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US Perspectives on Educational Quality, Assessment, and Accreditation

This presentation by Dr. Joseph G. Burke provides an overview of the US values and their impact on educational quality, the history and rationale behind the US quality movement, the US approach to educational quality assessment and accreditation, and a comparison of the US approach to other systems. It also includes a question and answer session.

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US Perspectives on Educational Quality, Assessment, and Accreditation

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  1. US Perspectives on Educational Quality, Assessment, and Accreditation A Presentation Dr. Joseph G. Burke Fulbright Specialist, Thailand June 2013

  2. Outline • Describe US values & impact on quality • Outline US quality movement • Rationale and history • Describe US Approach • Questions and Answers

  3. US Higher Education: Values & Context

  4. Fundamental American Values • Three Scales - FREEDOM v order - INDIVIDUAL v society - LIMITED v powerful government • Strong belief in market approach to societal issues • Values influenced: • Constitution: Federal system and separation of powers • Government policy regarding education & accreditation • Others: health care, gun control

  5. US Higher Education Context • No powerful ministry of education • Who’s in Charge? • Feds provide some financial support and broad policy outlines • State/local governments provide financial support and regulation • Multiple non-governmental groups provide “participatory” rule making regimes: commissions, associations, agencies, boards

  6. Implications • US higher education system highly diverse & decentralizedw/autonomous institutions • Overlapping funding/regulatory structures • Multiple organizations involved in accreditation • Yet system: • “best in the world” reputation • protects academic freedom • Encourages innovative and critical thinking w/entrepreneurial and highly successful graduates

  7. Quality Assessment US History • (1983) “A Nation at Risk” report of Reagan era • Decline in learning standards versus rising costs • (1985) “Time for Results” examination of HE • (1985-2000) – Rise of Assessment Movement • Phase I – Total Quality Procedures inherited from Industry (Processes and Industrial- type Awards) • Phase II – Data Compilation • Phase III – Big Question, comparative, and Internationalization Stage • Phase IV -Current • 2000 – Growing concern US education system less competitive. • Growing federal intervention

  8. Why Assessment Movement? • Atmosphere of accountability • Increased competition in academic marketplace • Constrained fiscal condition requires evidence-based academic management • Technology provides increased capacity to generate, compile, present, and analyze evidence • Use of “Dashboards” (analytics) • Industry provides better management techniques

  9. The US APPROACH

  10. Institutional Accreditation • Responsibility • Independent regional commissions elected by members • Federal government periodically reviews performance • Comprehensive focus • Resources, governance, faculty qualifications, instructional quality, student performance • Consequence of institutional failure • Elimination of eligibility to participate in federal student aid and financial loan programs

  11. Programmatic Accreditation • Responsibility • Commissions chosen by professional membership associations • Some states involved in program approval • Dual Focus • Faculty qualifications, curriculum, student performance • Level of Institutional support • Consequences of failure dependent on professions

  12. Accreditation Process • Comprehensive Self Study by institution • Multiday visit by peers, w/report & recommendations • Institution comments • Commission action • Accredit • Accredit with warning and reporting requirement • Not Accredit • Appeal Process

  13. Questions for University Council and Administrative Leadership • How Good is our Product • What a student knows and can do upon graduation? • What is the “value added” by the learning process? • How good are we at producing our product? • -retention and graduation rates • Are our customers satisfied? • Do we have the right mix? • Do we make the grade? (Accreditation)

  14. Summary • Based Upon American Value System • De-centralized w/multiple actors and approaches • Focused on Student Development and Learning • Quality approach Emphasizes formative evaluation and continuous improvement • Accreditation based upon summative evaluation of • Resource availability • Program qualifications and results • Assessment process

  15. Comparison of US and Other Approaches to Quality • US tends to disaggregate quality and risk management functions • US less focused on comparative rankings • US has far more diversified and de-centralized approach • Each approach has strengths and weaknesses • US accreditation/educational system under review • National concerns about quality, competitiveness, effectiveness of meeting changing occupational requirements

  16. AGB Resources • Peter T. Ewell, Making the Grade, Second Edition, AGB Press, 2012. • “AGB Statement on Board Responsibility for the Oversight of Educational Quality, AGB Press, 2011. • “How Boards Oversee Educational Quality: A Report on a Survey on Boards and the Assessment of Student Learning,” AGB Press, 2010.

  17. Question and Answers

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