Welcome!

A-team

Session 1

Fall 2007

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

Assessment Definitions Activity

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 and Concerns Activity

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.”

Rethinking Assessment

Assessment is really about learning and improvement.

(Love & Estranek, 2004)

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

Why is assessment important??

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 Two: Select Step Two: Select Paradigm/ThreadParadigm/Thread

Alignment Alignment

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

Student Affairs Learning and Development Objectives

Objectives

Leadership Intercultural Competence Cognitive Development Interpersonal Skills Self-Esteem Collaboration Healthy Behavior Social Responsibility

How Does It All Fit??

Mission of Division Mission of Department Learning and Development Objectives

One-Minute Message

Take Home Assignments

•Read Student Affairs Learning and Development Objectives

•Meet With Supervisor