B.A. History graduates will be prepared for successful careers and productive citizenship through high quality instruction in all courses.
Objective
History Teacher Preparation
Students will develop necessary knowledge and skills to be effective teachers.
Indicator
TEXES Examination
Teacher education students who major or minor in History will pass the TEXES examination.
Criterion
Targeted Rates Of TEXES Passage
80% of all teacher education students who major or minor in History will pass the TEXES history examination with at least a score of 70%.
Finding
Actual TEXES Results
During 2009-10, 77% of all history majors and minors taking the TExES exam passed.
20 of 29 (69%) history majors or minors passed the Texas Examination for Educator Standards (TExES) exam for future history teachers and 13 of 14 (93%) history majors and minors passed the Social Studies TExES.
Breaking down the general results, it was apparent among all passing test takers that they performed significantly better in Domain I (World History) than in Domain II (US History). Of students showing significant disparity in domain scores, 20 rated higher in Domain I as opposed to 8 rating higher in Domain II.
The History Department has made an intensive effort to offer the Practice TExES to students planning to be teachers in order to improve their scores. The History Department offered the Practice TExES to 61 students who passed and were thus allowed to take the TExES for certification.
The proposal by the History Department to use HIS 390 (Conceptualizing History Education) as a means to help students pass the TExES has not proven consistently effective. The new online version of HIS 390 was taught in Fall 2009 and again in Spring 2010. Student satisfaction with the course has increased, though the passage rate of the Practice TExES has remained virtually the same. After a thorough analysis of HIS 390 and the TExES component of the teacher certification process, it is clear that certain factors prevent this course from achieving all its aims. First of all, instructors in the History Department are qualified to teach history content, whereas both the History and Social Studies TExES exams include other subjects, such as economics and geography, that fall outside the scope of History Department instructors. In addition, the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) in the College of Education retains ultimate authority in clearing students to take the TExES exams in History and Social Studies and allows them to do so only when specific criteria have been met, regardless of when or if they have taken HIS 390 or passed the Practice TExES.
Action
History Teacher Preparation
The History Department will continue developing HIS 390 to better prepare students for the Practice TExES and TExES exams in History and Social Studies in order to improve overall passage rates. More emphasis will be given on commercial test preparation materials to cover those areas, such as economics and geography, that fall outside the purview of History Department faculty. Additionally, students will be instructed to initiate the advisement process with EPP, so that they have a clear understanding of every step of the teacher certification process as established by the College of Education and time their TExES preparation in the way most conducive to passing the exam.
Action
Actual TExES Results
Specific results of TExES scoring for History majors taking the History and Social Studies components of the TExES examination indicating persistent weakness in US (as opposed to World) History. Even among students passing the exam, those excelling in World were more than double those excelling in US History. Accordingly, the department will review and discuss curriculum and procedures of instruction in American History. The department will investigate means of early identification of and intervention with students in American History classes intending to take the TExES.
Objective
Student Learning Outcomes
During the course of the semester, students enrolled in history courses will demonstrate significant improvement in their understanding of the historical content covered in their respective courses.
Indicator
Pre/Post Testing US History Core Curriculum
During the course of a semester, students enrolled in US history courses will demonstrate significant improvement in their understanding of American history by taking pre and post tests in that subject matter. The test instrument is not nationally normed, but was locally constructed with the aim of monitoring change over time in basic knowledge of the major themes covered in the world history survey curriculum. The State of Texas Core Curriculum Component Area guidelines were consulted before the creation of this testing instrument.
Criterion
US History Student Learning
At least 20% of students enrolled in the US surveys will be given pre-post tests over content relevant to these courses. A statistical analysis of the results of this testing will demonstrate significant student improvement in knowledge of pertinent US history themes.
Finding
US History Student Learning-Fall
During Fall 2009, US history survey classes that included 607 HIS 163 students (representing 36% of the total number of students taking HIS 163) and 259 HIS 164 students (representing 45% of the total number of students taking HIS 164) took pre- and post tests on an instrument that was developed by the US history faculty. HIS 163 students averaged 50% correct on the pre-test and 73% correct on the post-test. HIS 164 students averaged 47% correct on the pre-test and 54% correct on the post-test.
