Developing an Assessment Plan
Identifying and Collecting Assessment Evidence
All degree programs at The New School are expected to have an assessment plan in place that describes how and when the program will use evidence to determine if students are meeting faculty expectations for achievement of the program learning outcomes.
Programs are encouraged to incorporate multiple sources of evidence into a multi-year assessment plan (e.g. rubric scores on student capstone work, surveys of graduating students and faculty, meeting notes from faculty meetings), but at least once every three years, faculty should collate and directly evaluate culminating student work to determine the extent to which the learning outcomes are being met by students who have completed most of the coursework in the program.
We recommend identifying a culminating experience or course that aligns with all or most of the program learning outcomes, such as a capstone project at the undergraduate level, a qualifying exam or thesis at the Master's level, or a dissertation at the PhD level. If such a course or capstone work is unavailable, faculty might instead review the work produced by graduating majors in upper-level courses in the program.
Direct Evidence
Capstone experiences, papers, projects, or performances scored using a rubric or checklist
Qualifying papers or dissertations scored using a rubric or checklist
Scores on qualifying examinations or comprehensive examinations when scored using a rubric or test blueprint aligned with the program learning outcomes
Portfolios of student work
Employer or internship supervisor ratings of students' skills that are aligned with the program learning outcomes articulated by faculty
Indirect Evidence
Assignment grades if a rubric was not used to score the assignment
Graduating student ratings and reflections on the knowledge and/or skills gained from the program
Alumni outcomes such as satisfaction, employment rates, and enrollment in graduate programs
Course evaluation results from questions that ask about the course, not the instructor.
College-Wide Assessment Plans
Your college may have adopted a college-wide assessment plan for its academic programs (see below).
Lang/NSSR Learning Environment Assessment Plan (LEAP)
NSSR Learning Environment Assessment Plan (LEAP) for Academic Master's Programs
NSSR Learning Environment Assessment Plan (LEAP) for Academic PhD Programs
FAQ - Why don't grades count as direct assessment?
One of the most common questions from faculty members is why assessment is necessary given that students receive grades. Doesn't a grade already demonstrate that a student has met the course learning goals?
Although a grade is a global indicator as to how one student has performed in a course, it does not directly indicate which learning goals the student has and has not met. A grade of "B" or a "C" may indicate that a student met most goals but not all. Even an "A" grade does not necessarily mean that a student achieved all the program's learning goals, since course assignments and tests may not be directly related to underlying learning goals. Also, grades are often partly based on behavior like course attendance and participation, which are not usually learning goals.
Similarly, overall grade point averages in a program do not indicate whether specific program goals are being achieved. If students in a program have a cumulative GPA of 3.5, what does that tell us about the overall strengths and weaknesses of learning in that program? Program learning is cumulative, but students' performances in individual classes does not necessarily indicate that they are achieving the broader program goals. To evaluate student learning at the program level, it is necessary to examine specific areas of learning separately.
Although grades cannot be used demonstrate which specific program learning goals students have met, grades can on occasion be used to identify courses and topics that are particularly challenging for students.