Related Programs and Activities
Several related programs and activities to learning outcomes assessment are occurring throughout the country. Listed here are some. Check back as we add to the Web page.
Achieving the Dream
American Democracy Project
Association of American Universities Data Exchange (AAUDE)
Center of Inquiry: Assessment Support
New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability
Rising to the Challenge: Meaningful Assessment of Student Learning
University and Colleges Accountability Network (U-CAN)
Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE)
Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA)
Description
Achieving the Dream is a national initiative for community college student success. Its primary focus is to help student groups who have traditionally faced significant barriers, particularly low-income students and students of color, to reach their individual goals of obtaining higher education degrees and better jobs. Emphasizing a data-driven approach, this initiative seeks to motivate institutional change, policy change, public engagement, and knowledge development.
Related Articles and Resources
Achieving the Dream (2007, October). Success is what counts. Washington, DC. 
This report summarizes the Achieving the Dream initiative, particularly detailing how the initiative is designed to meet the needs of community college characteristics and challenges.
Bashford, J., & Slater, D. (2008, January). Assessing and improving student outcomes: What we are learning at Miami Dade College. New York: CCRC, Teachers College, Columbia University.
This paper presents Miami Dade College’s institutional effectiveness office use of data to make decisions about college operations in an attempt to improve student outcomes. Strategies are presented and examples of institutionalizing those strategies are examined.
Miller, M. (Ed.) (2009, January-February). Courageous conversations: Achieving the dream and the importance of student success. Change Magazine.
This issue of Change Magazine offers a special spotlight on Achieving the Dream with three articles that offer different perspectives examining the successes, challenges, and future of the initiative.
Description
The American Democracy Project is a multi-campus initiative focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. It was started through a partnership with AASCU and The New York Times and includes 231 participating colleges and universities. Participating institutions are committed to producing active, involved citizens as graduates.
Description
The American Diploma Project (ADP) is an initiative driven by Achieve, Inc., a bi-partisan, non-profit organization. Within 34 participating states, the ADP brings together governors, state education officials, postsecondary leaders, and business executives to cooperatively improve postsecondary preparation. Some common goals include: (a) aligning high school standards with the necessary knowledge and skills for transition to college and work, (b) providing access to rigorous high school courses, (c) streamlining assessment systems, and (d) ensuring accountability for students’ success. For a brief overview of ADP from the Achieve, Inc website, click here.
Related Articles and Resources
American Diploma Project (2004). Ready or Not: Creating a high school diploma that counts on the Achieve, Inc website. 
This report defines the English and math benchmarks that high school students must achieve to be prepared for credit-bearing college courses and high-performance, high-paying jobs, as well as demonstrates how current high-school exit expectations fall considerably short of the demands of both employers and colleges.
National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, & Achieve, Inc. (2008). Benchmarking for success: Ensuring U.S. students receive a world-class education. Washington, DC: National Governors Association. 
Report that presents benchmarking of education systems against those of top-performing nations and calls for action to ensure students receive an education that provides opportunities for college and career success.
Rosenbaum, J. E. (2004). It’s time to tell the kids: If you don’t do well in high school, you won’t do well in college (or on the job). American Educator.
This article outlines research findings suggesting that high school students do not understand the connection between high school class performance (considering both grades received and academic rigor) and college success. The American Diploma Project makes connections to research and suggestions are offered for addressing the problem.
Association of American Universities Data Exchange (AAUDE)
Description
AAUDE is a public service organization whose purpose is to improve the quality and usability of information about higher education. Membership is comprised of AAU institutions that participate in the exchange of data/information to support decision-making at their institution.
The data exchanged and reports prepared by AAUDE include both public and confidential topics. For an informational guide on the project, click here.
Center of Inquiry: Assessment Support
Description
The Center for Inquiry works with faculty and staff at liberal arts institutions to develop stronger assessment programs that match the institutions unique mission and culture. To learn about the Center of Inquiry Blog, click here.
New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability
Description
The New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability (the Alliance) was established to improve student learning at the undergraduate level and to find educationally valid ways of demonstrating that such improvement is taking place. The Alliance aims to improve student learning through voluntary and cooperative professional efforts to significantly improve assessment of, and accountability for, student learning outcomes. It also aims to convey to the higher education community and the larger public the importance of a quality college education in preparation for work, life, and responsible citizenship.
Related Articles and Research
Jaschik, S. (2009, October 26). Turning surveys into reforms. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/26/nsse
This past weekend was the ten year anniversary for NSSE, this article found in Inside Higher Ed captures the significant of this celebration and raises questions for the future of assessments.
