Student Outcomes Assessment: A Historical Review and Guide to Program Development

by Serbrenia J. Sims

Overview

Colleges and universities have been criticized for their failure to educate students effectively. As a result, higher educational institutions have become increasingly interested in student outcomes assessment as an important tool for curriculum development and policy planning. This valuable work offers comprehensive coverage of issues, concepts, and practices in student outcomes assessment. The author explores the history of outcomes assessment, the role of governmental intervention in outcomes assessment, and the relationship between outcomes assessment and institutional accreditation.

Sims begins by reviewing the political context of assessment programs and policies and by identifying and defining significant terms. She then traces the history of outcomes assessment programs at several institutions, and she studies the impact of federal and state initiatives on higher education. The study concludes with practical advice on developing assessment programs, and a valuable appendix summarizing and discussing important federal legislation in this area. Academic administrators and others concerned with educational policy will find this book a useful guide to a growing area of concern.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313275913
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/30/1992
Series:	Contributions to the Study of Education , #52
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

SERBRENIA J. SIMS has worked for the School of Education at the College of William and Mary and the Center for Government and Public Affairs at the Montgomery campus of Auburban University. She has published several articles on higher education and personnel training and co-edited (with Ronald R. Sims) Managing Institutions of Higher Education into the 21st Century (Greenwood Press, 1991).

Table of Contents

Preface
Historical Perspective on Student Outcomes Assessment
Student Outcomes Assessment: Definitions, Context, and Practices
Historical Review of Student Outcomes Assessment Efforts in the United States: 1918-1952 and 1952-1975
Historical Review of Federal and State Initiatives for Student Outcomes Assessment: 1975-Present
Accrediting Agencies' Influence on the Development of Student Outcomes Assessment Procedures
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Student Outcomes Assessment Programs
Guidelines for Designing and Implementing Student Outcomes Assessment Programs
Conclusion: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Student Outcomes Assessment Initiatives
Appendix
Bibliography
Index