Assessment Plan Guidelines
Assessment Cycle
Academic programs and identified co-curricular units engage in annual assessment of student learning outcomes. Reports of assessment practices, findings, and the way findings were used and shared are submitted annually on October 15. These reports are evaluated and returned with feedback to encourage ongoing improvement of our collective assessment practice.
Assessment Plans
Academic programs and other units develop and implement assessment plans best suited to the requirements of the discipline and/or accrediting agency and the expectations of the faculty and students. They then summarize this information via four documents:
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The outcomes library, which identifies all of the student learning outcomes the program assesses and connects them to undergraduate or graduate learning goals;
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The curriculum map, which identifies the courses and experiences that address each of the outcomes (not required for co-curricular units); the
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The assessment plan, which may be a mutli-year document that maps out the assessment cycle over time (likely for academic programs) or a one-year document that maps out the assessment just for that academic year (likley for co-curricular programs):
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Sample multi-year template:
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Sample academic year template:
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Assessment Reporting
The Student Outcomes Assessment and Success Report (SOAS Report) is submitted to the Office of Assessment and Accreditation annually. For academic programs, the due date is October 15, though college deans may set earlier internal deadlines. The due date for co-curricular programs is determined annually.
The SOAS Report includes information on 1) student learning outcomes assessment, 2) student success indicators, and 3) career readiness practices. Faculty and staff reflect on their practices, student achievement, and ways to use findings for continuous improvement.
The report template can be found here:
Career Readiness curriculum map template:
Timeline
August - Program Chairs will be asked annually to verify that the learning outcomes library, curriculum map, and assessment plan on file with the Office of Assessment and Accreditation are current. Updates can be made at any time, and the Assessment and Accreditation Coordinator is happy to provide guidance. Student performance data relative to outcomes will be collected throughout the academic year.
October 15 - Student Outcomes Assessment & Success Reports (SOAS reports) are due from each academic program. College deans may set earlier dates for initial review. Please refer to college-based communications for more details.
November - SOAS reports are evaluated and returned to program chairs to recognize strong practices and assist with improvement of overall assessment capacity and practice. The rubric used to evaluate reports is included below.
If you have questions, please contact Kelley Woods-Johnson, Assessment & Accreditation Coordinator, at Kelley.Woods-Johnson@indstate.edu or 812-237-7975.
Contact
Kelley Woods-Johnson, Ph.D.
Assessment and Accreditation Coordinator
Indiana State University
Rankin 243
(812) 237-7975
Kelley.Woods-Johnson@indstate.edu
Meet
I am happy to meet to discuss your assessment needs. Feel free to email, call, or set up a virtual appointment.
I am not holding office hours in the FCTE this fall as usual, but I hope to be back in Spring 2021.