2017 Annual CRLA Conference November 2, 2017 Pittsburgh, PA Building Bridges between the CAS Standards and Program Evaluation Patricia Mulcahy-Ernt, Ph.D. CRLA CAS Representative 2017 Annual CRLA Conference November 2, 2017 Pittsburgh, PA

Overview of Session Program Evaluation Role of Learning Assistance Program (LAP) CAS Standards for Program Evaluation Resources for Program Evaluation New CAS Directions

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) Overview of CAS CAS, a consortium of professional associations in higher education, promotes the use of its professional standards for the development, assessment, and improvement of quality student learning, programs, and services in the context of higher education. www.cas.edu

Program Evaluation Gathering data about the program Interpreting what the data means Judging the worth of the program based on the data collected Judgments may be: Formative Summative

Gap Analysis Questions What are you currently doing? Where would you like to be? How can you get there? What do you need to get there? What is your timeline? Who will implement what you plan to do?

Data Sources for Program Evaluation Existing Program Informational Resources Existing Institutional Demographic Data, Surveys, Reports, Prior Self-Studies New Sources for Tracking Data Data from Stakeholders

Conversation Point

CAS Program Review Assemble Your Team Educate Your Team Review Standards and Guidelines Conduct Ratings Team rates each Criterion Complete Action Plan Identify areas of Program Strengths and Weaknesses Describe Practices for Follow-up Summarize & Prioritize Action Plan Prepare Report Close the Loop

CAS Resources: Standards and Self-Assessment Guides (SAGs) Learning Assistance Program (LAP) Standards http://www.crla.net/index.php Self-Assessment Guides www.cas.edu

Learning Assistance Program Standards Contextual Statement (Updated and approved in November, 2016) General Standards & Guidelines (Approved in November, 2016)

Self-Assessment Guides Each self-assessment guide (SAG) has a similar structure. For the 9th edition version of CAS materials, the SAGs have been revised. Each subsection of the SAGs includes a list of suggested evidence and documentation at the outset to encourage review teams to collect important materials before rating criterion measures.

General CAS Standards Mission Program Organization and Leadership Human Resources Ethics Law, Policy, and Governance Diversity, Equity, and Access Institutional and External Relations Financial Resources Technology Facilities and Equipment Assessment and Evaluation

Learning Assistance Program SAG: LAP Standard 1: MISSION Suggested Evidence and Documentation: 1. Current mission statement, brief description of how it was developed, and date of last review 2. Additional goals, values, and statements of purpose 3. Description and copies (if applicable) of where mission statement is disseminated (e.g., included in operating and personnel policies, procedures and/or handbook, hanging in office common space, on website, in strategic plan, and other promotional materials) 4. Institutional/divisional mission statements (e.g., map program mission to broader mission statements) 5. Any additional professional standards aligned with program/service (e.g., standards promoted by functional area organizations) 6. Institutional demographics, description of student population served, and information about community setting Criterion Measures: DNA IE 1 2 3 Does Not Apply Insufficient Evidence/ Unable to Rate Does Not Meet Partly Meets Meets Exceeds

Conversation Point

Learning Assistance Program Updates Revision to reflect current thinking in the field Revision to reflect best practices in the field Unclear language of the standards changed for clarity Sections of the standards moved to other sections of the standards to condense topics

LAP Standards 1-2 Mission Program (Please see the full text of the LAP Standards.)

LAP Standards 3-6 Organization and Leadership Human Resources Ethics Law, Policy, and Governance (Please see the full text of the LAP Standards.)

LAP Standards 7-8 Diversity, Equity, and Access Institutional and External Relations (Please see the full text of the LAP Standards.)

LAP Standards 9-12 Financial Resources Technology Facilities and Equipment Assessment and Evaluation (Please see the full text of the LAP Standards.)

New CAS Directions Cross-Functional Standards Revised Standards First Year Experience High Risk Behaviors Revised Standards Fall 2016 Learning Assistance Programs Undergraduate Research Programs Recreational Sports Programs Multicultural Student Programs and Services Dining Services Campus Religious and Spiritual Programs Fall 2017 Assessment Services Graduate and Professional Student Programs and Services

Contact Information Patricia Mulcahy-Ernt, Ph.D. CRLA CAS Representative Professor of Education Director of the Graduate Programs in Literacy and Secondary English Education School of Education University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, CT 06604 mulcahyp@bridgeport.edu (203) 576-4201 (work)