For Faculty/Staff

Assessment Plans:
History and Development of Administrative Assessment Plans and Report

History

In 1999 a 2-year assessment plan and reporting cycle was developed to document our ongoing institutional effectiveness efforts.  These plans and reports included program mission and goals based on the University's mission and goals along with the Strategic Plan; intended outcomes consistent with the program's mission and goals; methods for assessing each intended outcome, a summary of data collected related to each intended outcome and the use of the results of these evaluations to improve educational programs, services and operations. 

WEAVE is an assessment cycle in which you:

·         Write expected outcomes/objectives.

·         Establish criteria for success.

·         Assess performance against criteria.

·         View assessment results.

·         Effect improvements through actions.

As a "learning organization" it is essential to develop a common and widely-distributed method of developing objectives, evaluating outcomes, and making improvements based on those outcomes.  WEAVE provides the mechanisms to accomplish this and to monitor:

·          Improvements in student learning, both inside and outside the classroom, that is, the outcomes established for our academic programs and educational / administrative support units,

·          Old Dominion University's institutional effectiveness,

·          Performance measurements as required by the new budget planning process,

·          the success of the 2005-2009 Strategic Plan,

·          compliance with the requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - Commission on Colleges (SACS/COC), and

·          departmental accomplishments through the production of annual reports.

Developing and Implementing Academic Assessment Plans  top

1.             Become a learning organization - Organize for assessment - Assessment of student learning for the purpose of continuous quality improvement (CQI) is a requirement for the university's SACS/COC accreditation and for many specialized accrediting bodies. Assessment is also required by SCHEV. Locally, assessment is required to evaluate progress on the 2005-09 Strategic Plan and support performance-based budgeting. Last, and most importantly, setting goals, collecting and analyzing data, and using the data to improve our programs are part of what we do as scholars in our disciplines. While one person in a program may take the lead in assessment for the program, all faculty in the program should participate in the assessment process.

2.             Define the mission and goals of the program - The mission of the department and its programs is the starting point for developing assessment plans. Presumably the program mission will dovetail with the mission of Academic Affairs and the University, as well as the goals of the 2005-09 Strategic Plan. Mission statements often take the following form: "the mission of the [program]) is to [primary purpose] by providing [primary functions and activities] to/for students." For example, "the mission of the higher education Master's and Education Specialist programs includes the training of high quality entry-level and mid-level administrators for post secondary institutions, the development of practicing professionals seeking administrative advancement, and service to local institutions of higher education.…..By providing courses that are both relevant and current, taught by full-time faculty and full-time practitioners, the curriculum is optimally balanced, appropriately blending the practical and theoretical aspects of this body of knowledge." Goals are broad and abstract statements that flow out of the mission.

3.             Define the program outcomes - Outcomes are more focused and concrete statements than goals that flow out of the mission and goals, as well as from specialized accrediting bodies. Outcomes in assessment should NOT be confused with the tasks that need to be completed in order to accomplish the goal. It is the outcomes that are assessed. Outcomes often take the following form: "to [action verb] [subject] by [action]." For example, "Students / graduates will be able to…..." Programs should select a minimum of 3-5 outcomes that represent areas which they would like to improve in the near future.  

4.             Define the intended student learning outcomes of the program - Improving student learning and teaching is the primary focus of assessment. Other outcomes that may help programs to become more efficient and effective or improve their operations may be added, but the primary focus is improving student learning.

5.             Inventory existing and needed assessment methods and measures and select the most valid - What kinds of assessments are you already doing, that is, what information are you already collecting? What types of assessment measures are you familiar with and comfortable using? What kinds of assessments are recommended by your professional organizations? Are there any benchmarking assessments sponsored by your professional organizations? Do you have a capstone course with a capstone project that can be used to assess a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities? Assessment measures can be both quantitative or qualitative, direct or indirect, and objective or subjective. They range from tests of knowledge to rubrics and prompts for scoring student work, as well as data base queries, surveys and focus groups. Choose a method(s) that will accurately measure your outcome. Finding one reliable and valid measure of an outcome is difficult, so multiple measures are recommended. Multiple methods will offer multiple perspectives on the same outcome. In addition, some measures, such as portfolios or capstone projects, can be used to assess more than one outcome.

6.             Identify assessment targets -Once you have chosen the measures, identify a target for achievement; e.g., "80% of the students will achieve a score of 80% on the rubric for the capstone project."

7.             Collect and analyze the data - In addition to collecting the data, programs need to plan how and where to store it, as well as identify who will be responsible for it.  Data needs to be collected systematically and in an unbiased manner, according to your assessment plan. It needs to be stored in a safe and secure place, especially if it contains UIN or other identifying information, and backed-up. Rather than writing extensive reports, compile the data into short meaningful reports (tables and bullet observations) that colleagues can use to make decisions about how to improve the program.

8.             Provide feedback to program colleagues - Share the results with your colleagues in the program and engage them in a discussion of the results and what they mean. When the data are understood by all, engage in a discussion about potential improvements. Communicate assessment results frequently to all concerned stakeholders.

9.             Identify improvements, create an action plan, and implement changes - This step is referred to as "closing the loop." After establishing several outcomes, collecting and analyzing data related to those outcomes, and discussing those results with colleagues in the program, identify areas in which the program excels (celebrate them) and areas which need improvement. Establish a process for implementing the improvements, including training for all faculty who will be involved in the implementation and communication with other programs that will be affected.

10.          Start the process over again (continuous quality improvement). Maintain the same outcomes and measures in order to assess the impact of the changes and/or create new outcomes for the next assessment cycle. Develop measures, collect data, and analyze results with an eye on improvement.