Assessment Planning and Reporting

Part 3: Assessment Findings

As assessments are administered and scored, the raw data should be collected in a secure place. Periodically (usually annually), the data should be summarized using descriptive statistics (percent of students meeting proficiency level, etc.). The data will also be more useful if it can be disaggregate, for example by demographic characteristics that are relevant to the program or by delivery method. Some departments choose to compile longitudinal data to look for trends.

A report of the results should be shared with all faculty, and discussion opportunities should be scheduled. A focus question for discussion could be "What conclusions can you draw from the data?" The results of the discussions should be documented in meeting minutes.

Here is a simple example of a summary of findings for two student learning outcomes.