Changing Expectations for Assessment Linda Suskie Assessment & Accreditation Consultant AICUP Conference August 7, 2012

The Teaching-Learning-Assessment Cycle 1. Learning Goals 4. Using Results 2. Learning Opportunities 3. Assessment

Four Rules

1. Tie to Clear & Important Goals. What should graduates be able to do?

Levels of Learning Outcomes Institutional General Education Program Course

2. Useful…and Used.

Do You Use Assessment Results to Inform Important Decisions? Pervasive culture of evidence-informed planning & decision-making Funding priority to requests supported by assessment evidence Strategic goals & plans based on assessment evidence

Do You Use Assessment Results to Tell the Story of Your Success?

3. Reasonably Accurate, Truthful Information Good Enough to Use with Confidence to Inform Decisions

Principles of Good Practice Systematic, not anecdotal or scattershot Enough evidence Multiple approaches Justifiable standards A perpetual work in progress Direct evidence of student learning

Direct Evidence Explicit, clear, & convincing Tests (local or published) Rubrics (local or published) Certification or licensure exams Field experience supervisor evaluations

Indirect Evidence Optional, implicit and insufficient by itself –Job placement rates & salaries –Retention & graduation rates –Course grades & pass rates –Transfer rates –Surveys of students & alumni

4. Sustained and Pervasive Culture of Evidence-Informed Planning & Decision-Making

How Much Has Been Implemented? Any significant gaps or shortcomings? –Why? How sizable are they? –What is their impact? Do you recognize the gaps? –What are you doing about them?

Does everyone “get it”? Will momentum slow after this review? How do campus leaders support and facilitate assessment? Are you keeping things simple? Are time & money invested in proportion to value?

Documenting Compliance Compliance in substantial measure Sufficient documentation of compliance Not just –Assertions –“Examples” –Plans

Consistent documentation of compliance –Undergrad & graduate programs –Professional & liberal arts programs –On- & off-campus locations –Online & face-to-face programs –Student learning & other aspects of institutional effectiveness

Report Organization Summary & overall analysis Charts –Programs –Gen ed requirements –Institution-wide goals Links to appendices of evidence –Answers without links to evidence aren’t answers.

Organize by Goals Not by Assessment Remove data unrelated to goals. How you’re assessingGood practice? ResultsSuccess & rigor? What the results are telling youAnalysis? Use of results & analysisUse? Where you’re going with assessmentSustained?

Ideally... Make Visible What You’re Already Doing Information and reports you already share –Information, not just data Minutes/ streams documenting –Analysis: What the results are telling you –Decisions +An overview and overall analysis

Read the Directions!