The Periodic Review Report and the Assessment of Institutional Effectiveness

Presentation by: Karen Froslid Jones and Robin Beads, American University (AU)http://www.american.edu/provost/oirahttp://www.american.edu/middlestates

Today’s Presentation

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.

Why Institutional Assessment?

Acc

ount

abili

tyIm

provement

The PRR as Institutional Assessment

Institutional Assessment

Response to Recommendations

Challenges and opportunities

Enrollment and finance trends/ projections

Linking institutional planning and

budgeting

The PRR and Institutional Effectiveness (#5 of 6]

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• Assessed • Used the results of assessments to:• Improve programs, services, teaching, and learning• Inform planning• Inform resource allocation

Perhaps 5 years ago…?

Set Goals/Outcomes

Assessment Plan

Implement

Use Assessment to

Improve

Processes

: May o

r May

Not be W

ell

Documented

Structures to ensure

success may or may

not be in place.

Buy-in for value of

assessment may have

been a “work in

progress”

Assessment plans

just in the first

stages of

implementation.

Today….

Set Goals/Outcomes

Assessment Plan

Implement

Use Assessment to Improve

Processes

AND

results

are well

documented.

Structures to ensure

success are in place.

Buy-in is evident.

Evidence of

implementation

and use.

Demonstrating Institutional Effectiveness: What to Develop/Look For

Institutional Effectiveness

Culture

Structures Momentum

Outcomes

What is a culture of assessment?

• 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)

Culture

• 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.

Demonstrate that the institution has:

• Organized, sustained processes for assessment (including use of results).

• Guidelines, policies, resources, coordination, and support of assessment.

• Communication strategies.• The importance of a written or on-line

assessment plan.

Structures

Momentum

• Document progress in:• Development of learning

outcomes;• Improvement/refinement of

assessment strategies;• Implementation of assessment

plans (depth and breadth); and• Use of results to improve student

learning and advance the institution.

• Can you describe and document how your assessments have improved?

• Give sense of institution’s next steps.

Outcomes

• 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).

Demonstrating Institutional Effectiveness: What to Develop/Look For

Institutional Effectiveness

Culture

StructuresMomentum

Outcomes

The Nuts and Bolts: Tools to Help Organize for Success

Organize

Think Broadly

Emphasize Uses of Assessment

Link to Planning

Present Results

Make Effective Use of the Web

1. Organize the PRR Using Existing “Assessment” Venues

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

2.Think Broadly

• 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 (cont.)

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.

3. Highlight Uses of Assessment

• Demonstrate how curriculum changed as a result of assessment.

• Identify improvements or changes that have advanced the institution mission.

• Highlight how recommendations in the Self-Study have been implemented

4. Emphasize the Link to Planning

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

5. Presenting Assessment Results

• 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 ofimprovement thereby strengthening our curricula. To that end, the Office of the Provost willmake every effort to support faculty as they assess courses and programs and implementstrategies toward curricular enhancement.” - Dr. Scott A. Bass, Provost

6. Website Communications

• 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

Wrap Up – Questions?

For more information:

American University’s Middle States and PRR websitehttp://www.american.edu/middlestates/index.cfmhttp://www.american.edu/provost/oira

Karen Froslid Jones: kfroslid@american.eduRobin Beads: beads@american.edu