Assessment Plan Progress Evaluation

Stages of Assessment Plan Development

The Assessment Council has established four categories to describe the various stages of assessment plan development in order to evaluate progress and determine how best to provide support:

• Formative – the program/office is in the early phases of assessment. The unit may or may not have learning objectives documented; the unit has assigned assessment efforts only to an individual; assessment work has been limited to episodic activity, typically in response to external demands.
• Emerging – the program/office is working on assessment. The unit has created learning objectives and mapped courses or activities to those objectives; the unit has identified the types of evidence to be collected and may have collected some data; assessment work involves only a couple of faculty or staff members.
• Mature – the program/office has been working on assessment for some time. The unit has identified and is collecting evidence; there is some indication of using findings to make changes; assessment work involves multiple faculty or staff; the program/office is moving toward a culture of assessment.
• Exemplary – the program/office has a well established and effective assessment process. Assessment data are being used to refine and improve programs and activities; assessment work includes all or most of the faculty or staff members; there is clear indication of a culture of assessment.