Bachelor of Science in Behavior Analysis

Assessment Report, 2014-2015

CLASS, Behavior Analysis

Assessment Identifiers

College / School:
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Department:
Social and Behavioral Sciences

Program / Major / Certificate:
Behavior Analysis Major

Assessment Coordinator(s):
Sherry Serdikoff

Has there been a change to the Assessment Coordinator(s) since the last assessment plan?
No

Person(s) responsible for writing and/or submitting this report:
Sherry Serdikoff

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the undergraduate major in Behavior Analysis is to educate individuals about behavior analysis—a natural science approach to understanding the behavior of individuals—by providing instruction, mentoring, and opportunities to engage in research and practice in behavior analysis to a diverse student population who will contribute to the well-being of society.

(Additional clarifying statements – to be included on web site and other places where more extensive explanations are an option):
Behavior analysis grew out of the scientific study of principles of learning and behavior in the field of psychology and thus can be characterized as a specialized conceptual framework for approaching psychological science and its applications. Accordingly, within the behavior analysis major, courses in behavior analysis are complemented with foundational courses and opportunities for some electives in the broader discipline of psychological science.
Like the broader field of psychological science, the continuum of behavior analysis encompasses basic science, applied science, and application. It ranges from the basic science of the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB), that has accumulated a considerable body of research literature providing a scientific foundation for fundamental principles of behavior to applied behavior analysis (ABA), that includes both applied science that researches questions directed as changing socially significant behaviors and the delivery of services to meet behavioral needs in diverse populations. As with psychological science, behavior analysis can be applied to changing a broad range of behaviors (e.g., drug taking, self-injurious behavior, skill-building, and workplace safety) in a variety of settings (e.g., clinical, educational, and organizational settings).

Has this mission statement been revised since the last plan? No

PSLOs

1. Knowledge Base in Behavior Analysis: Students will be able to demonstrate proficiency regarding key concepts, principles, procedures, and overarching themes in behavior analysis.

2. Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking: Students will be able to demonstrate scientific inquiry and critical thinking skills when exploring behavioral phenomena.

3. Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World: Students will be able to demonstrate ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity.

4. Communication: Students will be able to demonstrate effective writing and oral presentation skills for different purposes as well as interact effectively with others.

5. Professional Development: Students will be able demonstrate skills that reflect readiness for post baccalaureate employment, graduate school, or professional school.

6. Behavior Analysis in Relation to Other Disciplines and Fields: Students will be able to describe relationships between behavior analysis and other fields.

LINK TO: Assessment Report, 2014-2015 – Supporting Documents

Assessment Results (PSLOs)

