Accountability Pressures and Their Impact on Regional Accreditation

1. Northern Illinois University September 12, 2008 Accountability Pressures and Their Impact on Regional Accreditation Linda Suskie, Vice President Middle States Commission on Higher Education 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia PA 19104 Web: www.msche.org E-mail: LSuskie@msche.org

2. The US Accreditation “System” • Regional accreditors • All require liberal arts foundation • Oldest, strongest reputation • National accreditors • Colleges without liberal arts foundation • Specialized accreditors • Mostly programs, not colleges • State licensure • All accreditors voluntary, membership-controlled • Students can receive Federal financial aid only if they attend a college accredited by a Federally-recognized accreditor.

3. 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA) • Title IV funds go only to colleges accredited by Federally recognized accreditor. • Pell, SEOG, Trio, Migrant • Federally-insured student loans • Accreditors must comply with HEA criteria to be recognized.

4. 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 1980s and 1990s

5. Today: Context #1 • U. S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings • Daughter’s college search experience • Commission on the Future of Higher Education (“Spellings Commission”)…

6. Today: Context #2 • Commission on the Future of Higher Education (“Spellings Commission”) • Chaired by Charles Miller • Concluded • College graduates are less well-educated • Based on National Assessment of Adult Literacy • Accreditors look at inputs, not outcomes • Recommended • Comparable assessments • Value-added assessments

7. Today: Context #3 • Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) • Developed by Rand, published by Council for the Advancement of Education (CAE)

8. Today: Context #4 • Negotiated rule-making (“neg reg”) • How the U.S. Secretary of Education implements HEA’s criteria for accreditors • 3 meetings • If not unanimous consensus, U.S. Secretary of Education sets her own rules.

9. Today: Context #5 • National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) • Reviews and recognizes accrediting agencies • All appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education

10. Today: Context #6 • Higher Education Act reauthorization • Expired in 2004 • Finally signed into law in August 2008

11. A Changing World • Higher education’s historic lack of interest in economy, efficiency, & effectiveness • Higher education’s historic reticence, if not arrogance • Shifting public policy • Higher education is more a private than public good. • More cost shifted to student • Broadening market for higher education • Most well-paying jobs require post-secondary education • Students & families want • Better pay, not necessarily a richer education • Assurance they’ll get their money’s worth for their investment

12. What Might We Do to Meet Calls for Accountability to the Public?

13. College Navigator (USED) College Board Education Trust USA Today/NSSE US News & World Report Kiplinger’s Barron’s Washington Monthly College Portrait (NASULGC/AASCU) U-CAN (NAICU) Transparency by Design (President’s Forum of Excelsior College) National Association of System Heads Point to Existing & Forthcoming Public Resources

14. Recognize that Every Measure of Institutional Effectiveness is Imperfect • Retention & graduation rates • Published instruments • “Comparable” measures • Value-added measures

15. Tell the Story of Your Institution’s Effectiveness to Your Key Publics • Easy to find and easy to understand. • Justify why this particular story is the appropriate one. • Narrative & analysis as well as numbers & facts. • Feel free to link to other resources as appropriate.

16. 1. How Do You Define a Successful Student? • What knowledge, skills, competencies, and attributes does a successful student have? • Why do you think these are important?

17. 2. What Evidence Do You Have That Students Meet Your Definition of Success? • Must include • outcomes • “direct” evidence of student learning • multiple measures

18. Retention Transfer Graduation Placement Post-college success As appropriate and defined appropriately May require new algorithms May require new data collection mechanisms 3. How Effective Are You in Ensuring that Students Are Achieving Their Goals in a Timely Fashion?

19. 4. Are You Satisfied with Your Results? • Why or why not? Are students doing better than.. • Peers? • How were peers selected? Why? • When they entered? • Past students? • An established standard? • Pass rate on licensure/certification exam • Locally-established standard: How determined? • Help the public distinguish meaningful from trivial differences. • If not, what are you doing about it?

20. All in25 Words or Less!

21. Regional Accreditors’ Role? • Evaluate how well institutions provide this information & answer these questions. • Accurately • Truthfully • Meaningfully • Clearly • Accessibly • Provide clearer, more accessible information on accreditation status.

22. The current quest for accountability creates a precious opportunity for educators to tell the full range of stories about learning and teaching. Lee Shulman

23. Assessment’s twin masters: Accountability & improvement Pressure to provide a few simple numbers be “transparent” (clear and understandable to the public) facilitate comparability look good Foot-dragging Lack of understanding of assessment, including its value & importance Lack of resources to engage in assessment Fear of change & risk-taking Key Obstacles Regarding Assessment & Accountability

24. Lack of Understanding of Assessment • No clear purpose (goals, targets) for curricula & assessment • Ignorance of research on effective teaching • Using assessment to improve teaching as well as assign grades • Fear that results will lead to program cuts, faculty terminations • Assessment is complex and requires special expertise. • Must use a published test • What we’re teaching can’t be assessed. • Assessment violates principles of academic freedom.

25. Lack of Resources for Assessment • Training on assessment methodologies • Incentives & rewards • For work on assessment • For work on improving curricula & pedagogies • Especially core requirements without clear ownership • Time to work on assessment • Administrative support & coordination • Technical support • Funds (for software, published instruments)

26. Fear of Change & Risk-Taking • Satisfaction with the status quo, even if it’s mediocre • Identified problems mean more time & work to fix them! • Political wrangling over curricular changes • Need to work collaboratively rather than alone. • Discouragement of risk-taking • Attempts to improve teaching & learning may fail.

27. Laying a Foundation for Assessment Success

28. Improve Understanding of Assessment • Provide professional development (training). • Provide clear guidelines. • Provide feedback. • Address misperceptions about academic freedom. • Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject. • American Association of University Professors 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom & Tenure

29. Improve Resources for Assessment • Incentives & rewards • Grants or stipends to get started on assessment • “Curricular improvement” grants • Value extraordinary work on assessment • Time • Stop doing something else. • Minimize paperwork. • Set priorities. • Resources • Administrative, technical, published tools

30. Encourage Risk-Taking & Change • Value efforts to improve teaching • Ernest Boyer’s “scholarship of teaching” • Pay attention to results and use them to fund and make improvements!

31. Keep Your Sanity! • Recognize that some important goals can’t be assessed. • Realistic expectations for quality • Don’t expect to get everyone on board.

32. Questions to Ask Yourselves • Do faculty & administrators understand & value assessment? • Is there adequate support for assessment? • Time, support, professional development • Are assessment efforts encouraged, recognized, & valued? • Are efforts to improve teaching honored & valued? • No excuses…just do it!