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The mission of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is to provide comprehensive higher education and workforce training programs and services of superior quality that are financially and geographically accessible and that meet individual, business, and community needs of the Commonwealth. The State Board for Community Colleges is the governing body of the Virginia Community College System. The fifteen members are appointed by the Governor for four-year terms with the ability to be reappointed for an additional four-year term.

Teaching and Learning are at the heart of Virginia’s community colleges. Achieving world-class standards in teaching and learning means appropriate attention must be given to goals that concern both faculty and students. The VCCS sets high standards for other outcomes of the teaching-learning process, assuring that students, for example, are tested for mastery of core competencies and workforce skills prior to graduation. According to Dateline 2009, the VCCS plans to place in the top 10 percent in the nation with respect to student retention rates and graduation/persistence rates.

VCCS Core Competency Areas

• Quantiative Reasoning
• Scientific Reasoning
• Writing Communication
• Oral Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Information Literacy

Information for 2008-09

• VCCS Reporting Template for Quantitative Reasoning Assessment Plan (Monty Sullivan, Spring 2008)
• Frequently Asked Questions from Students (TCC Office of Institutional Effectiveness)

Reports, Papers, Guidelines

• Timeline for Core Competency Testing (2008-09 through 2013-14) (Susan Wood, July 21, 2008)
• TCC General Education Competencies (TCC February 12, 2007)
• VCCS Task Force on Assessing Core Competencies (Final Report, July 18, 2002)
• VCCS Task Force on Assessing Core Competencies (Executive Summary, July 2, 2002)
• VCCS Framework for Assessing Student Learning and Value-Added (Craig Herndon and Monty Sullivan, July 2008)
• SCHEV Implementation Plan
• SCHEV Task Force Guidelines
• SCHEV Agenda Book for October 2007 (see pdf pages 48-85)
• An Assessment Framework for the Community College (White Paper, August 2004)
• Questioning College-Wide Assessment (Inside Higher Ed)
• The Development and Validation of the Information Literacy Test (College & Research Libraries, May 2007)

Data Maps and Test Blueprints

• Critical Thinking - Data Map
• Information Literacy - Test Blueprint
• Oral Communication - Data map
• Oral Communication - Test Blueprint
• Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning - Data Map
• Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning - Test Blueprint

Testing Instructions and Manuals

• General Introduction for Testing
• Instructions for Accessing JMU-Designed Tests
• Critical Thinking - California Critical Thinking Skills Test
• Information Literacy - Testing Instructions
• Information Literacy - Testing Manual
• Oral Communication

VCCS Policy Manual with references for Academic Services and Research operations