Developing the Administrative Assessment Plan

An assessment plan is a description of the unit’s mission, expected outcomes, methods that will be used to measure achievement of those outcomes, performance targets, and approximate frequency with which each assessment method will be carried out. This plan then becomes the basis for the annual assessment report.  A copy of the Outcomes Assessment Plan and Report template is attached to this document along with a sample from a fictitious unit. You should refer to use the following assessment flow chart with a five-step approach in developing an effective assessment plan for your unit.

Assessment Cycle and Flow Chart

Assessment should be understood as a cycle. Units prepare assessment plans at the start of the academic year, and report our findings and analysis at the conclusion of the year. The findings are then used to inform improvements, which will be implemented in the following academic year.  This cycle is illustrated Figure 1.

Figure 1. Assessment Cycle