Performance Assessment in Higher Education November 16–18, 2008
Assessment of institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes continue to occupy a central place on the strategic agendas of the nation’s colleges and universities. Performance Assessment in Higher Education helps leaders tackle the challenges of developing sustainable assessment and accountability initiatives. Incorporating participant feedback from HIHE’s fall 2007 Performance Assessment seminar, the program has been expanded to three days. Through a rigorous and varied curriculum, the program details the key theory, research, and practices in assessment today and presents applied, practical approaches to this critical issue. Performance Assessment in Higher Education brings brings together faculty experts and experienced administrators who have grappled with the practical ramifications of developing assessment processes. Utilizing "living case studies," question an answer sessions, and small-group discussions, the program highlights the challenges of fostering institutional cultures of assessment. Key Topics During the program, you will: Understand the key components of assessing performance in higher education Interact with experienced higher education leaders who have implemented comprehensive assessment systems on their campuses Clarify the perspective, role, and contribution of foundations and accreditation organizations in fostering enhanced performance assessment processes Analyze effective tools and techniques for launching and sustaining institutional assessment initiatives The Curriculum A key objective of the Performance Assessment in Higher Education curriculum is to highlight institutional examples and experiences. Each session is tied into current, campus-based initiatives, detailing the practical challenges of fostering institutional cultures of assessment. The program includes plenary sessions, “living case-studies,” question and answer sessions, and small-group discussions. Over the course of three days, participants are exposed to a broad cross-section of assessment perspectives from institutions, to accreditation organizations, to foundations. Who Should Attend The seminar is of value to all higher education leaders responsible for developing, managing and evaluating campus-based assessment programs and processes. In addition, administrators with performance evaluation responsibilities including heads of institutional research, directors of program evaluation, and members of accreditation committees will also benefit from the program. Session Topics A Distinctive Approach to Philanthropy: The Funder’s Perspective W. Robert Conner, President, Teagle Foundation Conner will discuss the Teagle Foundation’s extensive experience with funding systematic assessment initiatives for higher education. The Foundation’s approach to assessment has involved helping teachers develop better models of how students learn and how specific academic disciplines can measure outcomes. In support of this, the Foundation has made a series of grants supporting faculty-driven, ground-up assessment of student learning. Connor’s session provides a rare window into the world of assessment from the funder’s perspective. A New Era of College and University Accountability Patricia Albjerg Graham, Charles Warren Professor of the History of American Education, Emerita; former Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education Drawing on the results of a study on college and university accountability, Graham discusses the means that higher education institutions should use to assure proper accountability in the teaching and learning process. She addresses the basis for institutional accountability, public perceptions of accountability, and the role of government, trustees, and market forces in the burgeoning assessment and accountability movement. Graham also outlines five basic principles of accountability and identifies ways that institutions might strengthen internal quality control activities. Achieving the Dream: Funding Large-scale Assessment Initiatives James Honan, Senior Lecturer on Education; Educational Chair, Institute for Educational Management (IEM), HGSE. Honan leads the group through a new case study highlighting the Achieving the Dream Initiative, a multi-year national project helping to create better outcomes for community college students. The case focuses on the challenges of assessing a large-scale initiative involving multiple institutions. Jamie P. Merisotas, President and CEO of the Lumina Foundation, one of the leading funders of the initiative, will speak first-hand about his experiences during this session. Becoming a More Effective Learning Organization: What Higher Education Can Learn From Business and Government Richard Light, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education Light shares his research from the Forum for Excellence and Innovation in Higher Education, a consortium of leading colleges and universities focused on improving student learning. By employing successful ideas and processes from business and government, participating institutions hope to become better learning organizations. Highlighting specific institutional examples, Light discusses how schools can utilize assessment initiatives to develop a culture of sustained innovation and improvement. A Toolbox for Assessing Institutional Effectiveness Michael Middaugh, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning, University of Delaware Middaugh describes the utility of the wide array of institutional assessment and performance measurement resources available to campus leaders. The presentation details examples of how individual campuses have implemented specific assessment strategies and the lessons learned by these institutions. Middaugh draws on his extensive expertise in campus planning, experience as a commissioner for a regional accreditation