Introduction to the WI Assessment Data
Writing Intensive Course Assessment Data: Fall 2018 to the Present.
Multi-year Assessment Data.
In the fall of 2022, the Writing Intensive (WI) Program committee conducted an overview of the student progress made from fall 2018 until spring 2024 as a first step in reassessing the role of the WI committee in the curricular and instructional process of the Writing Intensive Program.
The WI committee views its mission as one that supports faculty as they teach undergraduate students how to transition from novice writers to professional writers within their major area. The committee provides support to faculty and provides approval to curriculum items going through the approval process and to continue to recommend WI curriculum designations as appropriate to transfer credit for WI courses coming from different universities.
This document overviews assessment of WI courses conducted from fall 2018-spring 2024, but additional assessment will continue to be housed on this page as a way to share the results with all interested stakeholders within Tarleton State.
The Historical Context of WI Assessment Data from Fall 2018-Spring 2024.
All data summary assessments from fall 2018 are housed in their entirety in the Repository in WEAVE for WI assessment.
This committee faced a change of leadership in fall 2018 with the retirement of its original and excellent director, Ms. Benni Konvicka. Thanks to the experience and leadership of long-serving committee members, and with the help of Dr. Justin Carrell, assessment of WI courses continued as usual through the fall 2018-spring 2019 assessment cycle. Thanks to encouragement from Dr. Carrell, the committee moved from assessing writing artifacts by hand to assessing them in Portfolium in the fall 2019-spring 2020 assessment cycle, which allowed the committee to continue with assessment during the height of the Covid pandemic, from spring 2020-fall 2021.
Results of the WI Assessment Data from Fall 2018-Spring 2024.
- The WI scores across its assessment benchmarks, and across campuses, held relatively steady. There have been years when certain areas of assessment have risen close to 100% or have fallen close to 90%. Even with the downturn in writing scores from fall 2021-spring 2022, there have been promising upturns in assessment scores in the last two-year assessment cycle.
- With the increased offering of online courses, it is becoming more difficult in some assessment cycles to assess courses on their designated campuses. Because SACSSOC accreditation relies on assessment based on campus, this is an issue that will need to be addressed in the future.
- The increased presence of generative AI in student writing may make assessment of writing more challenging in the future for the WI committee. It’s not evident how potential use of Chat GPT or other AI programs could be ascertained in the assessment process by the committee members evaluating writing artifacts.
Fall 2018 WI Assessment Results
The following courses in Stephenville, Waco, Fort Worth, and online, contributed papers from the following scheduled courses:
ANSC 4300
BUSI 3312
BUSI 4359
ENGL 3309
BIOL 4398
Of the writing samples assessed by the WI criteria, using a 4 point scale, the following data was determined:
0% attained the highest benchmark of a 4 benchmark (Advanced)
39% attained the second-highest benchmark a 3.99-3.00 benchmark (Proficient)
57% attained the third-highest benchmark of a 2.99-2.00 benchmark (Acceptably Proficient)
3% attained the fourth highest-benchmark of a 1.99-1.00 benchmark (Below Proficient)
0% attained the lowest benchmark of .99-0.0 (Unsatisfactory)
Spring 2019 WI Assessment Results
The following courses in Stephenville, Waco, Fort Worth, and online, contributed papers from the following scheduled courses, which were assessed as follows:
READ 3384
BUSI 3312
BUSI 4359
ENGL 3309
AGSD 3307
Purpose 23.4%
| Advanced | 4 Points | 49.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 24.1% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 3.4% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 0% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization 18.1%
| Advanced | 4 Points | 51.6% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 28.4% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 1.9% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 0% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Writing Standards 12.5%
| Advanced | 4 Points | 44.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 38.5% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 0% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Rhetorical Awareness 17.5%
| Advanced | 4 Points | 45.9% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 32.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 4.4% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 0% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
2018-2019 WI Summary Comments
The difference in the depth of data reported in the fall and spring semesters is due to the use of Portfolium in the spring semester. It allowed for the kind of granular data the WI committee needs to better assess writing in the WI courses.