Finding
US History Student Learning-Spring
During Spring 2010, US history survey classes that included 143 HIS 163 students (representing 23.3% of the total number of students taking HIS 163) and 426 HIS 164 students (representing 31% of the total number of students taking HIS 164) took pre- and post tests on an instrument that was developed by the US history faculty. HIS 163 students averaged 50% correct on the pre-test and 68% correct on the post-test. HIS 164 students averaged 43.2% correct on the pre-test and 53.5% correct on the post-test.
Indicator
World History Student Learning
During the course of a semester, students enrolled in world history courses will demonstrate significant improvement in their understanding of world history.
Criterion
World History Student Learning
At least 20% of students enrolled in world history surveys will be given pre-post tests over content relevant to these courses. A statistical analysis of the results of this testing will demonstrate significant student improvement in knowledge of pertinent world history themes. The test instrument is not nationally normed, but was locally constructed with the aim of monitoring change over time in basic knowledge of the major themes covered in the world history survey curriculum. The State of Texas Core Curriculum Component Area guidelines were consulted before the creation of this testing instrument.
Finding
World History Student Learning-Fall
During Fall 2009, world history survey classes that included 155 HIS 265 students (representing 59% of the total number of students taking HIS 265) and 67 HIS 266 students (representing 32% of the total number of students taking HIS 266) took pre- and post tests on an instrument that was developed by the world history faculty. HIS 265 students averaged 55% correct on the pre-test and 62% correct on the protest. Similarly, HIS 266 students averaged 48% correct on the pre-test and 54% correct on the post-test.
Finding
World History Student Learning-Spring
During Spring 2010, world history survey classes that included 45 HIS 265 students (representing 26% of the total number of students taking HIS 265) and 72 HIS 266 students (representing 42% of the total number of students taking HIS 266)took pre and post tests on an instrument that was developed by the world history faculty. HIS 265 students averaged 51% correct on the pre-test and 58% correct on the protest, while HIS 266 students averaged 48% correct on the pre-test and 50% correct on the post-test. Variations in pre and post test scores across classes and semesters suggest a modest degree of instrument reliability.
Action
Student Learning Outcomes
Testing results for both American and World core curriculum classes indicated student weakness in the modern era for both fields. The department will respond in the following ways. The department proposes to continue using these testing instruments to monitor learning outcomes. We believe we can get more uniformly representative results by more thoroughly rotating instructors and sections administering the instrument. Additionally, the department will consider using performance on the instrument as part of students' graded course work to encourage focused participation in the measurement. Faculty teaching the modern sections of these survey courses will receive alerts as to previous performance results and will confer on ways to increase student performance with this material.
Objective
Skill Development
History majors will improve their research, writing, computer literacy and critical thinking skills.
Indicator
Student Scholarship
Students through Phi Alpha Theta and other venues will present research findings in quality, peer-reviewed non-classroom settings.
Criterion
Student Scholarship
At least once every year, an undergraduate student will make a scholarly presentation in a peer-reviewed non-classroom venue.
Finding
Student Scholarship
During the year 2009-2010, one student presented a formal paper at the January meeting of the AHA in San Diego.
Action
Student Scholarship
To encourage an increase in student research activiity, during 2010-2011 the department will amend this criterion to two undergraduate presentations in peer-reviewed, non-classroom settings per academic year.
Goal
Advanced Education
Obtaining an advanced degree is a key component to some careers in History, especially those with emphasis on research.
Objective
Promoting Advanced Degree Work
History majors will demonstrate competency in knowledge and skills in historiography with the ability to seek advanced degrees in history and related fields.
Indicator
Admission Into Graduate School
History students admitted to higher education programs will indicate competency in students.
Criterion
Admission Into Graduate School
At least one history undergraduate student will be admitted into a graduate or professional school each year.
Finding
Admissions Into Graduate School
In 2009-10, three graduates of the History Department went on to history doctoral studies, political science masters studies, and law school (one to each program). Additionally, two previously matriculated students successfully completed history doctoral studies at their degree granting institutions.
While the Department was successful in meeting its basic goals for this Objective, in reviewing student application performance one weakness did be come apparent. In the increasingly competitive market of advanced history education and academic employment, gatekeeping devices like the LSAT and the GRE play a critical role. Application success rates could be increased if students in the History Department did better on such exams.
Action
Admissions Into Graduate School
The History Department will seek ways to identify early and counsel students with graduate school aspirations as to the importance of rigorous preparation for standardized entrance exams like the LSAT and the GRE. Early identification of such students would likely result in better preparation, providing stronger applicants both for advanced degrees at other institutions and for recruitment to the SHSU History MA program.