Assessment

1. DefinitionofassessmentofstudentlearningfromAssessmentClearandSimple:APracticalGuide
forInstitutions,DepartmentsandGeneralEducationbyBarbaraE.Walvoord(JohnWiley&Sons,
2004,pp.23.)

Theauthordefinesassessmentasthesystematiccollectionofinformationaboutstudent
learning,usingthetime,knowledge,expertise,andresourcesavailable,inordertoinform
decisionabouthowtoimprovelearning.

Assessmentisakindofactionresearchtoinformlocalpractice.Aprocessofseekingthe
bestavailableindicatorstoseeifgoalsarebeingmet.Includesfieldspecificandprofessional
judgmentsaboutlearningoutcomeswhichareusedtoinformdepartmentalandinstitutional
decisions.

Assessmentmeansbasingdecisionsaboutcurriculum,pedagogy,staffing,advising,andstudent
supportuponthebestpossibledataaboutstudentlearningandthefactorsthataffectit.

Aprocessthatinvolves1)establishinggoalsforstudentlearning,2)gatheringqualitativeand
quantitativeevidenceforhowwellstudentsmeetthosegoals,and3)usingtheinformationto
improve.

Assessmentcanspanfromtheclassroomtoprogramandinstitutionallevels,fromclassproject
evaluationstoalignmentofthatevaluationtodepartmentallearninggoals.

2. DefinitionofassessmentfromAssessmentEssentials:Planning,Implementing,andImproving
AssessmentinHigherEducation,byCatherineA.PalombaandTrudyW.Banta,(SanFrancisco:
JosseyBass,1999:35).

Assessmentisthesystematiccollection,review,anduseofinformationabouteducational
programsundertakenforthepurposeofimprovingstudentlearninganddevelopment
(adaptedfromMarchese1987).

Assessmentcommonlyreferstostudentoutcomesassessment,butwithanemphasisonactual
outcomesratherthanintendedoutcomes,asdescribedinstatementsofexpectations.

Meaningofassessmentisdrivenbyquestionsitseekstoansweraboutwhatstudentsshould
know,whattheinstitutioncontributestostudentgrowth,howlearningcanbeimproved.
Assessmentsshouldincludeinputsandenvironment(i.e.wherestudentsstartfrom),aswellas
studentsexperiencesthroughtheprocessofschoolingandeducationaloutputs,wherethey
endup.

3. FromStudentLearningAssessment:OptionsandResources,(Philadelphia,PA:MiddleStates
CommissiononHigherEducation,2003:p.5)

Thepurposeofassessmentistoengageacampuscommunitycollectivelyinasystematicand
continuingprocesstocreatesharedlearninggoalsandtoenhancelearning.

4. FromAssessingStudentLearningandInstitutionalEffectiveness:UnderstandingMiddleStates
Expectations,byMiddleStatesCommissiononHigherEducation(Philadelphia,PA,2005:p.3).

Thisdocumentdefinesassessmentabittautologically,butseesitaspartofanoverallplanning
assessmentcycle:defininginstitutionalandunitlevelgoals;implementingstrategiesto
achievethosegoals;assessingachievementofthosegoals;andusingtheresultsofthe
assessmentstoimproveprogramsandservicesandinformplanningandresourceallocation
decisions.

5. BeyondBeanCounting:CreatingDepartmentalAssessmentthatisManageableandMeaningful,
presentationbyPatriciaM.Dwyer(KutztownUniversityAssessmentSymposium,17April2008).

Assessmentofstudentlearning:theprocessbywhichweascertainthroughdatacollectionif
studentshavelearnedtheskills,content,andhabitsofmindthatwillmakethemsuccessful;if
studentsarenotlearning,wedecideonchangesinthecurriculumorteachingstrategyto
improvelearning.

