Support and Structure, (6) Information and Learning Resources, (7) Faculty and Staff, (8) Physical Resources, (9) Financial Resources, (10) Governance & Administration, (11) Academic Collaboration, and (12) Collaboration with Industry.
Who Conducts the Program Evaluation?
The State Advisory Committee Evaluation Team consists of impartial evaluators with experience either in the AG/NR industry or agriculture higher education, who bring a fresh, outside, credible perspective to the College being evaluated. The evaluators are selected based on the needs and discipline areas of the program being evaluated.
The goal of each evaluation is to offer feedback to administrators and faculty to improve the quality of curriculum and programs of the College being evaluated, and raise the standards for agriculture/natural resource education across the state.
How is the Program Evaluation Conducted?
The Program/College being evaluated is responsible for performing a self-evaluation that will be submitted and reviewed by the Program Evaluation Team prior to the evaluation. This self-evaluation document will include responses or documentation relevant to the Program Standards as well as a self-assessment of the Programs strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement.
The evaluation team will derive questions based on the programs purpose for the review and the self-assessment documents. The evaluation is usually conducted over a two-day period with interviews to include: the President, faculty from all disciplinary areas related to agriculture and natural resources, Dean(s) of Occupational Education, College Board Members, current students and stakeholders in the community including industry representatives, adjunct faculty members, advisory committee members and local high school teachers. Observational analysis will include tours of tour of classrooms including available technology, tour of laboratories and buildings, equipment used in the programs and tours of agriculture/horticulture laboratories
What is the Outcome of a Program Evaluation?
Written notes from interviews, observations and document analysis will be analyzed by the evaluation team Recurring themes were identified and discussed. Key issues will be presented to program administrators through an oral report on the last day of the program evaluation.
A Final Report will be provided 3-4 weeks after the review detailing the team’s findings, commendations and recommendations. The Final Report will include finding relevant to each of the twelve California Community College Agriculture Program Standards.
What are the Benefits of a Program Review?
The program evaluation will provide the college participants with an objective and comprehensive perspective of the program’s current capabilities, as well as future direction, for meeting the needs of its students and stakeholders.
How do I request a Program Review?
If your colleges is interested in a program review, contact Nancy Gutierrez at nancy.gutierrez@reedleycollege.edu