Anecdotal responses from WI committee members participating in the assessment session indicated that using Portfolium was definitely preferable to using paper and pen assessment, so Portfolium will be used as the assessment platform for the future. The rise in the percentage of students meeting the Advanced benchmark is a hopeful one; we will continue to monitor that criteria in 2019-2020 to see if it holds steady or increases.
The success of the high scores in the Proficient to the Acceptably Proficient range is one we will also continue to monitor, as well as the Below Proficient/Unsatisfactory benchmarks that crept up a bit in the spring,but are still no higher than 5%.
English 1301 and English 1302 were also assessed. English 1301 was assessed in the fall semester, while English 1302 was assessed in the spring semester. Although they, too, are WI courses, their results were reported in the English 1301 and English 1302 reporting areas because they are also core courses.
Fall 2019 WI Assessment Results
354 papers assessed
Courses Assessed:
BUSI 3312
BUSI 4359
ENGL 3309
AGEC 3333
HIST 3340
COMMS 4312
READ 3384
READ 4309
CRIJ 3313
Overall Assessment of All Campuses
| Purpose | 99% |
| Organization | 97% |
| Writing Standards | 95% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 97% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 24.6% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 50% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 24.6% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 0.8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 21.5% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 48% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 27.7% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 2.8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 12.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 47.7% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 34.2% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 15.8% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 32.5% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 48.3% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Spring 2020 WI Assessment Results
400 papers assessed
Courses Assessed:
BUSI 3312
BUSI 4359
ENGL 3309
AGSD 3302
ENGT 3318.010/011
PSYC 4350
Overall Assessment of All Campuses
| Purpose | 96% |
| Organization | 97% |
| Writing Standards | 95% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 96% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 32% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 21.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.2% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 22.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 45.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 29.2% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 2.8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.6% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 6.2% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 53.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 35.4% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.5% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.6% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 13.6% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 47.6% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 34.3% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.2% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.3% |
2019-2020 WI Summary Comments
Fall 2019 WI assessment took place in December at the Stephenville campus and spring 2020 WI assessment took place via Zoom in May of 2020. In the fall, members of the WI committee evaluated WI artifacts gathered from the fall rotation list and 3 members of the Dept. of English and Languages who teach English 1301 evaluated English 1301 papers.
Spring 2020 assessment took place via Zoom, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Classes were held face-to-face on all Tarleton State campuses up until spring break. After spring break, faculty returned to campus to continue to work on putting their classes online, and classes resumed fully online the following week until the end of the semester. Members of the WI committee evaluated WI artifacts gathered from the spring rotation list and 4 members of the Dept. of English and Languages who teach English 1302 evaluated English 1302 papers, while one member of the graduate faculty assisted with the evaluation of graduate-level papers (using non-WI evaluation criteria) for the MA in English program’s pilot assessment of graduate-level papers.
Despite the turmoil toward the end of the semester, the spring 2020 assessment was on a par with the fall 2019 assessment.
Fall 2020 WI Assessment Results
360 papers assessed
Courses Assessed
BUSI 3312
BUSI 4359
MGMT 4307
ENGT 3395
ENGL 3309
AGEC 3333
Overall Assessment of All Campuses
| Purpose | 96% |
| Organization | 96% |
| Writing Standards | 96% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 97% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 24.3% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 48% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 23.4% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 16.2% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 50.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 29.9% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.0% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 8.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 52.6% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 35.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.0% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 12.8% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 43.6% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 40.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.1% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.0% |
Spring 2021 WI Assessment Results
361 papers
Courses Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
BUSI 4359
READ 4384
READ 4309
ACOM 3321
Overall Assessment of All Campuses
| Purpose | 96% |
| Organization | 96% |
| Writing Standards | 95% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 94% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 24.3% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 48% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 23.4% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.4% |
| Unsatisfactory [Some faculty reported something other than a writing assignment uploaded into the evaluation queue, i.e., a writing center evaluation sheet, or a peer review form. Not all assessments were completed.] | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 23.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 39.8% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 32.7% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 2.9% |
| Unsatisfactory (See above) | 0 Points | 1.5% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 7.3% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 52.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 35.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.5% |
| Unsatisfactory (See above) | 0 Points | 1.8% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 16.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.7% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 35.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.1% |
| Unsatisfactory (See above) | 0 Points | 1.5% |
2020-2021 WI Summary Comments
The Writing Intensive Committee deserves kudos for their consistency in assessing student writing across all campuses during the Covid pandemic. They began this process in spring 2020, when our assessment was done completely online. They continued forward during the 2020-2021 academic year, and at the time of this writing, it appears they will continue to do so in the fall of 2021.
