Developing and Using Institutional Plans. Christopher D. Lambert Associate Director of Commission Relations ACCSCT

Developing and Using Institutional Developing and Using Institutional PlansPlans..

Christopher D. LambertChristopher D. Lambert

Associate Director of Commission Associate Director of Commission RelationsRelations

ACCSCTACCSCT

Why Is Institutional Assessment and Improvement Planning Important?

Is your school producing a skilled workforce that is meeting

employer needs?

Does the rate of student retention and graduate employment in your program offerings meet or exceed that of similar schools throughout the country?

Is your staff conducting the most efficient and effective activities to support the educational process?

Can you prove it?

Why Is Institutional Assessment and Improvement Planning Important?

Two Key Questions are being considered by the higher education community:

What is the role of higher education in the United What is the role of higher education in the United States?States?

How is this role changing?How is this role changing?

Why Institutional Enhancement is ImportantWhy Institutional Enhancement is Important An National PerspectiveAn National Perspective

• As higher education evolves in unexpected ways, this new landscape demands innovation and flexibility from the institutions that serve the nation’s learners.

• We want a world-class higher-education system that creates new knowledge, contributes to economic prosperity and global competitiveness, and empowers citizens;

• We want a higher-education system that gives Americans the workplace skills they need to adapt to a rapidly changing economy;

• We want postsecondary institutions to adapt to a world altered by technology, changing demographics and globalization, in which the higher-education landscape includes new providers and new paradigms, from for-profit universities to distance learning.

• We recommend that America’s colleges and universities embrace a culture of continuous innovation and quality improvement.

A National Dialogue: The Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education

As higher education continues to expand and diversify in the United States, it has become apparent that now, more than ever, postsecondary school leaders need better tools to achieve their strategic goals and to ensure institutional and student success.

This is the role of institutional assessment and improvement planning.

Accreditation and the EAB

Shared Goals for Institutional Enhancement


AccreditationAccreditation stimulates and assists schools and colleges in keeping abreast of employment trends, technological advances and educational innovations.

Accredited schools strive toward assuring responsiveness, continued growth, competitiveness, and the ability to give career school students an edge in the labor market.

Accreditation evaluates the effectiveness of accredited institutions through the assessment of both quantitative and qualitative student achievement, and within the context of an institution’s stated mission and educational objectives.


EABEAB modernization is the process of changing the agency’s regulatory model from one that is solely based on compliance to one that is also based on institutional effectiveness.

This new regulatory model will promote quality, organizational accountability, and continuous improvement for schools, as well as the EAB.

The EAB believes schools must develop an internal capacity for making decisions based on data, for satisfying students, and for continuous improvement.

School As A Whole – Educational

Leadership and Administrative

Capacity

Recruitment

Advertising

Admissions

Market Needs

Educational Resources

Faculty Qualifications

Program Length

Student Services

Student Success

On-going Assessment

and Evaluation

A Holistic Approach to Quality Assessment

Concentric Circles of SuccessConcentric Circles of Success

Global EconomyNational EconomyThe Student’s CommunityThe Student’s FamilyThe Student

5 Year Grant 5 Year Grant of of AccreditationAccreditation

Ramping Ramping up for up for RenewalRenewal

New ProgramsNew Programs

New HiresNew Hires

New Marketing New Marketing CampaignCampaign

Facility ExpansionFacility Expansion New Faculty; New Faculty; New Students;New Students;

New BuildingNew Building

New Starts; New Starts; New ProgramsNew Programs



Renewal Renewal ProcessProcess


Inverted Bell Curve of ComplianceInverted Bell Curve of Compliance

3Year Grant of 3Year Grant of AccreditationAccreditation

WorkshoWorkshopp

Graduate Graduate from the from the Longest Longest Program Program OfferedOffered

New Faculty; New Faculty; New Students;New Students;

New BuildingNew Building

New Starts; New Starts; New ProgramsNew Programs


Begin Begin OperationOperation

State LicenseState License


Impact and Intent of AccreditationImpact and Intent of Accreditation

Application Application ProcessProcess

Renewal Application Renewal Application ProcessProcess

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Outcomes PAC IIP LRS FDP Faculty Qual Admissions Advertising Management Catalog/ EA

Outcomes PAC IIP LRS FDPFaculty Qual Admissions Advertising Management Catalog/ EA

Commission Actions November 2005 – November 2006Commission Actions November 2005 – November 2006

ACCSCT Accredited Institutions Seeking Renewal of ACCSCT Accredited Institutions Seeking Renewal of Accreditation (275)Accreditation (275)

Accreditation Expectations for Accreditation Expectations for Institutional Enhancement & Institutional Enhancement & EffectivenessEffectiveness

Institutional assessment and improvement activities Institutional assessment and improvement activities should be appropriate to the should be appropriate to the size and scalesize and scale of the of the school’s operations and support the management and school’s operations and support the management and administration of the school as well as the quality of administration of the school as well as the quality of education provided.education provided.

• The accreditation expectations for a small, The accreditation expectations for a small, diploma/certificate granting institution are different that a diploma/certificate granting institution are different that a large, degree granting institution.large, degree granting institution.

