Integrating Assessment and Compact Planning

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Integrating Assessment and Compact Planning

• Division of Student Affairs
• August Retreat 2004
• Carrie Zelna
• Director of Student Affairs Research and
  Assessment
• Carrie_Zelna_at_ncsu.edu
• 513-7524

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Program Overview

• Where to find resources for Assessment and
  Compact Planning
• How to incorporate your assessment work into the
  Compact Planning Process

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Resources

• Compact Planning instructions are located on the
  UPA website
• http//www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/compactplan/index.htm
  
• Assessment Plan information is located on the
  SARA website
• http//www.ncsu.edu/student_affairs/sara/

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Compact Planning Where does assessment fit in?

• Compact Introduction (mission, objectives,
  outcomes, measures, data and decisions)
• Throughout the Compact initiatives (objectives,
  outcomes, measures)

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I.  Compact Introduction

• Provide a brief overview of the unit  its
  mission, primary functions, composition, and
  size. 
• Provide a context for the initiatives that follow
  by briefly describing
• how the unit has contributed to achievement
  of university goals in the last few years.
• the units goals and aspirations.  Describe
  the next level the unit is working to reach
  (e.g., higher rankings, expansion of reach and
  impact, etc.)
• recent performance on measures you use to
  monitor the effectiveness of your unit.  Append a
  list of the outcome and performance measures you
  use.  Where possible, include historical trend
  data for each measure.  Comment on areas of
  particular success and/or of concern in these
  data that are addressed by initiatives in this
  compact plan.
• key findings from recent evaluations of the
  unit and its programs, such as program or
  accreditation reviews, consultant reports, or
  other assessments.  Summarize or provide examples
  showing how the results of these evaluations have
  been used to improve programs and services,
  especially if they are addressed by initiatives
  in this compact plan.
• any other information that provides a useful
  context for the compact plan. 
• Please limit this section to 4 pages or less.

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Compact Introduction

• I.  Introduction
• -Provide a brief overview of the unit  its
  mission, primary functions (bulleted list of all
  objectives), composition, and size. 
• -Provide a context for the initiatives that
  follow by briefly describing
• how the unit has contributed to achievement of
  university goals in the last few years. How does
  your unit mission relate to the university
  mission and goals?

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Compact Introduction

• the units goals and aspirations.  Describe the
  next level the unit is working to reach (e.g.,
  higher rankings, expansion of reach and impact,
  etc.)
• This information should be reflected in your
  objectives(and maybe some outcomes). Objectives
  reflect the broad impact your unit will have on
  students, staff, and community. In a broad
  sense, what is it that you are trying to
  accomplish? List the objectives that relate to
  the initiatives you include in your compact. You
  could list those in bullet format for easier
  reading.

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• We have talked about how unit mission and
  objectives fit into compact planning but where
  will we include outcomes?

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What is the difference?

• Recent performance on measures you use to monitor
  the effectiveness of your unit.   Append a list
  of the outcome and performance measures you use.
  Where possible, include historical trend data
  for each measure.  Comment on areas of particular
  success and/or of concern in these data that are
  addressed by initiatives in this compact plan

• Key findings from recent evaluations of the unit
  and its programs such as program or accreditation
  reviews, consultant reports, or other
  assessments.  Summarize or provide examples
  showing how the results of these evaluations have
  been used to improve programs and services,
  especially if they are addressed by initiatives
  in this compact plan.

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Type of DataDefining Indicatorshttp//www2.acs.
ncsu.edu/UPA/compactplan/compact99/indicators_perf
ormance.htm

• Strategic indicators
• Dashboard indicators
• Program indicators
• These are not mutually exclusive

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Strategic indicators

• Strategic indicators, used to monitor progress
  toward the vision or strategic goals, which would
  reposition the organization in relation to other,
  comparable or competitive organizations. These
  are unit or university-wide measures used
  primarily summatively. The university's strategic
  indicators, for example, could be membership in
  AAU, a US News ranking within the top tier, and
  an overall improvement in NRC rankings.

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Dashboard indicators

• Dashboard indicators, used to monitor the general
  health of an organization. These are
  unit-specific measures. The university's
  dashboard indicators, for example, could include
  graduation rate, retention rate, placement rate,
  and student satisfaction measures.

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Program indicators

• Program indicators provide information useful for
  program improvement. They are used to determine
  whether an initiative is having the impact
  intended, or whether desired outcomes are being
  met. They are program- or initiative-specific and
  would be used at the program level in formative
  evaluation intended for ongoing program
  improvement. For example, program indicators for
  a professional degree program might include pass
  rate on a licensing examination, students'
  demonstration of a specific skill, and
  appreciation of specific ethical issues for that
  profession.

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Outcomes

• These two sections can be combined and
  information may be in the form of a bulleted list
  of the outcome statements and findings(from your
  assessment plan/impact report ) that you deem
  significant for your unit and that support any
  initiative in the compact.

