ASK STANDARDS Assessment and Accountability CNS 610 Written & Narrated by: Kelcie Dixon Western Kentucky University

ASK Standards Assessment Skills and Knowledge Content Standards for Student Affairs Practitioners and Scholars

A ssessment S kills and K nowledge  What are ASK Standards? The assessment skills and knowledge content standards (ASK Standards) were created by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) for the assessment of student development in higher education. “The ASK standards seek to articulate the areas of content knowledge, skill and dispositions that student affairs professionals need in order to perform as practitioner-scholars to assess the degree to which students are mastering the learning and development outcomes we intend as professionals” (Assessment Skills and Knowledge Standards, 2006).

Content The thirteen content standards are focused on what Student Affairs professionals need to know in order to successfully complete assessments. Proficiency of these standards is expected in order to achieve meaningful and useful assessments.

Content  Assessment Design  Articulating Learning and Development Outcomes  Selection of Data Collection and Management Methods  Assessment Instruments  Surveys Used for Assessment Purposes  Interviews and Focus Groups used for Assessment Purposes  Assessment Methods: Analysis  Benchmarking  Program Review and Evaluation  Assessment Ethics  Effective Reporting and Use of Results  Politics of Assessment  Assessment Education

Assessment Design Content Standard 1: According to Ask Standards Student Affairs professionals should have the ability to create and implement a quantitative assessment which includes learning objectives and measurements of student success. The professional should also be able to compile a report of the quantitative data collected. Likewise, Student Affairs professionals must have the ability to identify assumptions, limitations, stakeholders, and budgets of assessments. (ASK, 2006) Measurement Analysis Design

Articulating Learning and Development Outcomes Content Standard 2: This standard presents that the Student Affairs professional should have the ability to articulate intentional student learning and development goals. Recognize and use cognitive and psychosocial development theories, and differentiate between populations used for assessments. (ASK, 2006)

Selection of Data Collection and Management Methods Content Standard 3: Student Affairs professionals should be able to identify between quantitative, qualitative, and mixed data sets. Likewise, they should have the ability to select methods of data collection and create an analysis according to the assessment. The ability to choose and implement appropriate methods is key when performing assessments. Techniques such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, and document reviews are among the most popular forms of data collection. (ASK, 2006) Data Collection Techniques Surveys Focus Groups Interviews Document Review

Assessment Instruments Content Standard 4: When performing assessments the professional must have the ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the instrument used to collect data. This includes understanding the reliability and the validity of instruments used according to the measurement target. (ASK, 2006)

Surveys Used for Assessment Purposes Content Standard 5: Once a data collection instrument is chosen for an assessment, a Student Affairs professional should have the ability to evaluate and focus on question wording. An effective format and wording to the instrument can make a big difference in the data collected. Furthermore, an appropriate distribution method should be chosen to cater to the sample of respondents. (ASK, 2006)

Interviews and Focus Groups Used for Assessment Purposes Content Standard 6: According to ASK standards a Student Affairs professional should have the ability to form, implement, and analyze data from a focus group or interview assessment method. Specifically, the professional should chose a diverse sample of individuals (sex, ethnicity, age, etc.) The professional should have the ability to develop questions geared towards the purpose of the assessment. The professional should possess active listening skills. The professional should be able to provide clarification and encourage the entire focus group to participate in the discussion of questions. Must have the ability to analyze qualitative data. (ASK, 2006) Focus Groups & Interviews SkillsQuestionsSample

Analysis Content Standard 7: As stated previously, a Student Affairs professional must have the ability to interpret data and use the appropriate statistical analysis software (SPSS, Qualtrics reports, etc.) Likewise, the professional must have the capability to report the data so technical and non- technical audiences can understand the assessment results. (ASK, 2006)

Benchmarking Content Standard 8: Benchmarking consists of the skill to use data for strategic planning processes. A Student Affairs professional should have the ability to evaluate benchmarking programs and determine advisability of institutional participation. A Student Affairs professional should be willing to create and use benchmark programs when they do not exist in their institutional area. (ASK, 2006)

Program Review and Evaluation Content Standard 9: Student Affairs professionals need to have the capability to implement a program evaluation/review. Also, they must understand and utilize the Council of Advancement Standards (CAS Standards) or other standards to regularly review and improve programs. (ASK, 2006)

Assessment Ethics Content Standard 10: When conducting assessments it’s important for a Student Affairs professional to understand:  Institutional Review Board (IRB) in order to protect all human subjects.  Determine when and where data and findings should remain anonymous.  Interpret and apply FERPA guidelines when needed during assessments. (ASK, 2006)

Effective Reporting and Use of Results Content Standard 11: A post-assessment to-do list includes:  Ability to develop appropriate written report of findings.  Ability to effectively describe methods, instruments, limitations, stakeholders, and intended audience.  Ability to implement results to appropriate departments and programs in order to improve initiatives. (ASK, 2006)

Politics of Assessment Content Standard 12: The Student Affairs professional should have the ability to exercise professional maturity, good judgment, and critical thinking skills when reporting the findings of an assessment. The professional should also take into consideration the political context for which the results should be reported. They should also be able to identify political risks that may apply to the assessment and possess the qualities to overcome them. (ASK, 2006)

Assessment Education Content Standard 13: Student Affairs professionals should have the ability to educate others about assessments. Specifically, the findings of assessments they have conducted. They should be able to work with others across the institution to implement changes which derived from the data collection of assessments. (ASK, 2006) InitiativeAssessmentEducation

A ssessment S kills and K nowledge “The ASK standards provide a framework for the assessment knowledge and skills in which Student Affairs professionals need to be proficient in order to foster learning” (Assessment Skills and Knowledge Standards, 2006).

Works Cited *Microsoft PowerPoint Online ClipArt Images N, A. (2006). ASK standards Assessment Skills and Knowledge Content Standards for Student Affairs Practitioners and Scholars [PDF document]. Retrieved from:

A ssessment S kills and K nowledge Thank you for reviewing the thirteen ASK standards. These standards are very important to higher education and Student Affairs professionals. For more information you can visit myacpa.org