Maps, Rubrics and Templates

A Primer on Their Uses for Assessment in Student Affairs

Presentation Learning Objectives

• Recognize three distinct tools for documenting, reporting, and communicating program outcomes and impact;

• Gain a basic understanding of the appropriate use of each tool in assessing outcomes and impact;

• Acquire a basic knowledge of the Council for the Advancement of Standards learning domains; and

• Acquire a basic knowledge of the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics

Presentation Outline

• A Brief Overview of the CAS Standards

• Using the CAS Standards for Assessing Student Affairs Programs by Mapping the CAS Learning Domains and Outcomes

• A Brief Overview of the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics

• Using the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics for Assessing Student Learning in Student Affairs Programs

• A Model Template for Documenting, Reporting, and Communicating Assessment Activity

A Brief Overview of the CAS Standards

Founded in 1979 in response to efforts to establish specialized student affairs accreditation

programs

CAS is a consortium of about 40 professional associations representing

over 100,000 professionals.

The Council for the Advancement of Standards exists to:

promote the improvement of programs and services

promote assessment in educational practice

promote the use of standards in practice

to enhance the quality of student learning and development sponsored by student affairs professionals

CAS Mission

They are objective benchmarks developed by people who understand student affairs work.

They promote the development of a shared vision for excellence.

Why I advocate for the use of the CAS Standards

CAS has developed41 Standards and Guidelines

for student affairs functional areas

Ranging from A

Academic Advising Admissions Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs

to W Women’s Programs

and 37 areas in between

represent indispensible requirements of practice

are reasonably achievable by any and all programs of quality within all institutions of higher education

The Standards:

Each standard covers 13 topics:

• Mission• Program• Leadership• Human Resources• Ethics• Legal

Responsibilities• Equity• Diversity

• Organization and Management

• Campus and External Relations

• Financial Resources• Technology• Facilities and

Equipment• Assessment and

Evaluation

CAS Outcomes Domains

Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application

Cognitive complexityIntrapersonal developmentInterpersonal competenceHumanitarianism and civic engagementPractical competence

Using the CAS Standards forAssessing Student Affairs Programs

by Mapping the CAS Standards Learning Domains and Outcomes

A Brief Overview of the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics

Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education

A rubric is a guide that describes levels of student achievement along a continuum. It includes concrete descriptions for different levels of performance and a rating scale for measuring progress in attaining each level.

What is a rubric?

Well-designed rubrics increase reliability in assessment by setting criteria that raters can

apply consistently and objectively.

Why I advocate for the use of rubrics:

AAC&U Essential Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical

and Natural World

Inquiry and analysis Critical and creative thinking Written and oral communication Quantitative literacy Information literacy Teamwork and problem solving

Intellectual and Practical Skills, including:

Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global

Intercultural knowledge and competence Ethical reasoning and action Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Personal and Social Responsibility,including:

Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

Integrative and Applied Learning, including:

The Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education

VALUE Rubrics

Benchmark Level

Milestone Levels

Capstone Level

Using the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics for Assessing Learning

in Student Affairs Programs

A Model Template for Documenting, Reporting, and

Communicating Assessment Activity

the name of the department the name of the program or service assessed a brief summary of the findings the action that will be taken in the next academic year

based on the findings the potential obstacles to completing the action an evaluation of the action taken (once the next

academic year has been completed)

The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment

From Gathering to Using Assessment Results: Lessons from the Wabash National Study

Charles Blaich and Kathleen Wise

NILOA

“Excellence … entails an ethical and moral

commitment. Teachers (and I want to say here

that we are all teachers) with integrity inquire

into the consequences of their work with

students” (p.7).

“Educators with integrity inquire into the

consequences of their work with students.”

-- Lee Shulman

“most institutions already had more than enough actionable assessment evidence – not only in terms of national surveys and standardized outcome measures but also from information in institutional databases, student interviews, reports from external reviewers, and many other sources of information about student learning…

Most institutions have routinized data collection, but they have little experience in reviewing and making sense of data…Most of us behave as through the data in the reports will speak loudly enough to prompt action…But this denies reality on most of our campuses.”