Overall, the statistics among all campuses across the semester remained relatively unchanged during the academic year. The campuses with the most noticeable change from semester to semester were the global campus and the Fort Worth campus. Overall, the statistics were fairly stable, but in drilling down into the data, one can see lessening of the Advanced and Proficient scores on those campuses.
What these statistics can’t measure, however, is the impact of HyFlex learning on faculty and students throughout the year, the impact of Covid-19 on faculty and students, as well as the week of freezing weather in February 2021 which impacted faculty and students alike. In many parts of North Central Texas, both groups experienced sustained power outages, burst pipes, inaccessible or unreliable internet access, for several days before the resumption of something approaching normal life. Finally, faculty assessors reported unusual submissions appearing in their inboxes, which may have had an impact in raising the Below Proficient and Unsatisfactory ratings.
Therefore, it is my recommendation that faculty and administration take these numbers under advisement, knowing that writing and assessment were undertaken during a highly unusual semester.
Fall 2021 WI Assessment Results
360 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
HIST 3340
AGEC 3333
ACOM 3314
READ 3351
CRIJ 3313
READ 4384
HIST 3340
HIST 4331
LEGL 4390
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 93% |
| Organization | 92% |
| Writing Standards | 95% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 92% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 18.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 44.8% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 29.6% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 6.3% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 1.1% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 11.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 38.9% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 41.9% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 7.0% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 1.1% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 4.8% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 49.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 41.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.1% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.7% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 11.1% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 39.6% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 41.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 7.0% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.7% |
Spring 2022 WI Assessment Results
306 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
BUSI 4359
READ 4384
READ 4309
ACOM 3321
Overall WI Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 97% |
| Organization | 93% |
| Writing Standards | 95% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 92% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 14.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 46% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 34% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.3% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 10% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 43.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 40% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 6.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 6% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 45.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 41% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 7.3% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.3% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 11% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 36.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 44.7% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
2021-2022 WI Summary Comments
As Tarleton State continued its second year of the pandemic, it’s clear that it still has an impact on students. The fall 2021 semester began with face-to-face classes, but with continued efforts at contact tracing as students became sick. Students and faculty facing issues relating to Covid more than likely contributed to this semester’s data, according to the anecdotal responses I received from faculty during this assessment period.
Looking at the overall campus rates of success, the fall indicated a decline in all areas of writing. The largest drop was in Rhetorical Awareness, which fell 5% from 97% in fall 2020 to 92% in fall 2021. Writing Standards experienced the slightest fall, from 96% in fall 2020 to 95% in fall 2021. The Purpose benchmark experienced a 3% decline, from 96% in fall 2020 to 93% in fall 2021, and the Organization benchmark experienced a 4% decline, from 96% in fall 2020 to 92% in fall 2021.
There has been an increase in the percentages of papers evaluated as being either Below Proficient or Unsatisfactory; there is also a decline in the percentages of papers evaluated as either Advanced or Proficient. Only the Acceptably Proficient category experienced an uptick in its numbers, but that can be viewed as the decline in the Advanced or Proficient percentages for the semester.
The spring 2022 semester showed marked improvement in the Writing Intensive assessment scores in some areas, most notably in the improvement in the Unsatisfactory scores.
As Tarleton State ended its second year of the pandemic, its impact on students and faculty was still evident. The semester began with face-to-face classes, but with lessened efforts at contact tracing as students and faculty became sick. Students and faculty facing issues relating to Covid continued to contribute to this semester’s data, but it was heartening to see progress in several areas.
