Overview for Today
Introductions What is assessment? Challenges & Concerns Map of A-Team Sessions & Outcomes Expectations
Overview for Today
Why assessment is important to Student Affairs
A-Team Model Mission Statements, Learning and
Development Objectives Take Home Assignments
Working Definitions for A-team
Assessment: Is any effort to gather, analyze, and interpret evidence which describes institutional, departmental, divisional, or agency effectiveness (Upcraft & Schuh, 1996)
Evaluation: Any effort to use assessment evidence to improve institutional, departmental, divisional or unit effectiveness. (UGA Planning Model Specific)
Assessment
“Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance”
~Tom Angelo, AAHE Assessment Forum
Challenges & Concerns
TimeNotion that assessment requires too much time Implement, develop, plan, analyze, produce results Already busy with lots of job responsibilities
“Time to develop an assessment, collate the data, analyze, and act.”
Challenges & Concerns
Just Getting Started:
-Where to begin? What do you do?
-General Confusion
“For those who realize the importance of assessment, the challenge is where to begin/what to assess first.” “I think people don’t know where to begin. Sometimes we have to start small in assessment.”
Challenges & Concerns
Participation: Low student participation Getting staff buy-in and involvement Participatory support from some supervisors
“It is usually the same group of students responding so the results are skewed to that population.”
Challenges & Concerns
Data Saturation:
-Too much data
-Lack of ability to implement changes
“Sometimes it feels like information is going to be collected only to sit in some report on a shelf.”
Challenges & Concerns
Perceived Fears: -Undesired changes-Reveal negative things-That the process and results are elusive,
complex process
“I think the primary challenge is getting people past the notion that assessment is some incredibly complicated process that no one could possibly have adequate time to do.”
Session II
Overview of Outcome Design
Creating Outcomes
Service, Learning, &
Development
Session III
Critiquing Outcomes
3 M’s
Intro: Assessment
Steps
Session I
Outcomes & Overview
What is Assessment
Assessment Language
Comp Model & Foundation
SALDOs
Session IV
Assessment Steps (cont)
Intro: Assessment
Plans
Session V
Review of Assessment
Plans
Session VIAssessment
Plan Presentation
Session Evaluation
Foundation Session Outcomes
Demonstrate an understanding of “A” language & literature
Define and plan an assessment project for your department
Increase Technical Skills—Perseus, Report Writing, Qual/Quan
Perform 1 + assessment projects
Assessment Resource for department and team
Importance of Assessment in Student Affairs
Almost 90% of those surveyed felt assessment was important to Student Affairs at UGA.
Efficacy, cost-effectiveness, resource allocation, demonstrating credibility, outcome and goal achievement, and future direction were mentioned as reasons for its importance.
“How do we know that what we do is effective if we don’t assess it?”
Expectations for A-team
Don’t take this too seriously -Have fun Take the initiative Learn from one another Support one another Attendance is crucial!
Expectations for Facilitators
Support you during sessions and outside of sessions One-on-One option
To learn with you Manage content and time
Be flexible Respect your time
Step One: AlignmentStep One: Alignment
The Three Strategic Goals for the University of Georgia
Division of Student Affairs Mission Statement
Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan
Professional Standards and Guidelines
Step Three: Establish Step Three: Establish ObjectivesObjectives
Establish Objectives/GoalsEstablish Objectives/Goals
Step Four: Establish Step Four: Establish Outcomes and Structure Outcomes and Structure Around OutcomesAround Outcomes
Establish ObjectivesEstablish Objectives
Intentionally structure programs and Intentionally structure programs and services to address goals/outcomesservices to address goals/outcomes
Step Five: AssessStep Five: Assess
Intentionally structure programs and services to Intentionally structure programs and services to address outcomesaddress outcomes
Assess: Determine if you Assess: Determine if you have achieved outcomeshave achieved outcomes
Step Six: AssessStep Six: Assess
Assess: Determine if you have achieved outcomesAssess: Determine if you have achieved outcomes
Evaluate: Use assessment Evaluate: Use assessment information to examine information to examine
programs and services and programs and services and create improvement plancreate improvement plan
Step Six: Close the LoopStep Six: Close the Loop
The Three Strategic Goals for The Three Strategic Goals for the University of Georgiathe University of Georgia
Division of Student Affairs Division of Student Affairs Mission StatementMission Statement
Division of Student Affairs Division of Student Affairs Strategic PlanStrategic Plan
Professional Standards and Professional Standards and GuidelinesGuidelines
Evaluate: Use assessment Evaluate: Use assessment information to examine information to examine
programs and services and programs and services and create improvement plancreate improvement plan
Objectives
Leadership Intercultural Competence Cognitive Development Interpersonal Skills Self-Esteem Collaboration Healthy Behavior Social Responsibility