SSU Strategic Plan Goal	PSLO	Semester	Professor	Courses	Assessment Artifacts and Instruments	Target Levels	Results and Analysis of Results	Actions in Response to Results
Academic Engagement and Achievement	1. Knowledge Base in Behavior Analysis: Students will be able to demonstrate proficiency regarding key concepts, principles, procedures, and overarching themes in behavior analysis.	Fall 2014	A. Mahoney	BEHV 1101 Introduction to Behavior Analysis	TLBA Exercise - Key, no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 1 MET 100% of students > 70% score	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Consider adjusting PSLO and developing/adopting new/additional assessments. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: Students seemed to perform well on these assessments, but each was limited and did not address the scope of knowledge required by the discipline. The program will develop a more appropriate comprehensive measure of BA content that students should have before graduating (mock BACB certification exam).
Academic Engagement and Achievement		Spring 2015	K. Frame	BEHV 3117 Counseling and Behavior Change	Content Pretest - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 2 MET 85% of students > 70% score
Academic Engagement and Achievement	2. Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking: Students will be able to demonstrate scientific inquiry and critical thinking skills when exploring behavioral phenomena.	Fall 2014	S. Serdikoff	BEHV 2103 Behavior Statistics	Final Exam - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 1 NOT MET 4% of students > 70% score	OVERALL: TARGET PARTIALLY MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Consider adjusting PSLO and developing/adopting new/additional assessments. Description of any changes for improvements which were made during the course of the 2014-2015 academic year: BEHV 2103 was changed so that in the Spring 2015 semester, class meetings were more activity-based, than lecture based. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: In BEHV 2103, will need a re-work of the class to focus on the amount of practice that student have in performing various statistical techniques being learned.
		Fall 2014	K. Frame	BEHV 3000 Basic Concepts in Behavior Analysis	Paper - 3000Paper Rubric	70% of students > 49/70 on rubric items 6-10	TARGET 2 MET 73% of students > 70% score
		Spring 2015	S. Serdikoff	BEHV 2103 Behavior Statistics	Final Exam - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 3 NOT MET 30% of students > 70% score
Academic Engagement and Achievement	3. Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World: Students will be able to demonstrate ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity.	Fall 2014	A. Mahoney	BEHV 1101 Introduction to Behavior Analysis	BACB Ethics Code ID - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 1 MET 98% of students > 70% score	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Program instructors need to consider adjusting PSLO and developing/adopting new/additional assessments. Need to adopt assessment measures that are more suitable for developing levels of competency regarding ethics. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: Student performed well on these assessments that are geared specifically toward level (1101) and content (3117) of the class. With the recent increase in "ethics hours" required by the BACB, the BEHV 3740 Behavior Ethics elective class should be required and suitable class-embedded assessment measures developed.
		Spring 2015	A. Mahoney	BEHV 1101 Introduction to Behavior Analysis	BACB Ethics Code ID - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 2 MET 100% of students > 70% score
		Spring 2015	K. Frame	BEHV 3117 Counseling and Behavior Change	Ethics Quiz - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 3 MET 100% of students > 70% score
Academic Engagement and Achievement	4. Communication: Students will be able to demonstrate effective writing and oral presentation skills for different purposes as well as interact effectively with others.	Fall 2014	K. Frame	BEHV 3000 Basic Concepts in Behavior Analysis	Paper - 3000Paper Rubric	70% of students > 19/26 on rubric items 1, 2, 4, & 5	TARGET NOT MET 61% of students > 70% score	OVERALL: TARGET NOT MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Consider adjusting PSLO and developing/adopting new/additional assessments. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: In reviewing this assessment, we decided it was inappropriate for the level of class. The discipline-specific writing conventions are typically taught in the research methods course and students should be assess on their use only after they take BEHV 3112. We should use that class and other upper level classes as a place for targeting summative writing assessment.
Academic Engagement and Achievement	5. Professional Development: Students will be able demonstrate skills that reflect readiness for post baccalaureate employment, graduate school, or professional school.	Spring 2015	S. Serdikoff	BEHV 2101 History of Behavior Analysis	Oral Presentation - 2101 Presentation Rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 1 MET 100% of students > 70% score	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Consider adjusting PSLO and developing/adopting new/additional assessments. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: Although students performed well on these assessments, they are limited in scope with respect to this PSLO. The program will consider developing/adopting new/additional assessments (e.g., ASI-R).
Academic Engagement and Achievement		Spring 2015	A. Mahoney	BEHV 3112 Experimental Analysis	Oral Presentation - 3112 Presentation Rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 2 MET 86% of students > 70% score
Academic Engagement and Achievement	6. Behavior Analysis in Relation to Other Disciplines and Fields: Students will be able to describe relationships between behavior analysis and other disciplines and fields.	Spring 2015	S. Serdikoff	BEHV 2101 History of Behavior Analysis	Midterm Exam - Key; no rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 1 MET 75% of students > 70% score	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Consider adjusting PSLO and developing/adopting new/additional assessments. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: The BEHV 2101 midterm does not seem well suited for measuring this PSLO. The grant proposal in the senior seminar class seem more appropriate for capturing integration of material more full across the curriculum. More data points are needed for informed decision making. The program will consider developing/adopting new/additional assessments.
Academic Engagement and Achievement		Spring 2015	A. Mahoney	BEHV 4213 Research Seminar	Grant Proposal - Grant Proposal Rubric	70% of students > 70% score	TARGET 2 MET 90% of students > 70% score

Assessment Results (POs)

