Assessment Plans

Focus on Assessment

Assessment Plans

Assessment is an ongoing process. The cycle of assessment includes planning the assessment, collecting the evidence, examining the evidence, determining an improvement strategy, implementing the strategy, and beginning reassessment to determine if the improvement strategy has helped increase student learning.

Assessment Process


Faculty use the assessment cycle to conduct assessment according to individual plans created by the designated leads in each area. The steps below provide details specific to each level of assessment. These steps are intended to ensure valid processes, resulting in useful, self-sustaining practices. Each step provides critical information and lays the foundation for the next step of the cycle. Assessment is a continuous and iterative cycle to ensure reliability, but steps can be repeated as needed to gain data related to maintaining or improving student learning.

Institutional Assessment

  1. Institutional Research (IR) randomly selects course sections, using set criteria.
  2. Faculty of selected sections are notified.
  3. Faculty select an artifact from the course that aligns with the Common Degree outcome being assessed.
  4. Artifacts are submitted to IR through interoffice mail or email by the semester deadline.
  5. A common rubric is used to assess each artifact at Assess Fest*.
  6. IR analyzes the data.
  7. Results are shared with all stakeholders.
  8. The Assessment Committee proposes strategies for maintaining and/or improving student learning.
  9. The Assessment Committee completes an Action Plan. *
  10. Strategies are implemented at multiple levels.

Program Assessment

  1. Lead faculty review/update assessment plan.
  2. Each program selects one or more outcomes to assess.
  3. Artifacts that align with the selected outcome(s) are chosen.
  4. Faculty use a rubric or other tool to assess the artifacts/evidence of student learning.
  5. Each program analyzes the results.
  6. The program faculty propose strategies for maintaining and/or improving student learning.
  7. The program faculty complete an Action Plan.
  8. Share results with all stakeholders.
  9. Implement strategies.
  10. Begin reassessment.

Course Assessment

  1. Lead faculty review/update assessment plan.
  2. Lead faculty select one or more outcomes to assess based on the 5-year assessment timeline.
  3. Artifacts that align with the selected outcome(s) are chosen.
  4. Departments use a rubric or other tool to assess the chosen artifacts/evidence of student learning.
  5. Departments analyze the results.
  6. The lead faculty propose strategies for maintaining and/or improving student learning.
  7. The lead faculty complete an Action Plan.
  8. Share results with all stakeholders.
  9. Implement strategies.
  10. Begin reassessment.

Macomb Community College faculty assess student attainment of course and program outcomes and report findings on course and program assessment action plans. These assessment action plans are housed in the Assessment Resource Center. In addition to general demographic information, the action plans include descriptions of the evidence collected, the assessment tool used, an overview of assessment findings, the proposed improvement strategy, and the information dissemination plan.

Resources for Assessment Planning