organization, and practical insights from his forthcoming book Accountability in Higher Education: Creating a Culture of Evidence for Institutional Effectiveness. Achieving the Dual Purposes of Accreditation: Accountability and Improvement Patricia O'Brien, Deputy Director, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges O'Brien focuses on accreditation's equally-important and mutually-reinforcing dual objectives—ensuring thoughtful assessment of performance outcomes and fostering institutional improvement and innovation. Particular emphasis is placed on how accreditors operationally define these complementary objectives and work with institutions over time to sharpen their assessment processes and achieve continuous improvement. This highly interactive session includes a discussion with administrators from two institutions who have undertaken interesting educational innovations. They will highlight how their new initiatives were developed, evaluated, and improved via the accreditation process. Faculty W. Robert Conner, President, Teagle Foundation Connor has been president of the Teagle Foundation since 2003. He has taught ancient Greek and Roman history at Princeton University and the University of Michigan. He has published extensively on Athenian political and cultural history, in addition to Thucydides, a study of the ancient historical writer. (more)   • • • Patricia Graham, Professor of Education; former Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education Graham is a leading historian of American education. Her most recent book, Schooling America, offers an insightful look at what the public has sought from its educational institutions, what educators have delivered, and what remains to be done. (more)   • • • James Honan, Senior Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education Honan's teaching and research interests include financial management of nonprofit organizations, organizational performance measurement and management, and higher-education administration. Honan has served as a consultant on strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance measurement and management to numerous colleges, universities, schools, and nonprofit organizations, both nationally and internationally. (more)   • • • Richard Light, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education Light's research focuses on higher-education policy analyses. He has led teams of Harvard faculty and students to explore the effectiveness of undergraduate education, and how to strengthen it. Light is also currently chairing a new project at Harvard that is working to help 14 distinguished colleges become “learning organizations.” (more)   “Every school was invited to come up with two new innovative ideas that would benefit students. The goal is to figure out how to take an innovation that is working well and embed it into the campus.” - Professor Light, speaking about the Forum on Excellence and Innovation in Higher Education Project (read more)   • • • Jamie P. Merisotas, President and CEO, Lumina Foundation for Education. Merisotis is a recognized authority on college and university financing. Before joining the Lumina Foundation, he was founding president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, an independent, non-partisan Washington, D.C.-based organization concerned with higher education policy development. (more)   • • • Michael Middaugh, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning, University of Delaware An accomplished practitioner, Middaugh is responsible for the collection and analysis of data, including its distribution and use in planning, decision-making, and policy formulation at the University of Delaware. He has also undertaken a variety of student outcome assessment initiatives at the University. Middaugh served as President of the Society for College and University Planning, and President of the Association for Institutional Research.   • • • Patricia M. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) As Deputy Director, O’Brien recruits and trains evaluators; assigns evaluation teams; and works with campuses as they prepare for self-study and site visits. She has served as Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, and Associate Vice President for Planning and Assessment, both at Bridgewater State College (MA).   • • • General Information Program Schedule & Format The institute begins in the early afternoon on Sunday Nov. 16 with registration from 1:00-2:00pm; it concludes mid-afternoon on Tuesday, November 18 with the "Seminar Feedback and Closing" from 2:15-2:30. Performance Assessment is designed as a cohesive experience; participants are expected to make a full-time commitment to the program and remain through the closing session. Program Fee The comprehensive program fee of $1,500 includes all presentations, a resource binder, refreshments, and an opening reception. Cancellation Policy Cancellations must be made in writing. Full refunds will be granted until October 17, 2008. Cancellations between October 18 and October 31 will be subject to $200 administration fee. Cancellations after October 31 and no-shows are subject to full payment. The Harvard Graduate School of Education reserves the right to change faculty or cancel the program at its discretion. In the unlikely event of changes, the School is not responsible for non-refundable travel arrangements or other planning costs incurred. Hotel Reservations A limited number of hotel rooms, convenient to the seminar classroom, are available at a reduced rate. Travel and accommodations are the responsibility of the individual participant. Sheraton Commander Hotel $219/night plus tax Call 888-627-7121 by October 24, 2009 Reference "Performance Assessment" For a listing of other local accommodations please click here. Further Information Please contact us at 800-545-1849 or hihe@gse.harvard.edu.