Paris, D.C. (2009, November 6). The clock is ticking. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/11/06/paris
Implications from this viewpoint piece from Insider Higher Education are important for higher education assessment. Arguing that there will be greater accountability from the Obama administration, then higher education institutions must be ready for assessments. Article written by the executive director of the New Leadership Alliance.
Rising to the Challenge: Meaningful Assessment of Student Learning
Description
Rising to the Challenges is a consortium between AAC&U, ASSDCU, and NASULGC to build leadership and capacity to implement meaningful student learning assessment approaches. This project is in response to the need to examine multiple purposes of learning assessment and to test the validity and comparability of assessment approaches. There are three main strands of work from this project which include: a) examination of the measurement tools recommended as part of the VSA as to if the tools measure similar or dissimilar outcomes or levels of achievement; b) development of an e-portfolio framework and rubrics based on authentic examples of student work over time; and c) development of a survey instrument to measure changes in student growth related to workplace and civic engagement skills.
Description
Transparency by Design is an initiative, developed by the Presidents’ Forum, to lead universities and colleges toward greater accountability and transparency. The initiative’s members comprise a consortium of regionally accredited, adult-serving, distance educational institutions. The initiative focuses on providing information, including learning program-specific outcomes data that allow students to make informed decisions about educational options. Starting in 2009, an annual Learning Outcomes Report will be issued that include student demographics, completion rates, costs, student engagement, and knowledge and skills learned. Learning Outcomes Reports will include outcomes at the program specialization level, allowing prospective students to assess how well a program will prepare them for their professional pursuits. For an example and template to guide interested and participating institutions click here.
Lederman, D. (2009, August 4). The Challenge of comparability. Inside Higher Ed.
A brief description of the project and potential use, written around the date of the launching of the project's website.
Description
TUNING started in 2000 as a project in Europe linked to the Bologna Process and Lisbon Strategy. It has developed into a process that can be applied to educational programs to develop, implement, and evaluate quality of degree programs. The process employs faculty meeting within disciplines to discuss learning outcomes. It was developed by and for higher education institutions.
Related Articles and Resources
Brochure for the Tuning program
Latest Tuning publications can be found here
A informative and entertaining overview video on Tuning from Lumnia Foundation.
Jaschik, S. (2009, April 8). 'Tuning' College Degrees. Inside Higher Ed.
University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN)
Description
U-CAN is a Web-based resource designed to give students and parents concise, consumer-friendly information on nonprofit, private colleges and universities in a common format. U-CAN was developed and is managed by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). Through focus groups, students and parents shared the information they most need to make an informed college choice which was then included in the institutional profiles. The in-depth information included in the institutional profiles includes admissions, enrollment, academics, student demographics, graduation rates, most common fields of study, transfer of credit policy, accreditation, faculty information, class size, tuition and fee trends, price of attendance, financial aid, campus housing, student life, and campus safety.
Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE)
Description
VALUE is part of the Association of American Colleges and Universities liberal education and America’s promise initiative. It seeks to contribute to the national dialogue on student learning assessment by using multiple expert judgments of the quality of student work over a reliance on standardized tests. VALUE assumes that assessment data are needed to guide planning, teaching, and improvement and that good assessment requires multiple assessments over time. It is part of AAC&U’s larger project, Rising to the Challenge, which establishes a consortium between AAC&U, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges to build leadership and capacity for student learning assessment.
Related Articles and Resources
AAC&U. (2009). Assessing learning outcomes: Lessons from AAC&U’s VALUE project. Peer Review, 11(1). http://www.aacu.org/peerreview/pr-wi09/pr-wi09_index.cfm
The entire Winter 2009 edition of Peer Review addresses the VALUE project. Information presented includes an overview of the project, information on e-portfolios, application of rubrics, assessment process, and the use of assessment results for improvements.
Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA)
Description
The Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) is a voluntary initiative for 4-year public colleges and universities developed by the American Association of State College and Universities and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. The VSA communicates information on the undergraduate student experience through a common web reporting template, the College Portrait by demonstrating accountability and stewardship to the public; measuring educational outcomes to identify effective practices; and assembling information that is accessible, understandable, and comparable. The information is intended for students, families, policy-makers, campus faculty and staff, the general public, and other higher education stakeholders. For an overview of the college portrait click here. 
Related Articles and Resources
Miller, M. A. (2008, July/August). The voluntary system of accountability: Origins and purposes. Change Magazine.
This article presents an interview conducted with George Mehaffy and David Shulenberger who are vice presidents of AASCU and NASULGC respectively, which lead the development of the VSA. The article presents background information, what different stakeholder groups want to know about higher education, and discussions on reporting learning outcomes.
“NILOA is helping take stock of our educational capital—the skills and knowledge college graduates are acquiring—by giving us a comprehensive picture of higher education’s efforts to assess student accomplishment.” |
