Student Assessment
What are some of the best tools used to assess a student so that he/she could fully understand their weakness and strengths in a positive way?
Hi Michele
We find that any plans need constant assessment. When looking at surveys it's important to ask - am I getting the information I want, new information, and what am I doing with the information to be sure changes are made in harmony with what was discovered. Makes things more interesting and helps to ensure that change is being made to keep up with inevitable change. Best wishes, Susan
Hi Stacey-
After reading your response, I beleive I need to reevaluate the concept of personal student surveys prior to graduation. Perhaps, if I implement this more effectively, I could better "sell" the student on the employer and visa versa!! Thanks, Michele
Hi Ayala
We believe that surveys are the heart of school development and meeting student needs. Information from surveys can provide you with data to make informed decisions. So measure, measure, measure.
Best wishes
Susan
HI Dario
Measuring everything possible in the school can provide a lot of information to make informed decisions. In addition to surveys, it is sometimes interesting to hold a focus group and ask students, grads, or staff certain questions or their opinions on selected development plans.
Best wishes
Susan
I like to use a survey, a friend of mine gave this idea and it works great.
Ayala
A survey is probably the best way to evaluate a students assessment. Thats what we use and it seems to work.
Dario
Thanks, I never thought of it in those terms.
Deloris
Hi Deloris
Sounds like a good study for a doctoral dissertation.
Best wishes
Susan
Susan,
It is a new process first implemented during the previous school term so I can't make a judgement on job retention yet. But a higher percentage of those students retained positions in field within a shorter time frame compared to students from previous graduating classes. Also, another interesting aspect was that most of these students sought better jobs. These students were knowledgeable of and encouraged by the fact that their skills and education qualified them for a certain level of pay and enabled them to take on multiple responsibilities within an organization.
Thanks,
Deloris
HI Deloris
All great ideas. Have you measured success of students who went through this process? Did they get jobs quicker compared to other grads? Did they get better jobs? Did they have good job retention?
It would be interesting.
Best wishes
Susan
The only parameters are to interview a professional within their field of study- someone from their internship, an instructor who has worked in that particular field, a graduate of the college, or a career services contact. I also give them a list of questions to use as a guide. They are encouraged to develop more questions of their own. These questions include: career specific questions, industry questions, questions about salary and advancement opportunities, questions about training and preparation and typical responsibilities.
I use the Brigg-Myers test series.
Thanks,
Deloris
Hi Deloris
Interesting idea. Can you tell us the parameters you set for the interview with the profesional. Are there topics to discuss, etc? Also what professional inventory test do you use?
Thanks
Susan
I incorporate feedback from instructors, but I require students to hold a casual interview with a professional in their field of study as well as to take a professional inventory test so that they (as well as myself) can better assess their strengths and weaknesses and personal and professional interests.
Thanks,
Deloris
Definitely - Datamark - and they are AWESOME!!!! I highly recommend them to anyone trying to improve their retention program.
Hi
Can you tell us what company offers the Career Success Survey?
Thanks
Susan
All students have to take a "Career Success Survey" at the time of enrollment. That initial survey gives us an idea of what roadblocks they may have in continuing education and it gives us a picture into their daily lives that you don't get in the personality quizzes.
HI Amy
Great idea to offer personality assessments to students. If all students take the assessments, as well as faculty and staff, then everyone has an opportunity to learn how to get along. Lots of uses of Myer Briggs type assessments to impact on retention and student success.
Best wishes
Susan
We subscribe to the Myers/Briggs assessment and I'm trying to develop a relationship with a Kolbe professional to help me with assessing students in that way - otherwise there are those free ones and inespensive ones on the internet.
Hi Pam
Thanks for providing information about the DISC program. It looks very helpful. Are you tracking results? Great that you are starting early in the student's school career. I feel students need to know about employment skills and who they are early on. Impacts retention as well as successful placement.
Best wishes
Susan