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Outcomes, cont

• recent performance on measures you use to
  monitor the effectiveness of your unit (Type of
  data-strategic/dashboard indicators).  Append a
  list of the outcome and performance measures you
  use (Entire Assessment Plan which now includes
  last years impact data).  Where possible,
  include historical trend data for each measure. 
  Comment on areas of particular success and/or of
  concern in these data that are addressed by
  initiatives in this compact plan.
• Remember that collectively outcomes should
  represent the most significant aspects of your
  unit (learning/development and programmatic) and
  they must be measurable.

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Outcomes, cont

• key findings from recent evaluations of the unit
  and its programs (Type of data-programmatic
  indicators), such as program or accreditation
  reviews, consultant reports, or other
  assessments.  Summarize or provide examples
  showing how the results of these evaluations have
  been used to improve programs and services,
  especially if they are addressed by initiatives
  in this compact plan.

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So what.the data presented provides the support
for both new and on-going initiatives.
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I.  Introduction

• Summary You will include your mission and all
  objectives as well as the outcomes that
  specifically relate to the initiatives in the
  plan. You will attach your entire assessment
  plan as an addendum.
• Provide a brief overview of the unit  its
  mission, primary functions(objectives),
  composition, and size. 
• Provide a context for the initiatives that follow
  by briefly describing
• how the unit has contributed to achievement
  of university goals in the last few years.
• the units goals and aspirations(objectives). 
  Describe the next level the unit is working to
  reach (e.g., higher rankings, expansion of reach
  and impact, etc.)
• recent performance on measures you use to
  monitor the effectiveness of your unit (Type of
  data-strategic/dashboard indicators).  Append a
  list of the outcome and performance measures you
  use (Entire Assessment Plan which now includes
  last years impact data).  Where possible,
  include historical trend data for each measure. 
  Comment on areas of particular success and/or of
  concern in these data that are addressed by
  initiatives in this compact plan.
• key findings from recent evaluations of the
  unit and its programs (Type of data-strategic/dash
  board indicators), such as program or
  accreditation reviews, consultant reports, or
  other assessments.  Summarize or provide examples
  showing how the results of these evaluations have
  been used to improve programs and services,
  especially if they are addressed by initiatives
  in this compact plan.
• any other information that provides a useful
  context for the compact plan. 
• Please limit this section to 4 pages or less.

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Other places for assessment information in the
compact plan
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Format for Each Initiative

• a short title.
• list of the category(ies) supported by this
  initiative.  Note  Each unit should include at
  least one initiative for each University Goal (A,
  B, and C).
• a clear description of the initiative and the
  objectives to be achieved by implementing it.
  (objective)
• strategies for implementing the initiative. 
  Describe and explain the actions to be taken, who
  is responsible for these actions, deliverables,
  and implementation schedule.   Actions should be
  consistent with financial reality if contingent
  upon new funding, describe those contingencies
  (such as slower progress, reallocation from
  within your unit, or removal from the compact
  plan).
• a clear description of the desired outcomes of
  the initiative and how the those outcomes will be
  assessed. Include baseline data if possible.
  (Outcomes and how they will be assessed. This is
  our opportunity to build the assessment of
  programs into the planning of the initiative
  instead of being forced to find a way to assess
  it after it is already implemented.)
• on the resource spreadsheet, a summary of
  resources associated with successfully
  implementing the initiative and achieving its
  outcomes.  Clearly mark the priority of each
  initiative.  This resource spreadsheet is
  required only for deans and vice chancellors
  deans and vice chancellors will request the
  spreadsheet from subunits if desired.

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C. Initiatives promoting a new business model
that embraces efficiency and accountability

• These initiatives involve making processes more
  efficient, thereby saving and possibly
  reallocating resources.  Every compact should
  include at least one initiative in this category.

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E.  Initiatives Supporting Unit-Specific Goals
and Aspirations

• Consistent with the Introduction and any
  strategic planning in which your unit has
  engaged, develop initiatives designed to support
  achievement of your units goals and
  aspirations.  Include initiatives designed to
  improve the quality and rankings of your
  programs, to expand their reach, and/or to
  enhance their effectiveness.

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F. Initiatives Supporting Improved Performance

• Some initiatives may be required to improve unit
  performance.  In order to demonstrate to
  ourselves and to communicate to our
  constituencies that we are committed to improving
  quality and service, each unit monitors its
  effectiveness and develops initiatives designed
  to improve performance.
• Consistent with the review of outcomes and
  performance data in the Introduction and
  Appendix, and with the key findings from recent
  evaluations in the Introduction to this compact
  plan, include initiatives intended to improve
  programs and services.
• To assist the colleges, the provost has
  identified common measures to be considered by
  each college, and University Planning and
  Analysis (UPA) provides trend data for these
  measures.  In addition, the provost requires each
  college to select at least three additional
  measures that describe aspects of its performance
  not captured by the common measures.
• UPA is prepared to assist both academic and
  administrative units by providing data from
  available university sources and by helping to
  identify appropriate measures and to make use of
  the data.  UPA provides related information on
  the web as follows.
•         Discussion and examples of performance
  indicators
•         Trend data on common college performance
  indicators
•         University peer comparisons
•         NC State student, alumni, and employer
  survey results