Looking at the overall campus rates of success, the spring semester indicated modest improvements in all areas of writing. Rhetorical Awareness fell to 92% in fall 2021, and remained at 92% this spring. Writing Standards, which measured at 95% in fall 2021, also remained at 95% during the spring. The Purpose rating was 95%, which put it within 1% of the fall 2020 96% benchmark, and 2% higher than the fall 2021 measurement. The Organization benchmark remained at 92%, which was its fall 2021 measurement, but which was lower than the 96% rating it received in fall 2020.
The percentage of papers across the campuses rated as Below Proficient continues to remain under 10%, but well above 5%. However, this semester marked a return of most of the Unsatisfactory scores returning to 0%. It was also heartening to see that the decline in the Advanced or Proficient scores did not continue; in fact, there was an increase in those scores overall.
Fall 2022 WI Assessment Results
358 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
ACCT 4323
MGMT 4307
ANSC 4300
AGSD 3302
BCIS 3389
ACCT 4323
ENVE 4310
COSC 4478
PHYS 3333
CHEM 3423
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 96% |
| Organization | 97% |
| Writing Standards | 98% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 96% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 22.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 46.7% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 26.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 16.8% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 46.1% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 33.6% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 5.9% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 50.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 42.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 1.9% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 9.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 44.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 42.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.3% |
Spring 2023 WI Assessment Results
273 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
BUSI 4359
SOCW 3306
SOCW 3314
NURS 3320
MDLS 4148
CSDO 4398
NURS 4325
KINE 3330
KINE 3345
KINE 3360
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 94% |
| Organization | 96% |
| Writing Standards | 96% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 95% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 14.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 46% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 34% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.3% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 10% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 43.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 40% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 6.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 6% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 45.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 42% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 17.3% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.3% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 11% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 36.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 44.7% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0% |
2022-2023 WI Summary Comments
The fall 2022 data had an error in its collection: for the first time ever, data that was taken was from a specific campus was not accessible after the reports had been generated. It wasn’t possible to discover how the lack of access to data took place, but the assessment team has committed to making sure it doesn’t happen for spring 2023 data generation.
Tarleton State is moving what many faculty see as a Year One of post-pandemic life. Fall 2022 began with began with face-to-face classes, and with continued efforts to reach out to students who weren’t coming to class. For the first time since spring 2023, faculty expressed far fewer concerns about assessment data being impacted by student illness.
The overall campus rates of success, except for the Fort Worth campus, demonstrates that writing skills at each campus, and in almost all areas, showed encouraging signs of improvement. For example, Rhetorical Awareness, which was rated at 97% in fall 2020, and then reached 92% in fall 2021, rose to 98% this fall. Writing Standards remained quite stable, gaining from its 95% low rating in fall 2021 to its fall 2020 standard of 96%. The Purpose benchmark rose from a low of 93% in the fall of 2021, to the fall 2020 benchmark of 96%. Finally, the Organization benchmark also climbed back from a low of 92% in fall 2021, to surpass its fall 2020 measure of 96%, to measure at 97% in fall 2022.
There has been an encouraging decrease in the percentages of papers evaluated as being either Below Proficient or Unsatisfactory in each of these benchmarks. We will keep an eye on this trend, particularly because we didn’t have data from all campuses. There has also been an encouraging increase in the percentages of papers evaluated as either Advanced or Proficient, which we will also monitor for our spring 2023 assessment cycle.
The first concern for assessment during the spring 2023 semester was that data from all campuses be collected. This was addressed successfully, and we will continue to monitor for that in the fall 2023 assessment cycle.
The spring 2023 semester showed marked improvement in the Writing Intensive assessment scores in some areas, most notably in the improvement in the Below Proficient scores.
As Tarleton State ended its second post-pandemic year, these scores showed some fluctuation compared to fall 2022 scores. This semester was notable for a high amount of student absences in face-to-face and online classes, and which may have played a role in the slight fluctuation of the scores for this semester. Compared to data generated last semester, there was a 1-2% fluctuation in the overall percentages of artifacts assessed.
