Developing Assessment Plans

1. Developing Assessment Plans Kathleen Lis Dean, Ph.D. Nicholas R. Santilli, Ph.D.

2. Session Outcomes • By the end of this session, participants will understand the elements of an assessment plan. • As a result of this session, participants will be able to draft a one-year assessment plan for at least one departmental or program outcome.

3. The Iterative, Systematic Assessment Cycle Gather Evidence Interpret Evidence Mission/Purposes Objectives/Goals Outcomes Implement Outcomes and Methods to Gather Evidence Make decisions Adapted from Maki, 2001 and Bresciani, 2003

4. Types of assessment • Tracking use of services • Student/community needs • Satisfaction • Culture/environment/climate • Outcomes – learning, program • Benchmarking • National/professional standards • Cost effectiveness

5. Assessment plans • What did you look at? • What did you find? • What did you do about it?

6. Assessment plan elements • Department or Program Mission • Department or Program Goals • Outcomes • Assessment Methods/Measures • Implementation • Results • Decisions and Recommendations    Adapted from Bresciani, M. J. (2003). The updated outline for assessment plans. NetResults. Washington, DC: NASPA.

7. Assessment Foundations Review • Mission • What is your program’s or department’s purpose? • What is this program supposed to accomplish? • Goals • What is your department or program trying to do? • Outcomes • What is important for students to have learned through their experiences and interactions with your department or program?

8. Assessment Methods/Measures • Which outcome do you want to measure? • What do you need to know in order to determine that students have achieved this outcome? • Whatcriteria you can use to gauge the extent to which this outcome is being achieved? • Where do students have the opportunity to achieve this learning? • Whattools can you use to gather evidence?

9. Implementation • Who is responsible for what? • Data collection • Data analysis • Writing and reporting • Decision making • When will this assessment occur?

10. Results, Decisions, Recommendations • Interpreting evidence • What did you learn? • Make decisions and recommendations based on findings • How can you use the information to improve or celebrate success? • Follow up on changes, start the cycle again • Do the improvements you make work?

11. The Iterative, Systematic Assessment Cycle Gather Evidence Interpret Evidence Mission/Purposes Objectives/Goals Outcomes Implement Outcomes and Methods to Gather Evidence Make decisions Adapted from Maki, 2001 and Bresciani, 2003

12. Challenges • Acknowledging differences among programs/departments • Choosing an assessment project • Allowing purpose to drive method and measure, not vice versa • Collecting data • Creating time for discussion and feedback of results

13. Small and simple • What are you already doing? • Tracking use? • Gathering satisfaction data? • Where does it make sense to gather data? • Two to three outcomes • After first year, increase complexity and number of assessments • Assessing a large number of goals is not as effective as focusing on a few well-defined core characteristics • Continue with measurement of operational indicators Adapted from Keeling, 2006

14. Five Dimensions of Good Assessment Clear and important goals Used Reasonably accurate and truthful results Cost effective Valued Adapted from Suskie, 2006

15. Upcoming sessions • Assessment methods and tools • Using existing data • Reporting results and making decisions