Outcome Evaluation for English as a Second Language

Specific country of origin, first language,and basic educational data about the populations we serve in the ESL Center enable us to predict and/or diagnose potential difficulties students face. For example, women from Afghanistan have not had access to education in their country for many years, so they have only a faint idea of how to be a student. This has led to the development of modules to address some basic study skills and strategies practice for this group. Because Research has been impacted by so many requests and updates from our area and many others across campus, we have had to rely on in-house data collection and must track the information using our limited ESL Center staff time.

Ongoing in-house and Research Office based data collection and review informs the development of curriculum and materials to best serve the changing population of limited English speakers on our campus. In-house data collection during this last cycle will be followed up with a formal data request performed in 2015. The new request will reflect the changes in the updated curriculum for ESL Center courses, including the newest level ESL 94 courses.

Monitoring demographic data and academic/CTE interests of our students allows us to better serve our students by adjusting course offerings, hiring ESL Center tutors with relevant language skills, and creating new modules for the ESL Center.

Recently compiled reports which detail which CTE courses ESL Center students have taken and their success rates will be compared with similar data from our intake procedure in the Center. What students report they will do can now be compared to what they actually have done, providing us with more accurate data and a guide us to more effective choices as we continue to gather and develop modules and materials.

Staying abreast of demographic changes and noting the increase in Arabic speakers being served in the ESL Center, staff with Arabic language skills were hired.

Monitoring demographic data and academic/CTE interests of our students allows us to better serve our students by adjusting course offerings, hiring ESL Center tutors with relevant language skills, and creating new modules for the ESL Center.