How will we know when we have achieved our goal for learning assessment?

Using the guidelines established by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges in its Addendum to the Handbook of Accreditation, Second Edition, March 2000, an appropriate culture of assessment for Missouri State University-West Plains can be described as follows:

• Faculty members are engaged in interpreting assessment results, discussing their implications, recommending changes in academic programs, and other areas in order to improve student learning.
• All academic units or programs are collecting, interpreting, and using the results obtained from assessing student learning in general education, undergraduate majors, and in graduate programs.
• The conclusions faculty reach after reviewing the assessment results and the recommendations they make regarding proposed changes in teaching methods, curriculum, course content, instructional resources, and in academic support services are incorporated into regular departmental and/or institutional planning and included in the determination of the priorities for funding and implementation.
• Assessment findings about the state of student learning are incorporated into reviews of academic programs and into the self-study of institutional effectiveness.
• Academic unit heads are documenting the changes made in pedagogy, curriculum, course content, academic resources, and support services to improve student learning as a result of the faculty's responses and to assessment.
• Student learning has become central to the culture of the university and finding ways to improve it are ongoing.
• A "culture of evidence" has emerged, sustained by a faculty and administrative commitment to excellent teaching and effective learning.
• Explicit statements regarding the university's expectations for student learning are widely publicized.
• Programmatic benchmarks are established, against which student's learning outcomes are assessed.
• The university publicly and regularly celebrates demonstrated student learning, performance, and achievement.

The Assessment Committee acknowledges that Missouri State University-West Plains has not achieved all of the objectives described in the above criteria. However, the our current assessment plan demonstrates movement has been in the right direction. The Assessment Committee, and the Faculty Coordinator of Learning Assessment are resolved to find ways to assist our faculty, students, and staff in achieving the objectives.

Rubric for Evaluating Assessment Programs

Score	Level	Plan	Data	Analysis	Response
1	Undeveloped	Absence of objectives, methods of assessment, statement of procedures for most programs	No data reported for most programs	No analysis and evaluation of student outcomes	No action response reported (action response may be decision to change or maintain program elements)
2	Developing	Objectives, methods of assessment, procedures only partially developed for most programs or not developed for all programs	Data from assessments only partially reported for most programs or not reported for all programs	Some analysis and evaluation of student outcomes for some programs, or a significant number of programs with incomplete analysis and evaluation	Some indication of an action response for some programs; action response indicated but not clearly connected to analysis and evaluation of student outcomes
3	Established	Objectives, methods of assessment, procedures basically in place for all programs	Basic reporting of data for all programs (allowing for some data not to be reported because not yet available)	Some analysis and evaluation of student outcomes for all programs	Consideration of action response for most programs
4	Exemplary	Clearly stated objectives, methods of assessment, procedures and rationale for choice of methods of assessment relative to objectives for all programs	Data clearly reported for all methods of assessment for all programs	Clearly developed and well thought out analysis and evaluation for all programs	Clearly stated action response indicating thoughtful use of data for improvement of one or more programs