The Periodic Review Report and the Assessment of
Institutional Effectiveness
Presentation by:
Karen Froslid Jones and Robin Beads, American University (AU)
Our goal is to provide an instiututional perspective that helps
you to:
• Gain insight into Middle States expectations regarding
institutional assessment;
• Know what to develop/look for in the PRR to demonstrate
that the institution meets these expectations; and
• Nuts and bolts: Develop an effective report by offering
specific tips for achieving success.
Today’s Presentation
Accountability
Improvement
Why Institutional Assessment?
Institutional
Assessment
Response to
Recommendations
Challenges and opportunities
Enrollment and finance
trends/ projections
Linking institutional
planning and
budgeting
The PRR as Institutional Assessment
Demonstrate that the institution has:
• organized and sustained assessment processes
• clearly articulated institutional and unit-level goals
• Learning outcomes at course, program and institution level
• Implimented strategies to achieve those goals
• Used the results of assessments to:
• Improve programs, services, teaching, and learning
• Inform planning
• Inform resource allocation
The PRR and Institutional
Effectiveness (#5 of 6]
Set
Goals/Outcomes
Assessment
Plan
Implement
Use
Assessment to
Improve
Perhaps 5 years ago…?
Set
Goals/Outcomes
Assessment
Plan
Implement
Use
Assessment
to Improve
Today….
Structures
Momentum
Culture
Outcomes
Institutional
Effectiveness
Demonstrating Institutional Effectiveness:
What to Develop/Look For
• When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional
systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention,
examine our assumptions, and create a shared… culture
dedicated to assuring and improving…quality…
•
Based on Thomas Angelo, 2005
• “An organizational environment in which decisions are based
on facts, research, and analysis and where services are planned
and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and
impacts for customers and stakeholders”
•
Ndoye and Parker (2010) quoting Lakos, Phipps and Wilson(2004)
What is a culture of assessment?
• Highlight the ways that assessment is valued.
• What recognition or rewards have been put in place?
• What evidence is there of faculty, leadership, and institutional “buy
in” ?
• Demonstrate that efforts have gone into making assessments do-able,
useful
•
“Useful” and “Cost effective”
• Show evidence that assessment results – both positive and negative – are
welcomed.
• “Reasonably accurate and truthful”
• Demonstrate how assessment is used and imbedded into the fabric of
the institution.
Culture
Demonstrate that the institution has:
• Organized, sustained processes for assessment (including
use of results);
• Guidelines, policies, resources, coordination, and support
of assessment; and
• Communication strategies.
The value of a written or on-line assessment plan.
Structure
• Document progress in:
•
•
•
•
Development of learning outcomes;
Improvement/refinement of assessment strategies;
Implementation of assessment plans; and
Use of results to improve student learning and advance the
institution.
• Can you describe and document how your assessment
processes have improved?
• Give sense of institution’s next steps.
Momentum
• Provide evidence that assessment is used and useful:
• For planning;
• For improvement;
• Provide evidence that changes at the institution are based
on evidence, facts.
• Link assessments to institutional goals and objectives
(including learning outcomes).
Outcomes
1. Organization of PRR Process
2. Think Broadly: Collect broad array of
examples of assessment.
3. Highlight uses of assessment.
4. Emphasize the link to planning
5. Presenting Assessment Results
6. Website Communications
The Nuts and Bolts: Six suggestions to
help organize for success.
Response to Recommendations
• Former Self-Study Committee
Major Challenges and Opportunities
• Strategic Planning Committee
Enrollment and Finance Trends
• Based on work of Budget Committee
Organized and sustained institutional assessment
• Learning Outcomes and Assessment Team
Linked institutional planning and budgeting
• Budget Committee
1. Organize the PRR Using Existing
“Assessment” Venues
• Look for institutional changes/improvements using
annual reports, communications to community, and
other sources.
• Identify the successful assessments that advanced the
changes.
• Use “challenges” and negative situations to highlight
your assessment processes and commitment to
institutional improvement.
• Use benchark data, as appropriate.
2.Think Broadly
Survey academic & administrative units to inventory current
assessment activities:
• Inventory areas where learning outcomes have been –
or should be - developed.
• Inventory on-going and one time activities for
documentation in PRR
• Gather examples of how assessments have been used
in planning and decisionmaking.
• Document how assessments have been used to
advance goals and improve programs/services.
2. Think Broadly
(cont.)
• Demonstrate how curriculum changed as a
result of assessment.
• Identify improvements or changes that have
advanced the institution mission.
• Highlight how recommendations in the SelfStudy have been implemented
3. Highlight Uses of Assessment
American University Strategic Plan
• Created an inclusive process for input endorsed by top administration and faculty;
communicated through website and addresses to campus
• Assessment data was made available to community during the planning process
via the website.
• Made sure that assessment of student learning was highlighted in strategic plan.
• Identified mechanisms to assess the plan and track the recommended actions.
• Linked unit level plans to strategic plans and highlighted assessment of learning
outcomes
• Linked Strategic Plan initiatives to budget
4. Emphasize the Link to Planning
• AU’s formation of Strategic Plan Measurements Project
Team
•
•
•
•
Review/refine measures
Determine how to track progress and report
Determine/assign responsibility for updating data/information
Record results/outcomes of activities
• Consider using software
4. Emphasize the link to planning
• Use of sidebars/text boxes to highlight examples of assessment
activities, use of assessment, important points.
• Inventory your institutional assessment tools and map them to
Middle States standards in chart format
• Emphasize exemplars of institutional/ student learning assessments
• Quantify changes/improvements made as a result of assessment
• Include links to data/assessment results embedded within the text
(web or pdf)
5. Presenting Assessment Results
(cont’d)
• Highlight funding of strategic plan and other goals
• Provide appendix with links to supplemental docs
• Quote admin/faculty/students to help demonstrate your
culture of assessment
“Assessment, and the invaluable feedback it provides, informs us of areas in need of
improvement thereby strengthening our curricula. To that end, the Office of the Provost will
make every effort to support faculty as they assess courses and programs and implement
strategies toward curricular enhancement.” - Dr. Scott A. Bass, Provost
5. Presenting Assessment Results
• Create a website to include PRR guidelines, supporting documents, the final
report.
• Organize supporting documentation by chapter so that reviewers can find
information quickly and easily.
• Be selective, but thorough in what you decide to include as supporting
documentation.
• Determine public versus private web-based supporting documentation
•
•
Password protect proprietary web-based documentation/data for your university
community
Work with appropriate units on your campus to obtain temporary log-ins and passwords
for the PRR reviewers
6. Website Communications
For more information:
American University’s Middle States and PRR website
http://www.american.edu/middlestates/index.cfm
http://www.american.edu/provost/oira
Karen Froslid Jones: kfroslid@american.edu
Robin Beads: beads@american.edu
Wrap Up – Questions?