Institutional Enhancement and AssessmentAccreditation Expectations

Institutional assessment should validate and document Institutional assessment should validate and document the school’s educational and administrative practices the school’s educational and administrative practices to improve student learning and achievement.to improve student learning and achievement.

Improvement activities are expected to be Improvement activities are expected to be significant significant and and on-going on-going experiences in the school.experiences in the school.

• Not simply once every renewal cycle as part of the accreditation / licensure process.

Institutional Enhancement and AssessmentAccreditation Expectations

Accreditation Expectations

The institutional assessment and improvement activities must include a written and comprehensive plan that examines school operations and sets forth specific short- and long-range (i.e., minimally three years) goals for improvement with measurable benchmarks and timelines for implementation.

The institutional assessment and improvement plan must address the entire school in such areas as • management; • fiscal condition and budget; • administrative policies and practices; • student support services; • faculty and staff development; • educational program curricula; • learning resources system, equipment, and supporting materials; • facilities; and • student achievement outcomes.

Institutional assessment and improvement activities should support and enhance the quality of the education provided using information obtained • internally (e.g., staff and faculty development and planning, and

student input and feedback) and • externally (e.g., Program Advisory Committees, employers,

community involvement, school graduates, etc.)

These activities should strive to validate the school’s educational and administrative practices and to document and improve student learning and achievement.

Institutional assessment and improvement activities are expected to be significant and ongoing experiences in the school.

Accreditation Tenets Accreditation Tenets

and and

Institutional EnhancementInstitutional Enhancement

Student Success is Dependent upon Quality of Teaching and On-going Faculty Development

• Faculty Development Plans

• Not only as a requirement for accreditation/licensure, but to provide an assurance that your faculty remain abreast to currently occupational trends, techniques, and practices.

• Expectation: Must be a systematic plan for all faculty members; but can be customized to meet the individual needs of faculty.


• Continuing Education and Training• Teaching is both an art and a science. Do you have a

dedicated budget to support teacher training activities?

• Without appropriate funds to support, a faculty training plan will face hurdles when it is time to implement.

• Does your school embrace a culture of continuous improvement and have explicit expectations that your faculty and staff engage in professional development activities?


• Faculty Retention

• More than any other area, students complain more about the quality of faculty and lament the rapid turn-over of faculty.

• Faculty have the greatest impact on a student’s motivation, desire, and ability to successfully fulfill the rigors of a program.

Institutional Success is Dependent upon the Institutional Success is Dependent upon the Quality of Educational Administration Quality of Educational Administration

• Leadership• Leadership in any organizational setting is seen as an important

component to achieving the mission of that organization because it facilitates the establishment of a shared vision, guided direction, and a culture of value. Educational institutions are no different in this regard. (McComis, 2007).

• Studies have shown that leadership has a significant relationship to student achievement in educational institutions. (McREL, 2004).

• Is there a difference between management and leadership?• Leadership is about building relationships, internally and

externally.• Leadership is not about power or turf.

Institutional Success is Dependent upon the Institutional Success is Dependent upon the Quality of Educational AdministrationQuality of Educational Administration

• Professional Development of Management Team

• Are you growing your “bench”?• Often, the future leaders of a school come from within. How

are you fostering these professional growth opportunities for your current staff?

• The higher education landscape is getting more complex, and more competitive. Changing student demographics and new developments in technology are having a tremendous impact on higher education. How can you ensure that your management team is keeping pace with these changes?

• School should strive to hire and retain those individuals with established and proven track records of positive and effective leadership.

Institutional Success is Dependent upon the Quality of Institutional Success is Dependent upon the Quality of Educational AdministrationEducational Administration

• Succession Planning

• What would you do if your Director of Education left tomorrow?

• Do you have a contingency plan for when faculty are terminated?

• Do you find yourself in a position to make a bad hiring decision, putting an unqualified person in a classroom out of necessity (there are students in a teacher-less classroom)?


• Strategic Planning• The classic interview question: “Where do you see your school in 5

years?”• Are you a different school than your were 5 years ago? • Do you offer different programs? • Do you enroll more students? • Employ more faculty?

• If this same question was asked to key members of your management team, would they offer a similar answer?

• Do you have an established mission and vision? • Is your plan realistic?

• What is your vision for your school? • Do you have the plan, the resources, the budget and the patience

to get there?


• Strategic Planning• Two major focuses of accreditation are administrative capacityadministrative capacity and

the ability to manage growth.ability to manage growth.• Studies have shown that institutions within their first term of

accreditation evolve and experience significant growth. • This growth, if not properly planned for, may result in areas of

substantial non-compliance with accrediting standards.

• Examples Include:• Addition of Longer New Programs• Addition of Unrelated New Programs• Addition of Separate Facilities• Significant Increases in Student Enrollment• Participation in Federal Student Aid Programs (e.g., heavy regulatory burden)

The Success of an Institution is often measured by the Success of its Students

Student Success = Institutional Success• A sentiment shared by the EAB, which believes that the best way

to protect students is to enhance the schools and their programs by holding schools accountable for outcomes data.

