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Making Changes Based on Program Assessment Results

 

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Making Changes Based on Program Assessment Results

Assessment should not take place in a vacuum. It should be an ongoing process the intention of which is to help a program continue to evolve and improve. In order for that to happen, program directors and faculty need to actively review assessment results and act upon them, experimenting with ways that the program can be changed with goal being to move closer to graduating successful, ideal students.

Implementing Changes

Often programs complete the assessment process but fall down when it comes to following through with changes based upon the information gained during the process. Part of the reporting phase is identifying changes to make in both the program itself and the assessment process (these often go together). In order to implement these successfully, it is crucial to undertake making these changes as soon as possible.

  • identify targets of change during the review and reporting process
  • select a workable number and target group of changes to focus on (as appropriate work with program faculty to develop these changes)
  • create a timeline for putting changes into effect
  • revise assessment measures as necessary based upon prior experience (as appropriate work with program faculty to develop these changes)
  • ascertain that all faculty (especially part-time faculty) are fully informed about the results of the assessment process, the subsequent changes in the program, and resulting changes in the assessment measures being employed. In order for program change to take place it is critical that part-time faculty be brought into the process and kept informed of department and divisional thinking. The more completely their experience and expertise can be incorporated into the program's process, the more invested they will be in its success.
  • proceed with the next cycle of assessment

Created June 7, 2007
Revised March 5, 2008