Office of Assessment | Report and Use Results

Report and Use Results

Academic Program Review

At CSU Stanislaus, assessment is "defined as a continuous process used by the University (a) for evaluating the degree to which all University programs and services contribute to the fulfillment of the University's primary mission; and (b) for documenting and improving the University's effectiveness: (Assessment Plan, CSU Stanislaus, 1997).

7 year cycle

The aggregation of six years of assessment reports contribute, during the seventh year, to the Academic Program Review Self Study. The APR cycle begins again as, each year, one or more of the assessment outcomes are reviewed and findings are included in the Annual Report; the seventh year provides a cumulative account compiled into the Academic Program Review Self Study.

Implementation Plan

During the Academic Program Review process, areas for improvement are identified and described in the Implementation Plan. During the APR review cycle, data are reviewed and use to inform program improvement decisions. Planning for continuous imrpovment is then organized through the Implementation Plan, which provides a structure beginning with the recommended actions identified from the APR Self Study.

For additional information, see "Design an Implementation Plan."

Annual Reports

Program faculty submit an annual report on assessment findings and related program maintenance outcomes each academic year. The Office of Institutional Research prepares data annually for each program, including the number of students, faculty, degrees granted, and instructional cost. Based on the Implementation Plan, faculty evaluate the extent to which course and program outcomes have been met. The six years of annual reports collectively become the basis for the Academic Program Review.

Annual Report Components

The Annual Report components will mirror those found in the Implementation Plan.

Report Components	Guiding Criteria
Assessed Outcomes	List the outcome(s) assessed over the past academic year (program learning outcomes and program maintenance outcomes).
Assessment Methods	Describe the assessment methods used. Assessment methods are clearly explained and are appropriate for the learning outcome(s). Best Practices: Achievement targets are specific and measurable. Benchmarking is employed periodically. Reviewers are calibrated and faculty routinely find assessment data to have high inter-rater reliability.
Data Reviewed and Findings	Provide a description of data reviewed and a summary of the findings. Describe the process for evaluating/analyzing the findings. Data sources are described and are appropriate for the outcome being assessed. Findings are summarized in a concise, well-organized manner. Specific assessment data need NOT be disclosed, but conclusions should be. Best Practices: Provide evidence that targets were met, partially met, or not met. Compare new findings to past assessment of the same learning outcome, as appropriate. Exhibit good understanding of implications to the academic program.
Actions	Defines logical "next step" for the program in response to the findings. Analysis identifies key areas that need to be monitored, remediated, or enhanced. Actions are specific and directly related to the outcomes and the results of the assessment. Persons or groups responsible for implementing the action plan are identified. The number of actions is manageable. Resource, if needed, are identified.
Return to the Implementation Plan/Closing the Loop	Program faculty identify improvements that should be made to the assessment process, if appropriate. Evidence is provided that actions are being carried out and that they are resulting in improvement to student learning. Learning outcomes are reassessed on a regular basis and the effect of previous action plans are evaluated.

Annual Report Template

Annual Report Template.doc

Sample Annual Report - Biological Sciences.pdf