• Studies have shown that a significant positive relationship does exist between the rate of student program completion and the rate of graduate employment (McComis, 2006)

• Accountability in higher education, particularly for the career college sector, is of paramount importance.

Keys to Institutional Keys to Institutional EffectivenessEffectiveness

Institutional Assessment and Improvement PlansA Framework for Success

All educational factors are evaluated within the context of an institution’s stated mission, vision, and core values.

Involve the entire school in this process:• Administration• Faculty• Students / Graduates• Employers• Members of the Community

Institutional assessment and improvement activities should support and enhance the quality of the education provided using information obtained:

Internally Staff and faculty development and planning

Student input and feedback

Externally Program Advisory Committees

EmployersCommunity involvement

Graduates

More than simply fulfilling a regulatory / accreditation requirement

Institutional Enhancement

Evaluate Institutional Effectiveness

• Evaluate the infrastructure that supports the delivery of programs as well as educational outcomes including student achievement.

• Infrastructure refers to those factors contributing to the students’ educational experience at the institution.

• Faculty,

• Admissions practices,

• Facilities and Equipment,

• Learning Resource Systems (library)

• Financial and Administrative capability, and

• Student Services including Advising and Job Placement.

Write a Mission Statement

Institutional assessment cannot take place unless the school’s purpose is well understood.

Each school must have a meaningful mission statement that provides the foundation for every program implemented at the school, and essentially everything that happens at the school.

Show your commitment to the process through your involvementA leader who says “this is important” then walks

away and waits for the results will not get the same level of commitment from staff as the leader who remains visible throughout the process.

Communicate regularly with those staff and faculty involved with these school-wide efforts in order to build trust and secure commitment to the process.

Appoint a key staff member to coordinate the effortHaving a single point of coordination for your school-wide

efforts focuses the responsibility to encourage critical personnel to complete their tasks.

The coordinator can also monitor the quality of the process.

The coordinator does not have to hold a particular title or position; however, the person selected must have enough time to focus on the assessment and planning efforts and have enough influence with others to get the job done.

Create a team or task force to carry out the mission.

Create a team or task force to work with the coordinator you have appointed.

The role of this team is to support the assessment and improvement efforts that have implications across the school.

These team members can help to educate and assist the other parts of the organization on the process.

Develop Incentives

To reduce resistance to change and to encourage participation in the process, you may have to create incentives for your staff.

For school-wide efforts, those incentives may be faculty course releases, individual and departmental rewards, or preferential treatment, such as placing a participating department first in line for new equipment.

Another incentive might be to publicize the efforts of participating programs, departments, and individuals.

Recognition and reward go a long way toward gaining support.

Establish a Timeline for Implementing the Activities

The timeline should be long enough to implement action items and for results to take effect.

The team should be mindful of the next time for regularly scheduled evaluation, if it can, and determine whether the problem can be corrected before the next review.

Depending on the nature and scope of the plan, the team might schedule an evaluation soon after implementation or the project may require a waiting period.

Plan to Educate Stakeholders

Participants and stakeholders may be involved in the process without understanding what it means, why it is important, and how they should prioritize the tasks involved.

Use the team or appoint staff members to help key personnel understanding the process and its importance.

Communicate the Benefits of Change

Those affected should know and understand why a new action plan is put into place.

If you show them what they will gain, they are more likely to adopt the plan and conduct the activity.

Disseminating the Results to All Stakeholders

Disseminating the results of the assessment and improvement efforts enables interested parties to participate in the discussion on how to improve.

Openness leads to a climate of trust and belief in improvement efforts.

Accessible information tells your staff the agenda for assessment: figure out what you are doing wrong, what you are doing right, and what you can do to improve.

Let your stakeholders know that you will do this on a regular basis.

Take Action Based on Results

If publishing results sends a positive message to stakeholders, then acting on the results proves your commitment and keeps the cycle going.

Commit to this up front and follow through by helping programs and departments make improvements.

Make sure you dedicate time, effort, and resources to support these endeavors.

Report on your Progress

Those conducting improvement activities would benefit from creating progress reports.

This would let the assessment team and the school leadership know that they are serious about continuous improvement and working on meeting goals.

It would also create an opportunity to address any issues, for example, needing an additional resource.

Other Keys to Institutional EffectivenessOther Keys to Institutional Effectiveness

Make a commitment to leadership training

Use realistic evaluation strategies

Engage in institutional enhancement activities on an ongoing basis, and not simply as a regulatory requirement

Budget appropriately

Use Internal Assessment and Accreditation as Tools for Measuring Success

Keys to Institutional EffectivenessKeys to Institutional Effectiveness

DocumentationDocumentationDocumentation

Documentation is critical to the accreditation process as it provides an opportunity for a school to demonstrate the systematic implementation of the school’s policies, processes, and procedures.

Developing and Using Institutional Developing and Using Institutional PlansPlans..

Christopher D. LambertChristopher D. Lambert

Associate Director of Commission Associate Director of Commission RelationsRelations

ACCSCTACCSCT

Documents

Developing and Using Institutional Plans. Christopher D. Lambert Associate Director of Commission Relations ACCSCT