Institutional Support for Student Assessment: Methodology and Results of a National Survey.

This monograph is part of a series on institutional support for student assessment. This report, which covers the second stage of the study, analyzes the results of a national survey of postsecondary education institutions that examined how institutions approach student assessment, their patterns of organizational and administrative support, and the uses and impacts of these efforts, focusing on undergraduate education. The survey instrument was based on a literature review and conceptual framework developed during the first stage. The survey population was all public and private postsecondary institutions that offer undergraduate programs at the associate or baccalaureate level. Analysis of the data suggest that student assessment is becoming a common practice in the academic management of U.S. postsecondary education, but it is not yet institutionalized or deeply embedded in institutional support patterns, policies, and practices. The researchers also conclude that the conceptual framework used appears useful, and that the survey instrument provides a checklist for institutions to examine their assessment approach. Appendixes include the survey instrument, the "Inventory of Institutional Support for Student Assessment"; correspondence related to the Inventory; institutional response rates by state; factor analysis results; and related reports, publications, and presentations. (Contains approximately 155 references.) (CH)