Ten Years After the Spellings Commission: From Accountability to Internal Improvement

Abstract

Student learning outcomes assessment has been increasingly used in U.S. higher education institutions over the last 10 years, partly fueled by the recommendation from the Spellings Commission that institutions need to demonstrate more direct evidence of student learning. To respond to the Commission's call, various accountability initiatives have been launched, profoundly reshaping how assessment has been viewed, implemented, and used in higher education. This article reviews the conceptual and methodological challenges of the assessment agenda for one of the landmark accountability initiatives, the Voluntary System of Accountability, and also documents the notable shift from a strong focus on accountability to an increasing emphasis on internal improvement. This article then discusses the most recent developments in assessment approaches and tools, and proposes a four‐element, one‐enabler assessment cycle for institutions to maximally benefit from their assessment efforts.

The Impact of Quality Assurance Policies on Curriculum Development in Ontario Postsecondary Education

“…First, the question of the accountability-improvement relationship remains relevant to other Canadian provinces and other parts of the world. There has been a significant shift from the focus on accountability to evidence-based continuous improvement in quality assurance schemes (Houston & Paewai, 2013;Morest, 2009) and student learning assessment (Liu, 2017;Russell & Markle, 2017). Similarly, this study demonstrates a palpable tendency within postsecondary institutions to balance accountability and improvement to enable institutional changes.…”

How can Student Learning Data at Institutional Level Support Decision-Making for Educational Improvement for Academic Programme? A Case Study in A Hong Kong University

“…However, when the assessment data is collected for accountability purposes, it should not be presumed that the data would be equally applicable for improvement purposes. In regards to completing the assessment cycle (Liu, 2017), this study examined and reported whether the data for educational accountability has adequate technical quality that allows interpretation and use of student assessment data for educational improvement at the programme level.…”

“…These include work of devising plans and channels for communicating assessments data internally for appropriate use at different levels, such as programme level, faculty level, or department level. Across the university, university leaders can also cultivate an assessment culture (Liu, 2017). In particular, Liu (2017) suggested faculty members work actively with assessment specialists, who can offer advice on the theory and practice on validity and validation (Brennan, 2006;Crooks, Kane & Cohen, 1996).…”

“…In terms of guiding educational improvement efforts in higher education institutions, the resulting data-based activities are often framed as going through iterative steps in completing assessment cycles. For example, Liu (2017) mentioned the recent trend on using assessment data for internal improvement beyond traditional accountability purposes in higher education institutions. Musekamp and Pearce (2015) have also discussed a case study using low-stake assessment results to inform and make evidence-based decisions to realize educational improvement in engineering higher education.…”

Assessing Civic and Intercultural Competency in Higher Education: The ETS HEIghten® Approach

“…With increased national demand for a skilled and competent workforce, college graduates are expected, more than ever, to possess not only disciplinary skills, but also transferable skills that allow them to function effectively in a variety of settings in an increasingly globalized economy (Liu, ). Many institutions have made efforts to assess student learning of these transferrable skills to identify gaps and improve practices.…”