Assessment

The following links provide assessment information and data related to the ways in which K-State First's courses and programs positively affect and impact student participants:

Current Assessment Data: Fall 2024 Cohort

Executive Summary:

In our SLO assessment, every student is scored on detailed rubric for each of four core learning outcomes: application of learning, community building, communication skills, and critical thinking. The rubric uses a scale from 1 to 5. A score of 1 represents a failure to achieve the learning outcome, whereas a 2 indicates partial achievement. Students who are proficient or meeting expectations in terms of the specific learning outcome are scored with a 3. At the higher end, a 4 represents some distinction or an exceeding of expectations, whereas a 5 indicates clear mastery. The program goal is to have all students in the 3 to 5 range, and it’s clearly understood that a 5 denotes a stretch goal, one that allows the process to record student work or student learning that is exemplary.

Student Learning Outcome Assessment Report - Fall 2024

K-State First continues to demonstrate a positive impact on student persistence at Kansas State University. The program supports populations that, on average, enter with greater academic risk factors yet achieve equal or higher retention rates than the university overall. This pattern holds across academic colleges and key student subgroups, reinforcing K-State First’s role as a critical contributor to first-year student success and equity in outcomes.

Retention Report - Fall 2024

Historical Assessment Data: 2008-2023

Selected Research and Presentations

K-State First is dedicated to finding out what works best to help students to learn and to succeed in college. From its origins in a 2007 Task Force Report and the pilot studies of the first-year seminar concept in 2008 and 2009, K-State First has been committed not only to excellent teaching but also to research on and assessment of our courses and programs.

Research plays a vital role in assessing and evaluating the success of our programs, helping us to continually improve and build upon program initiatives. Faculty, staff, and campus administrators help us to measure student learning outcomes and other markers of student success such as retention, GPA, and degree completion rates. As an integrated, campus-wide effort, K-State First appreciates and depends on the hard work and dedication of our numerous students, faculty, staff, and K-State community members who help to make our programs a success.

View our KRex [K-State Research Exchange] Archive for more

Below are highlighted examples of the research and assessment produced by our K-State First efforts.

Weaver, B., Bennett, H., and Vaughan, M. (2023). Using Classroom Peer Mentors to Foster Re-Engagement. Presentation at The Conference on the First Year Experience, Los Angeles, California.
Vaughan, Mariya (2022). “Pulling Back the Curtain: The Everyday Magic that Makes a CAT Community Work.” Poster Presentation at the Teaching and Learning Center’s 1st Annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Showcase, Manhattan, KS.
Coleman, Tara; Vaughan, Mariya; Weaver, Brent (2021). “Building Empathy Through Role-Play.” Presented for the Teaching and Learning Center Professional Development Series, Manhattan, KS.
Coleman, Tara; Vaughan, Mariya (2021). “I Have Many Skills: Becoming the Xena of Teaching Modalities.” Presented at the 40th Annual First-Year Experience Conference, Virtual.
Coleman, Tara; Vaughan, Mariya; Youngblood, RJ (2021). “Attack of the Trolls: Fortify Your Event Against Online Invations.” Presented at the 40th Annual First-Year Experience Conference, Virtual.
Gregory Eiselein, Donald A. Saucier, and Carmen E. Macharaschwili “Designing, Implementing, and Sustaining Faculty Development: A Model for Large and Diverse FYE Programs.” Journal of Faculty Development 33.2 (May 2019): 43-48.
Vaughan, Mariya (2019). “Becoming Dumbledore’s Army: Academic & Social Engagement in Living-Learning Communities.” Presented at the 40th annual Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA) Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
Vaughan, Mariya (2019). “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! Braving Vulnerability and Building Community.” Presented at the 1st Annual KSUnity Conference, Manhattan, KS.
Weaver, B., Sleigh, M., Sawyer, M. and Mota, B. (2019). Embedding Returning Staff into Your Peer Mentor Program. Presentation at The Conference on the First Year Experience, Las Vegas, NV.
Weaver, B., Coleman, T., Weinberg, H., Jackson, B., and Thornburg, R. (2019). Situation Critical: Responding to Difficult Situations Throughout Role Play. Presented at The Conference on the First Year Experience, Las Vegas, NV.

