Students majoring in English will acquire an appreciation of various critical approaches and methodologies in studying literature and literary theory.
Objective
Reading Literature Critically
Students will be able to use various approaches and methodologies presented in analyzing literary texts.
Indicator
Writing Assessment
Reading and writing are part and parcel of each other. Essays written to analyze and/or apply literary texts suggest the depth and quality of the students' reading, as well as their understanding of the assignment. Thus, we will collect writing samples of English majors from various 400-level (senior-level) classes and examine them to ascertain the effectiveness of reading that they evince. Our goal is to read 25 percent of the essays, chosen at random, written by English majors in 400-level literature courses. We anticipate an enrollment of some 105 students in any given long semester and so should expect to read 26 to 30 essays.
Criterion
Greater Than 5 On An Eight-Point Scale
The chosen essays will be assessed by a primary trait scoring done by Department of English faculty. The traits to be assessed will include plot summary v. analysis and effective use of secondary sources. A score greater than 5 will be deemed acceptable.
Finding
400-level Writing Competence
Essays collected from 400-level classes were too few in number to evaluate. The scores ranked from 3-7 out of 8, with the mean on 6/8.
Action
More Essays Needed
Next year, a more systematic collection system will be attempted.
Goal
Writing In The Profession
Students majoring in English will be able to employ a variety of writing styles so that they may succeed in professional situations and/or as teachers.
Objective
Writing About Literature
Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret texts by communicating their understanding of those texts in analytic essays.
Indicator
Competent Analytic Writing
Two experienced English professors agree that 70% of the students write at college level. College-level writing is defined as fluent, coherent, nearly error-free writing. For the purpose of evaluation, a rubric (see below) was developed.
Criterion
Quantified Success In Analytic Writing
70 percent of the sample of collected 200- and 400-level essays satisfies the requirements of mature academic writing as assessed holistically by two scoring professors. Students write fluent, coherent, and nearly error-free analytical essays which show sophistication in literary analysis that goes beyond mere superficial plot summaries. The essays have a point and 70 percent of them will be scored as acceptable BA-level writing.
Finding
Too Few Essays To Judge
Even though most of the essays collected certainly indicated that most English seniors are able to write adequate academic prose (the sum of two evaluators' scores was 5/8 or higher), we felt uneasy about the reliability of the results. The number of essays that we received was not large enough to guarantee statistical reliability.
Action
More Essays Needed
Next year, a more systematic collection system will be attempted.
Goal
Secondary English Education Certification
English majors and minors seeking certification as Secondary English teachers will receive a grounding in literature, in writing, and in the pedagogy of Secondary English.
Objective
Secondary English Certification Validation
Students seeking teacher certification will demonstrate knowledge and skills to teach English to secondary students.
Indicator
English Content Area Texas Exam Of Essential Skills (TExES) Preparation
Secondary English Education students will be prepared to pass the TExES English content area exam in their final semester or shortly after graduating. The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) developed standards for Texas educators that delineate what the beginning educator should know and be able to do. These standards, which are based on the state-required curriculum for students, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), form the basis for the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES). The TExES test is a criterion-referenced examination designed to measure the knowledge and skills required in English language and literature teaching. A score of 240 is the minimum level of competency required over all of the domains. A student may fail a domain but pass the test. The following are the areas tested: Domain I: Integrated Language Arts, Diverse Learners, and the Study of English Domain II: Literature, Reading Processes, and Skills for Reading Literary and Nonliterary Texts Domain III: Written Communication Domain IV: Oral Communication and Media Literacy
Criterion
TExES Scores
At least 75 percent of students taking the TExES English content area exam will obtain passing scores in each domain.
Finding
Majority But Not All Fulfilling The Goal
Of the four students who were administered the English Language TExES, all four passed. Still there were weaknesses in two of the domains: II. Literature, Reading Processes, and Skills for Reading Literary and Nonliterary Texts; and III. Written Communication.
Action
Continue The Work
Through years, the system has proven successful. Ways to improve will be investigated; however, the main focus is to maintain the current level of success. Additionally, we will work with teacher candidates to improve literature skills and written communication skills, especially those that relate to secondary schools.
Goal
English Language For Teachers
Knowledge and skills associated with English language structure.
Objective
English Language Structure
Students will demonstrate knowledge and skill associated with the structure of the English language. They will master the basics of English syntax and morphology: grammatical categories, constituent structure, different sentence types and sentence functions, and word-building strategies.
Indicator
Knowledge Of English Sentence Structure Test
In a test, given a sentence (simple, compound, or complex), students will be able to analyze it in terms of its parts: clauses, phrases, and form and function words.
Criterion
Pedagogical Grammar Skills
At least 70% of students will score 70% on the skills test.
Finding
Descriptive Grammar Skills Still Lacking For Some
Many English majors still struggle with descriptive grammar and the formal analysis of the English language. For all English students who will be English teachers, a course in English grammar has been obligatory. Many of them fail to pass that course or struggle with it. This correlates with a basic lack of analytic thinking skills. These skills take longer for some students to acquire.
Action
Implement A Requirement For Grammar/linguistics For English Majors
A 70-percent acquisition rate of all English subjects should be aimed at. In order to raise the analytic thinking skills, the faculty voted that all English majors must take either grammar or linguistics as part of their course work. All teacher certification students must take grammar. All English students must receive a C or higher in all their English courses that count toward their English degree. Even though grades are not to be referred to, this requirement is a significant departmental change having to do with our quest for excellence. This will be implemented starting in January 2012.