Understanding Middle States Expectations for Assessment

1. MSCHE Annual Conference December 2009 Understanding Middle States Expectations for Assessment 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. What the Heck is Going on with Accountability & Assessment?

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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 1980s and 1990s

6. 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

7. 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

8. Will Assessment Ever Go Away? • Federal regulations • Other calls & mandates for accountability • “Learning-centered” focus

9. Understanding Standards 7 & 14

10. Assessment as Part of a Four-Step Cycle 1. Goals 2. Programs, Services & Initiatives 4. Using Results 3. Assessment/ Evaluation

11. 1. Mission & Goals 2. Planning 8. Admissions 3. Resources 9. Student Support Services 4. Leadership/Governance 10. Faculty 5. Administration 11. Educational Offerings 6. Integrity 12. General Education 13. Related Educ. Activities 7. Institutional Assessment 14. Asmt. of Student Learning

12. Institutional Effectiveness: Are We Achieving… 7. Mission & Goals Community Service Scholarship 14. Student Learning Diversity Productivity/ Efficiency Access Revenue Generation

13. So What Does Middle States Want?

14. 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

15. 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?

16. Make sure you achieve whatever else you want to achieve. • Mission • Strategic goals • Other important goals

17. Are you satisfied with your results? • Why or why not? • If not, what are you doing about it?

18. Questions a Reviewer Might Ask

19. 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? Goals Assessments Improvements

20. How Much Has Been Implemented? Are there any significant missing pieces?

21. What Do Assessment Results Tell Us? Do results demonstrate… Achievement of mission and goals? Sufficient academic rigor?

22. 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?

23. Is the Process Sustainable? Simple Practical Detailed Ownership Appropriate timelines

24. Where is the Institution Going with Assessment? Will momentum slow after this review? What Commission action will most help the institution keep moving?

25. 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

26. 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

27. MSCHE’s Fundamental Expectations for Assessment Read the directions. Keep it useful…and used. Tie assessments to important goals. For student learning, include some “direct” evidence. Use multiple measures. Keep doing something everywhere, every year.

28. 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!

29. Volunteer for Middle States Evaluation Teams! • Go to www.msche.org • Click on “Evaluators” • Consider joining as an Evaluation Team Associate.