6. FromFacultyInvolvementinAssessment:WhyIsItsoHardtoAchieve?byTrudyW.Banta
(AssessmentUpdate8.5,SeptOct1996:3).

Here,outcomesassessmentisdistinguishedfromindividualstudentorclassroomassessment
anddescribedastheprocessofexaminingtheachievementofgroupsofstudentstoseewhat
thatmaytellusabouthowtoenrichourteaching,enablestudentstolearnmore,andimprove
thecurriculum.

7. FromAssessmentsThroughtheLearningProcessbyEricShepherdandJanetGodwin,awhite
paper(QuestionmarkCorporation,2004)

Assessmentisthetermgenericallyusedtodescribequizzes,test,surveys,andexams.Asa
generalcategoryitself,assessmentisanysystematicmethodofobtainingevidencefromposing
questionstodrawinferencesabouttheknowledge,attitudes,andothercharacteristicsof
 peopleforaspecificpurpose.Therearedifferentusesofassessments:diagnostic,formative,
needs,reaction,summative.

8. AssessmentinAccreditation:HasItMadeaDifference?byJamesT.Rogers(AssessmentUpdate
9.4,JulAug1997:1).

Assessmentwasassociatedwithanewtermin1997,institutionaleffectiveness,andrelated
toquestionsaboutpositivechangeandimprovementintheinstitutionorquality
improvement.

9. Assessment,Acountability,andStudentLearningOutcomesbyRichardFrye.
http://ac.wwu.edu/~dialogue/issue2.htmlaccessed15Nov2006.

AccordingtoFrye,whenweassessourownperformance,itsassessment;whenothersassess
ourperformance,itsaccountability.Thatis,assessmentisasetofinitiativeswetaketomonitor
theresultsofouractionsandimproveourselves;accountabilityisasetofinitiativesotherstake
tomonitortheresultsofouractions,andtopenalizeorrewardusbasedontheoutcomes.

Assessmentisnotanendinitselfbutavehicleforeducationimprovement(AAHEqtdinFrye).
Assessmentaimsatthecontinuingimprovementofstudentdevelopment,andisgenerally
consistentwithavalueaddedconceptofeducation;notethattherationaleforhavingbetter
programsistoensurebetterstudentoutcomes

10. SixStepstoContinuousImprovementofStudentLearning
http://www.kent.edu/aqip/LearningAssessment/sixsteps.cfm,accessed15Nov2006.

Thiscycleincludessixstepswhicharealignedgenerallywiththedefinitionofassessmentby
Walvoordandthethreestepssheidentifies.Here,afinerbreakdownoftheprocessis
provided:1)identifygoals,2)identifyobjectives,3)specificapproaches,4)specifymeasures,5)
evaluateandshareresults,6)makechanges.

Describingtheimportanceofstudentlearningassessment,thesitelistsvariousfactorsunder
theheadingofimprovement:theselfreflectionoffacultyandstaffonlearninggoalsand
instructionalandservicedelivery;determininghowwellgoalscorrespondtostudentand
societalneeds;evaluatinghowwellstudentactivitiesandproductsalignwithexpectations
abouttheirlearninggoals;communicatingtostudentswhatspecificskills,etc.theycanexpect
tohavelearnedfromsuccessfullycompletingaprogram;help[ing]academicandstudents
supportunitsunderstandthedimensionsofstudentlearningwhenseekingtoimprovestudent
achievementandtheeducationalprocess.


11. WhatDrawsCampusLeaderstoEmbraceOutcomesAssessment?ByTrudyBanta,(Assessment
Update17.5,2005:3,1415.)

Bantasarticledescribesinstitutionalleadersperspectiveonassessmentasfindingwaysto
demonstrateandimprovestudentlearningtopromotepositiveinstitutionalchange.Also
describedbyoneCAOasmakingfeedbackaboutstudentsstrengths,challenges,andprogress
anintegralcomponentoftheeducationalexperience.Anotherdescribedassessmentasaway
tochangethestatusquowithdataratherthanwithrhetoric(3).Achiefstudentaffairsofficer
seesassessmentaslinkedtotheuniversitysresponsibilityforstewardship.Findingouthowwell
hisprogram/unitisdoingispartofbeingagoodstewardofthelimitedresourcesthatparents,
students,andwithapublicinstitution,thestate,wereentrustingtomeandmystaff(14).
Assessmentisessentiallyaboutasking:Howarewedoing?Otherrelatedquestions:What
areyoutryingtoachieve?Howareyoudoing?Howdoyouknow?Whatareyoudoingto
improve?(14).