SSU Strategic Plan Goal	PO Goal	Enabling Strategies	Measures	Targets	Results and Analysis of Results	Actions in Response to Results
Academic Engagement and Achievement	Attract qualified students to the behavior analysis major, help them to achieve academic success, and facilitate their progress through the major requirements in a timely manner so that they graduate from Savannah State University with a bachelor’s degree in four years	Faculty with qualifications to teach BEHV courses	Data from Institutional Research Office on number of majors and graduation rates	Offer at least three sections of BEHV 1101 each fall and two each spring; Offer at least three upper-level BEHV electives in AY 2014-2015; Offer at least one section of every required major classes each semester	TARGET MET Three sections of BEHV 1101 were offered in Fall 2014 and two were offered in Spring 2015. Four upper-level BEHV electives were offered across both semesters. BEHV 2101 was not offered in FA14.	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: Maintain offering of upper-level of electives and also provide at least one section of all the required courses for the major each semester. Description of any changes for improvements which were made during the course of the 2014-2015 academic year: Some courses were offered as independent study to meet this goal. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: Having to teach independent study sections of required courses as unpaid-overloads places an undue burden on faculty. The program will need to address staffing needs in the context of curriculum requirements (also see PO#3).
Academic Engagement and Achievement		Faculty with qualifications to teach BEHV courses		Maintain/increase number of majors from AY 2013-2104 and graduate at least 10%of majors in AY 2014-2015	TARGET EXCEEDED Increased number of majors from AY 2014-2015 to AY 2014-2015 (158 and 196 respectively) and graduated 34 majors (17%) in AY 2014-2015.
Academic Engagement and Achievement	Offer students a curriculum that reflects disciplinary guidelines and standards for education in the field of behavior analysis and prepares them to pursue graduate education or enter the behavior analysis workforce	Attendance at Metric Monday meetings and instruction provided at the CLASS Assessment Meetings; meetings of the BCBA faculty to discuss curricular issues; complete paperwork necessary to initiate curriculum changes and usher them through the Curriculum approval process	Revised program mission statement and revised PSLOs	Revise Behavior Analysis Program mission statement and PSLOs to clarify alignment with SSU mission and ISLOs and reflect evolving disciplinary recommendations	TARGET MET New Mission and new Program Student Learning Outcomes developed.	OVERALL: TARGET PARTIALLY MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: AY 2013-2014 targets were met. Description of any changes for improvements which were made during the course of the 2014-2015 academic year: NA. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: The program will update curriculum maps (courses to PSLOs) to align with new PSLOs, continue discussions of proposed ACS and submit an ACS application to the BACB during AY 15-16, and implement course sequencing changes.
			BACB ACS approval	Have an Approved Course Sequence (ACS) accepted by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)	TARGET NOT MET A proposed ACS was developed but consensus approval of the BCBA faculty was not achieved.
			Revised recommended sequencing of major requirement; completed curriculum approval paperwork as needed	Update course sequencing to align with disciplinary best practices for providing students strong educational scaffolding	TARGET PARTIALLY MET We discussed disciplinary recommendations for course sequencing by the end of the AY agreed on some changes to the recommended sequencing for major requirements.
Academic Engagement and Achievement	Maintain a program faculty that is comprised primarily of tenure-track doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), supplemented by some full-time lecturers and part-time/adjunct faculty who are BCBAs	Support from administration to attract and retain qualified BCBA faculty	Number of faculty who are Board Certified Behavior Analysts, doctoral-level, tenure-track/lecturer, full-time/part-time	Hire two tenure-track faculty who are doctoral-level BCBAs	TARGET MET Permission to hire was granted and an advertisement was posted. Two tenure-track faculty positions was filled w/ doctoral-level BCBAs.	OVERALL: TARGET MET Description of projected use of results from the 2013-2014 academic year that is being addressed in the 2014-2015 academic year: The program was successful in gaining permission to hire 2 tenure-track doctoral-level BCBA faculty during AY 2014-2015. Description of the expected use of results that will be addressed in the 2015-2016 academic year: At the end of AY 2014-2015, one full-time lecturer (master's-level, non-BCBA) whose primary teaching responsibility was PSYC 1101 resigned. Permission will be sought to search for a doctoral-level BCBA full-time lecturer with the qualifications to teach PSYC 1101.