View additional research and presentations

Coleman, Tara; Vaughan, Mariya (2018). “Common Book Selection: Game of Thrones Edition.” Presented at the 37th Annual First-Year Experience Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Vaughan, Mariya (2017). “Hashtags and Handles: Building FYE Program Identity Through Social Media.” Presented at the 36th Annual First-Year Experience Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Coleman, Tara; Eiselein, Gregory; Vaughan, Mariya (2017). “Archiving for the Future: Creating First-Year Experience Programs Digital Archives.” Presented at the 36th Annual First-Year Experience Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Weaver, B. and Voos, S. (2017). Bridging the Gap with Academic Partners: K-State First and the Academic Achievement Center. Presented at the Kansas Student Affairs Conference, Wichita, KS.
Weaver, B. (2017). Reimagining Peer Education Training: Engaging Approaches to Develop Purpose and Committed Peer Educators. Presented at the National Mentoring Symposium, Indianapolis, IN.
Kerry Priest, Donald A. Saucier, and Gregory Eiselein.“Exploring Students’ Experiences in First-Year Learning Communities from a Situated Learning Perspective.” International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 28.3 (2016): 361-371.
Angelique Courbou, Laura Kanost, Matthew Yates, “Preparing Students for an International Sojourn: Classroom-Based Models,” Kansas International Educators Conference, Overland Park, Kansas. [Conference Presentation, April 2016]
Tara Coleman, Donald Saucier, & Stuart Miller. "Trickle Down Engagement in First-Year Common Reading Programs." 35th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience, Orlando, FL. [Poster Presentation, February 2016]
Donald Saucier, Stuart Miller, & Amanda Martens. "Undergraduate Research in the Context of First-Year Experience Courses." 35th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience, Orlando, FL. [Conference Presentation, February 2016]

Gregory Eiselein. "First Year/First Generation: Pedagogies that Work." CLASP/First Scholars Program. Washington State University. [Invited Talk, April 2015]
Gregory Eiselein. “Engagement, Challenge, and Student Success.” Enhancing Teaching and Learning Conference: Kansas City Professional Development Council. Kansas City. [Invited Talk, March 2015]

Amit Chakrabarti and Laura Donnelly. “Dare to Teach Outside the Lines.” Spotlight K-State. Kansas State University. [Presentation, March 2015]

Daniel Ireton. “Creating Communities Through Collaborative Play: The KSU Alternate Reality Game.” 34^th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience. Dallas, 8 February 2015.

Emily Lehning. “The Student Success Revolution.” Spotlight K-State. Kansas State University. [Presentation, March 2014]

Mike Finnegan. "Experiences of Peer Educators in a First-Year Seminar." 33rd Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience. [Conference Presentation, February 2014]

Donald Saucier, Megan Strain, Kerry Priest, and Gregory Eiselein. "Faculty Perspectives on Decisions to Teach in FYE Programs." 33rd Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience. [Conference Presentation, February 2014]

Tara Coleman and Gregory Eiselein. "Creating a Sustainable Common Reading Program." 33rd Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience. [Conference Presentation, February 2014]

Gregory Eiselein. "The History of FYE @K-State." Oregon State University [Invited Talk, February 2014]

Gregory Eiselein. “Student Success and the First-Year of College.” Spotlight K-State. Kansas State University. [Presentation, March 2013]

Kerry Priest, Emily Lehning, Donald Saucier, Jenna Brack, and Gregory Eiselein. "Student Identity and the First-Year Learning Community." 32nd Annual Conference on the First-Year Expereince. [Conference Presentation, February 2013]

Gregory Eiselein, Emily Lehning, and Steven J. Hawks, "Building a Comprehensive First-Year Program," 31st Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience [Conference Presentation, February 2012]

Gregory Eiselein, Don Saucier, and Sue Williams, "Using Multiple Measures for Assessment of Student Learning: K-State First and the Assessment of First-Year Programs," Fall 2011 Assessment Showcase: Featuring Best Practices in Assessment at Kansas State University [University Assessment Presentation, November 2011]

Gregory Eiselein, Steven J. Hawks, Emily Lehning, and Donald A. Saucier, "Connecting Students and Connecting Disciplines: K-State's CAT Communities," Eighth Annual K-State Teaching Retreat: Leading a Community of Learners, [Conference Presentation, January 2011]

Disha Rupayana, "Developing SAENS: Development and Validation of a Student Academic Engagement Scale (SAENS)." [Ph.D. Dissertation, 2010]

Margaret Higgins, "The First-Year Experience." [Master's Report, 2010]

Gregory Eiselein and Emily Lehning, "K-State First's 2008 and 2009 Pilot Studies and the Benefits of Learning Communities and First-Year Seminars." [Research Summary, May 2010]

Gregory Eiselein, "First-Year Seminars, Engaging Faculty, and Student Success." [Provost's Lecture Series Presentation, April 2009]

Opportunities to Get Involved

If you are interested in research related to student learning, assessment, or the first year of college or would like to discuss the possibility of a research partnership, please contact Brie Heidbreder at heidbr@k-state.edu. If you are interested in joining our research and assessment team, please contact the Chair of our Research and Assessment Committee, Don Saucier at saucier@k-state.edu.