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Understanding Middle States Expectations
for Assessment
Linda Suskie, Vice PresidentMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, Philadelphia PA 19104Web: www.msche.org E-mail: [email protected]
MSCHE Annual Conference
December 2009
What the Heck is Going on with Accountability &
Assessment?
The US Accreditation “System”
• Regional accreditors– All require liberal arts foundation– Oldest, strongest reputation– Historically examined inputs, not outcomes
• National accreditors– Mostly colleges without liberal arts foundation
• Specialized accreditors– Mostly programs, not colleges
• State licensure
• All accreditors voluntary, membership-controlled
1965 Higher Education Act (HEA)
• Title IV funds go only to colleges accredited by Federally recognized accreditors.– Pell, SEOG, Trio, Migrant grants– Federally-insured student loans
• Accreditors must comply with HEA criteria to be recognized.
1980s and 1990s
• HEA reauthorization– 1986: First outcomes
assessment language– 1998: Assessment
language strengthened
– Regional accreditors rewrote standards to emphasize assessment of student learning outcomes
• “Learning-centered” movement– 1980s: Movement—
and assessment movement—began
– 1995: Barr & Tagg’s seminal article in Change published
– Research on what promotes student learning & success
Recent Decades: A Changing World
• Shifting public policy – Higher education more private than public good– Students pay more and expect money’s worth
• Broadening market for higher education– Most well-paying jobs require post-secondary
education.– “Money’s worth” is better pay.
• Not necessarily a richer education
2000s: Calls for Accountability
• 2007 Spellings Commission
• 2008 Higher Education Act negotiations
• Public information on quality & effectiveness– Transparent - easy to find & understand
• Systematic information, not anecdotes
• Comparable assessments
• Value-added assessments
Will Assessment Ever Go Away?
• Federal regulations • Other calls &
mandates for accountability
• “Learning-centered” focus
Understanding Standards 7 & 14
Assessment as Part of a Four-Step Cycle
1. Goals
4. Using Results
2. Programs, Services & Initiatives
3. Assessment/ Evaluation
1. Mission & Goals
8. Admissions
9. Student Support Services
2. Planning
10. Faculty
3. Resources
11. Educational Offerings
4. Leadership/Governance
12. General Education
5. Administration
13. Related Educ. Activities
6. Integrity
7. Institutional Assessment
14. Asmt. of Student Learning
Institutional Effectiveness: Are We Achieving…
Community Service
Scholarship
Diversity
Revenue Generation
Productivity/ Efficiency
14. Student Learning
7. Mission & Goals
Access
So What Does Middle States Want?
Have a goal for anything you do and assess how well you’re
achieving it.• Institutional goals (mission & strategic plan)
– Administrative goals• Division goals
– Administrative unit goals
– Student learning goals • Institutional
• Gen Ed curriculum
• Academic programs
• Student development programs
• Support programs
Make sure your students graduate with the learning you
value.
• What knowledge, skills, competencies, and attributes does a successful student have?
• Why do you think these are important?
Make sure you achieve whatever else you want to
achieve.
• Mission• Strategic goals• Other important goals
Are you satisfied with your results?
• Why or why not? • If not, what are you doing about it?
Questions a Reviewer Might Ask
Goals Assessments Improvements
For Each Goal…(Institutional, Gen Ed, Program)
• How is the goal being assessed?
• What are the results of those assessments?
• How have those results been used for improvement?
How Much Has Been Implemented?
• Are there any significant missing pieces?
What Do Assessment Results Tell Us?
• Do results demonstrate…
– Achievement of mission and goals?
– Sufficient academic rigor?
Do Institutional Leaders Support and Value a Culture of Assessment?
• Is there adequate support for assessment?– Overall guidance, coordination, resources
• Are assessment efforts recognized & valued?
• Are efforts to improve teaching recognized & valued?
Is the Process Sustainable?
• Simple
• Practical
• Detailed
• Ownership
• Appropriate timelines
Where is the Institution Going with Assessment?
• Will momentum slow after this review?
• What Commission action will most help the institution keep moving?
What Should Institutions Document?
• Clear statements of goals
• Organized, sustained assessment process
– Principles, guidelines, support
– What assessments are already underway
– What assessments are planned, when, & how
• Assessment results documenting progress toward accomplishing goals
• How results have been used for improvement
How Might Institutions Document This?
• Need not be a fancy bound document!
• An overview in the self study
• A chart or “roadmap” for assessment documentation in the self study or as an appendix
• More thorough information in an appendix, online, and/or burned onto CD
– A few samples of student work • Exemplary, adequate, inadequate
MSCHE’s Fundamental Expectations for Assessment
1. Read the directions.
2. Keep it useful…and used.
3. Tie assessments to important goals.
4. For student learning, include some “direct” evidence.
5. Use multiple measures.
6. Keep doing something everywhere, every year.
Bottom Line on Moving Ahead
Keep assessment useful.Keep things simple.
• Especially in terms of time• Ask MSCHE about anything that
doesn’t make sense.
Value assessment.Just do it!
Volunteer for Middle States Evaluation Teams!
• Go to www.msche.org
• Click on “Evaluators”
• Consider joining as an Evaluation Team Associate.