Assessmentisawaytogiveindividualstudentsfeedbackabouttheirstrengthsandweaknesses,
whichhelpsthemmakedeterminationsabouttheirpersonalgoalsandprogress.Itcanattract
andfocusfacultyandstaffonthebestwaystoimprovecurriculum,instruction,andstudent
services.Attheinstitutionallevel,italsoprovidestangibleevidenceofprogresstoward
strategicgoalsthatcanbeusebothinternallyandexternally(15).

12. AnAssessmentFrameworkFortheCommunityCollegeMeasuringStudentLearningand
AchievementasaMeansofDemonstratingInstitutionalEffectiveness.
http://www.league.org/publication/whitepapers/0804.html

Accordingtothiswhitepaper,theassessmentofstudentlearningcangeneratedatatosupport
continuousimprovementeffortsnecessaryfordocumentinginstitutionaleffectiveness.

Thispaper,whileemphasizingtheroleofassessmentatthecommunitycollegelevel,usesthe
phrasecontinuousimprovementthroughout,oftenasasynecdochefortheassessmentcycle
describedinearlierexcerpts.Thepaperregularlyreferstoaprocessofcontinuous
improvement,continuousimprovementefforts,continuousimprovementinitiatives,
institutionalimprovement,etc.

13. TheEportfolio:aToolforAuthenticAssessmentbyGearidSilleabhinMScEcon,September,
2004.http://learning.ericsson.net/socrates/doc/conf/gospaper.doc

ThephraseauthenticassessmentisrelevantinparticulartotheclaimsmadeabouttheCLAto
providestudentswithauthenticassessmentscenariosintheirtests.
 AfterHerman,AschbacherandWintersthetermsalternativeassessmentand
authenticassessmentareusedheresynonymouslytomeanvariantsofperformance
assessmentsthatrequirestudentstogenerateratherthanchoosearesponse(2).Such
assessmentisseenasalternativetotraditionaltesting(Barrett2001)andauthenticin
thesenseoftestingalearnersabilitytocarryoutactivitiesthatresembleauthentic
situations(EltonandJohnston2002,40).

14. ThePendulumSwingofStandardsandEvidence,byLarryA.BraskampandDavidC.Braskamp,
CouncilforHigherEducationAccreditationChronicle6.2(Aug2003).Accessed7Aug2008.
http://www.chea.org/Chronicle/vol1/no5/index.html

Aninterestingbigpicturepointaboutwaystothinkaboutassessinginstitutionaleffectiveness
relatedtoaccreditationspecifically,butmakessensewithregardtoassessmentgenerally.They
arguethatstudentoutcomesnotbeconsideredtheonlymarkerofeducationalquality.

Distinguishqualitybasedonstudentperformanceandinstitutionaleffectiveness.A
seventhchallengeistomakecertainthatthemultiplemissionsoftheinstitutionremain
atthecoreofaccreditation.Atmostinstitutions,somecombinationofteaching,
research,andpublicservice(alsoknownasoutreach,engagement)aresupported.If
studentperformancebecomestoomuchthefocusofdefiningqualityinaccreditation,
thepublicgoodoftheinstitutionbecomesredefinedintermsoftheprivategainofthe
students.Highereducationmakesmultiplecontributionstooursociety,andtheymust
berecognizedinanyevaluationofqualityandintegrity.Practically,amultiple
perspectivesstrategyemployingmultipleindicatorsandmeasuresofqualityand
effectivenessisrequired.