Assessment tools – AAS in Accounting Program

1. Assessment tools – AAS in Accounting Program August 2012

2. Purpose Create a system to determine whether students graduating with an AAS in Accounting had a skill set that would increase job opportunity and success in the job market.

3. Process • Set goals and objectives • Create an assessment tool • Test student comprehension and retention • Measure outcomes • Remedy instances where students do no meet expectations • Incorporate Continuous Improvement

4. Goals and Objectives • Students will be able to identify and define key accounting concepts and terminology • Students will be able to classify and interpret relationships among elements of a company's financial statements and identify areas of strength and/or weakness • Students will be able to analyze, journalize and report on related business transactions

5. Goals and Objectives • Students will be able to identify and define management assertions in the financial statements and discuss the responsibilities of management and the auditor during the conduct of a financial statement audit • Students will be able to apply accounting concepts and processes in a computerized accounting system • Students will be able to select and apply alternative generally accepted accounting principles to individual situations

6. Goals and Objectives • Students shall account for Cost of Manufacturing goods and analyze cost structures using correct cost terminology and concepts • Students shall identify and define and/or apply key individual tax terms and concepts • Students shall identify and define and/or apply key business entity tax terms and concepts • Students shall identify and/or apply key elements of Fair Labor Standards Act while accounting for Payroll transactions

7. Target Goals Seventy percent (70%) of CVCC students in the AAS program in Accounting will score sixty percent (60%) or higher on this component of the Accounting Exit Exam.

8. Classifying ACC Courses • Courses in AAS in Accounting Program: ACC 124, ACC 211, ACC 212, ACC 215, ACC 221, ACC 222, ACC 231, ACC 241, ACC 261, and ACC 262 • Financial Accounting: ACC 211, ACC 212, ACC 215, ACC 221, ACC 222 • Taxation: ACC 124, ACC 261, ACC 262 • Cost Accounting: ACC 231 • Auditing: ACC 241

9. Exit Exam • Exit Exam created to test understanding and retention • Administered during final semester before graduation by the Business Division • Graded by Business Division • Consists of 45 questions tied to individual goals and objectives • Objectives are matched to questions on the exit exam

10. Exit Exam/Goals Examples • Accounting AAS Degree Program • Exit Exam Objectives • Objective 1: • Students will be able to identify and define key accounting concepts and terminology. • Questions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 • Objective 2: • Students will be able to classify and interpret relationships among elements of a company’s financial statements and identify areas of strength and/or weakness. • Questions: 1, 2, 6, 7, 20 • Objective 3: • Students will be able to analyze, journalize, and report on related business transactions. • Questions: 3, 4, 5, 8, 9

11. Example of Mapping

12. Administration of the Exam • The exam is given during the final semester prior to graduation • The exam is administered by Pam Reynolds, not only for ACC, but other BAH programs as well • The results are tabulated by Pam Reynolds • Comparisons to target goals, objectives, and results are then made to determine the effectiveness of the program in meeting the set objectives via course work

13. 2011 Results • The results showed that three objectives were met • The results showed that seven objectives were not met, but most scores were close to meeting the target goal • Target Goal: • Seventy percent (70%) of CVCC students in the AAS program in Accounting will score sixty percent (60%) or higher on this component of the Accounting Exit Exam.

14. 2012 Results • The results showed that five objectives were met • The results showed that five objectives were not met, however the percentage of students meeting the target goal for these objectives was 63%

15. Continuous Improvement • Periodic review of the objectives and exit exam questions • Periodic review of the Accounting Program at CVCC • Three Program Reviews over the past eight years resulted in • adding some courses, • deleting some courses, • creating a program where all ten accounting courses can be taken over a three year period online, • creating a template where the AAS in Accounting degree program can be completed within two years with a combination of day/night/online courses.

16. Lessons Learned • Broad objectives result in more effectiveness in meeting program objectives • The more test questions tied to an objective, the better the outcome potential for meeting the objectives • The more students taking the exit exam, the higher the possibility of measurement outcomes meeting objectives • Some students have taken the courses years before taking the exit exam, based on how they earn their degrees, and this impacts outcomes • Some students do not take the exit exam seriously as a passing grade is not required to graduate

17. Questions Accounting Program Assessment Tools