In this article, the author discusses how educators can set the context of assessment conversations by looking at "well-lighted sites" for valuable, though certainly introductory, explorations that can set the stage for the more probing and more complex assessment work to come. The author suggests that in initial assessment conversations, it may…

Since the establishment of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program of the Department of English in the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 1985, student enrollments, student needs, program policies, course curriculum, and testing procedures had all seen significant changes. However, there…

Towson University (TU) is in a period of growth in both students and facilities. To guide this growth, TU relies on its strategic plan, Towson 2010, to focus its strategic decisions through 2010. Release of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data for 2005 coincided with a call for academic excellence and accelerated growth at Towson…

The role of accreditation in the United States is facing increased scrutiny, due in part to the impending renewal of the Higher Education Act and to the report of the U.S. Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The report claims that a "transformation of accreditation" toward an exclusively outcomes-focused system…

Higher education research consistently finds that student attrition is caused by a lack of academic and social engagement. Many colleges and universities are now experimenting with living-learning communities in one form or another in order to enhance student-college fit. Rollins College, a selective comprehensive institution with a successful…

The U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point is responsible for developing in its graduates literacy in the sciences that renders them capable of solving complex real-world problems. Throughout their careers as officers in the military, graduates will be called upon to view the physical world in a disciplined and objective manner, with an…

During the 2006 Spring semester, student affairs administrators at West Virginia University called on all student affairs units to develop assessment plans that focused on student learning. Student affairs units were required to begin their assessment plans by selecting at least one learning outcome to measure. The Assessment Council, ten…

Once a campus reaches the point where all academic units are actively involved in assessing student learning outcomes, it is tempting to sit back and declare victory. However, it has been found that the assessment process itself must be assessed regularly in order for it to continue to be effective. Each spring, the campus-wide assessment…

Like many institutions, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) has struggled to move beyond anecdotal sketches of student experiences to a more detailed picture of student engagement supported by methodically and systematically collected quantitative data. In 2004, as part of its ongoing commitment to data-informed or data-based decision making, the…

In the current climate of emphasis on outcomes assessment, colleges and universities are working diligently to create assessment processes for student learning outcomes, competence in general education, student satisfaction with services, and electronic tracking media to document evidence of competence in graduates. Benchmarking has become a…

Value added has emerged as a hot-button topic in the assessment literature, due in large part to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education. Value added, as conceptualized by Astin (1985), reflects talent development, "changes in the student from the beginning to the end of an educational program. These changes can cover a wide range of…

A recent article in "The Chronicle of Higher Education" comparing perceptions of college preparedness in writing from the vantage point of high school teachers and college faculty shows that the two groups have dramatically different views. What accounts for these differences in perception? What types of writing assignments are high school…

Creating a climate of assessment is critical for fostering institutional change. This article discusses the authors' work in the Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year project, which has confirmed (across very different campuses) the centrality of assessment in the development and implementation of successful programs to strengthen…

The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. Feedback can be achieved through the use of classroom assessment techniques (CATs). CATs are designed to provide both faculty and students with the feedback necessary to increase the quality of teaching and learning throughout the semester (Angelo and Cross, 1993). CATs…

The Commission on the Future of Higher Education appointed by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings issued a report in September 2006 entitled "A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education" [U.S. Department of Education, 2006(ED493504)]. Two key commission recommendations are stated: "Higher education institutions should…