Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Tavey Capps
Submission Date Feb. 25, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Duke University
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Tavey Capps
Environmental Sustainability Director
Office of the Executive Vice President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

The percentage of students assessed for sustainability literacy (directly or by representative sample) and for whom a follow-up assessment is conducted:
0.16

The percentage of students assessed for sustainability literacy (directly or by representative sample) without a follow-up assessment:
0.23

A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
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The questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s) :

Questions used in the Sustainability Literacy Test are not publicly available. Questions in the Sustainability Literacy Test pool may be viewed by registering for and taking the Sustainability Literacy Test. http://www.sustainabilitytest.org/


A brief description of how the assessment(s) were developed:

The Sustainability Literacy Test is a sustainability literacy assessment initiative being developed by an international team, under the advisory guidance of several educational organizations in the United Nations. Each student receives questions pulled from the total pool of questions, such that each student is asked about economics, social justice, and the environment, and each student receives international and region-specific questions. More information at http://www.sustainabilitytest.org/.


A brief description of how the assessment(s) were administered:

In the spring of 2014, 25 graduate students in one course took the SLT one time over a two-week period outside of class in order to pilot the Sustainability Literacy Test and provide feedback about the process of taking the test.

In the fall of 2014 (outside of the primary reporting period for this submission), about 10 more students took the SLT one time outside of a class structure. Also in the fall of 2014, 25 undergraduate students enrolled in ENVIRON 245: Sustainability Theory & Practice took the SLT at the beginning and end of the semester.


A brief summary of results from the assessment(s):

The purpose of administering the Sustainability Literacy Test in spring 2014 was primarily to collect student feedback on the process of taking the assessment. Feedback from these students and from faculty and staff who also took the assessment was provided to the SLT developers. Student scores were poorer on sections of the exam related to social sustainability than environmental sustainability.

In the fall of 2014, an additional 25 undergraduate students enrolled in a sustainability course took the SLT at the beginning and end of the semester, showing improvement in their scores in the post-test.


The website URL where information about the literacy assessment(s) is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Duke has begun piloting the Sustainability Literacy Test as an assessment tool and is now planning how to use the Sustainability Literacy Test to assess sustainability literacy systematically among a representative sample of undergraduates.


Duke has begun piloting the Sustainability Literacy Test as an assessment tool and is now planning how to use the Sustainability Literacy Test to assess sustainability literacy systematically among a representative sample of undergraduates.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.