As was true in spring 2022, the overall campus rates of success indicated modest improvements in all areas of writing. Rhetorical Awareness fell to 92% in spring 2022 and rose to 95% this spring. Writing Standards, measured at 95% in spring 2022, rose to 96% during the spring. The Purpose rating was 97%, but for this spring, it fell to 94%. The Organization benchmark was 96%, which was 3% higher than its spring 2022 measurement. The percentage papers across the campuses rated as Below Proficient showed improvement across campuses. Only the Stephenville campus had a percentage above 0%. This could be attributed to the higher number of face-to-face students on the Stephenville campus, or the fact that the Stephenville campus has more sections assessed than any other campus. We will continue to monitor these percentages for the spring 2024 semester.
Fall 2023 WI Assessment Results
226 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
FINA 3301
HIST 3315
HIST 4390
EDUC 3320
READ 3351
READ 4384
CMST 3328
CRIJ 4316
GSTU 3398
CHFS 4356
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 93% |
| Organization | 94% |
| Writing Standards | 96% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 93% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 21.2% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 47.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 23.9% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 1.8% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 15% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 51.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 27.9% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 1.8% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 9.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 50% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 35.8% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.1% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 1.3% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 15.5% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.5% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 34.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.8% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 1.8% |
Spring 2024 WI Assessment Results
373 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
READ 4384
EDUC 3320
BUSI 4359
ACOM 3314
AGSD 3302
BIOL 4398
ENGT 3318
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 97% |
| Organization | 97% |
| Writing Standards | 96% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 94% |
LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 30% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 43.4% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 23.3% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 2.7% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.5% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 29.5% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.9% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 24.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 2.9% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.5% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 12.9% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 57.1% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 26% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.2% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.8% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 14.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 51.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 28.2% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.5% |
2023-2024 WI Summary Comments
The error in the fall 2023, which was that data that taken from a specific campus was not accessible after the reports had been generated, was not repeated for spring 2024 data gathering.
Tarleton State is continuing its journey into post-pandemic life. For the fall 2023-spring 2024 data cycle, faculty continued to raise concerns about students not attending class due to illness. They also expressed continued concern about what they saw as students being ill-prepared to engage in more advanced forms of writing. This was also compounded by faculty concern that it is frequently difficult to tell if students are using forms of AI text generators to write their assignments.
The overall campus rates of success continue to show signs of adjustment. In the fall 2023-spring 2024 assessment cycle, remains within the range discussed in last year’s report. The standard for Purpose was at 93%, higher than its lowest measurement in fall 2021, at 92%. The spring 2024 measurement was 97%, which was higher than its spring 2023 measurement of 94%.
The Organization benchmark was measured at 94% in fall 2023 and at 97% in spring 2024, which was higher than its lowest point of the fall 2021 benchmark of 92% and its spring 2022 benchmark of 93%.
Rhetorical Awareness fell from a high of 98% in fall 2023 to 93% in the fall of 2024. Its measurement fell one percent from 95% in spring 2023 to 94% in the spring of 2024.
Writing Standards remained stable, maintaining its 96% measurement in the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024, from its lowest measurement of 95% low rating in fall 2021.
In last year’s report, a commitment was made to continue to monitor the Below Proficient and Unsatisfactory scores. For Fall 2023, these scores measured under 10% in both areas, but the areas of Purpose and Rhetorical Awareness both measured 5.8% in the Below Proficient score, which were areas measuring higher than 5%. In Spring 2024, these scores measured under 10% in both areas, with only Rhetorical Awareness measuring a 5.4% score. This was a decrease from the fall 2023 score, but it still measured above 5%. The Purpose benchmark was measured at 2.7%, which was lower than the fall measurement.
Fall 2024 WI Assessment Results
356 papers
Classes Assessed
BUSI 3312
ENGL 3309
READ 4384
EDUC 3320
BUSI 4359
ACOM 3314
AGSD 3302
BIOL 4398
ENGT 3318
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 95% |
| Organization | 96% |
| Writing Standards | 94% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 91% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 26.6% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.4% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 25.9% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 4.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.6% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 29.5% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.9% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 24.1% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 2.9% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.5% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 12.9% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 57.1% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 26% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.2% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.8% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 14.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 51.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 28.2% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 5.4% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.5% |
Spring 2025 WI Assessment Results
247 papers
Classes Assessed
Overall Assessment Results for All Campuses
| Purpose | 96% |
| Organization | 93% |
| Writing Standards | 90% |
| Rhetorical Awareness | 90% |
Summary Assessment of All Campuses
Purpose
| Advanced | 4 Points | 33.2% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 41.3% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 21.5% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 3.6% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.4% |
Organization
| Advanced | 4 Points | 34.4% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 37.2% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 21.2% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 6.9% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.4% |
Writing Standards
| Advanced | 4 Points | 17% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 53% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 19.8% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 9.3% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.8% |
Rhetorical Awareness
| Advanced | 4 Points | 24.7% |
| Proficient | 3 Points | 42.1% |
| Acceptably Proficient | 2 Points | 22.7% |
| Below Proficient | 1 Point | 10.1% |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 Points | 0.4% |
2024-2025 WI Summary Comments
The Writing Intensive scores for assessment in fall 2024 looked like they were back on the rise again. Unlike the pandemic period, the overall writing scores saw increases in Advanced assessment and declines in the Unsatisfactory assessment. The Purpose percentage went up from fall 2023. The Advanced percentage rose from 21.2% in fall 2023 to 27.5% in fall 2024. The Unsatisfactory benchmark fell from 1.8% in fall 2023 to .6% for fall 2024. The Organization percentage for students whose writing was judged at the Advanced standard rose from 16.8 in fall 2023 to 27.5% for fall 2024. The Unsatisfactory standard percentage fell from 1.8% in fall 2023 to .9% for fall 2024. The Writing Standards Advanced percentage ticked up from 9.7% in fall 2023 to 14.2% in fall 2024. The Unsatisfactory standard percentage also fell from 1.3% for fall 2023 to .6% in fall 2024. The Rhetorical Awareness Advanced percentage in fall 2024 was 21.2%, which was an increase over the fall 2023 percentage of 15.5%. The Unsatisfactory standard was at 1.8% in fall 2023, and in fall 2024 it fell to 1.3%.
The spring 2025 overall assessment data indicated that scores were relatively flat between fall 2024 and spring 2025 scores. The scores for Purpose and Organization scores (scores that remained the same or fluctuated by 1%), and the scores for Writing Standards and Rhetorical Awareness also remained within 1% of the fall 2024 scores, except for the Rhetorical Awareness scores, which fell by 4%.
Looking back to spring 2024 data indicated a larger gap in assessment results. There was a drop of 4% in the score for overall Organization in the writing artifacts in 2025; there was also a drop of 4% in the score for the overall Rhetorical Awareness score. For Writing Standards, there was a drop of 6% from spring 2024 to spring 2025. There were more encouraging trends in the data for spring 2025, though, when compared to fall 2024. Regarding the scores for Purpose, the Advanced score was 27.5, but for spring, it was 33.2%, an increase of nearly 6%. The Unsatisfactory score for fall 2024 was .6, but for spring 2025 it was .4%. For the Organization score, the Advanced score was 27.5%, but in spring 2025, it was 34.4%, an increase of almost 7%. The Unsatisfactory score was .9% in fall 2024, but only .4% in spring 2025. The Writing Standard’s Advanced score was 14.2% for fall 2024, but it was 17% in spring 2025; the fall Unsatisfactory score was .6% and the spring 2025 score remained close to that, with a slight rise to 0.8%. For Rhetorical Awareness, the spring 2025 Advanced score of 24.7%, which was nearly 4% than the fall 2024 score of 21.2. The Unsatisfactory score for fall 2024 was 1.3%, while the spring 2025 score was .4%.