Types of Assessment Reports: 

Assessment reports come in many shapes and sizes, from the course assessment report that looks at trends over three semesters, to annual reports on academic program assessment, general education, and AES, to the annual academic division assessment summary reports, to the Middle States Self-Study, which can be a hundred single-spaced pages and cover eight years of assessment at the College. 

Why so many reports? 

Community College of Philadelphia includes three academic divisions, six administrative divisions, more than a hundred programs and certificates, hundreds of courses, dozens of administrative units, and a long list of student support services and student success initiatives. Although at the most basic level we are all doing the same things (data collection, data analysis, data driving), there is a lot of assessment going on, and reports help us to keep track of this massive amount of material, while accurate records help keep everything organized. Reporting and documentation also provide a blueprint for future assessment, demonstrate what has and has not worked in the past, assist with onboarding new people, make it easier to follow trends and look at historical data, and help us avoid gaps in documentation when there is turnover or institutional change. Finally, when our accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, returns for another site visit in 2031, they will ask for an evidence repository that consists of documentation for all the assessment (and equity) work we’ve been doing for the last eight years. Clearly labeled and archived assessment reporting helps to make this possible and can minimize stress. For more information about the organization of the College, please see the detailed organizational chart.

When are assessment reports due?

 Different assessment reports are due at different times of the year, in response to different areas of the College having their busiest times at different times of the year. For example, we ask for PLO assessment reports in early fall that cover the prior year’s data collection to minimize the time taken away from final exams and grading.   

Where does it all go?

Right now, the DCAF and OAE maintain assessment repositories using Canvas and other systems for all three academic divisions, and the OAE keeps records for AES units and general education reports in the OneDrive. General education assessment reports are also available on OAE’s College webpages. 

How does the institution know everything has been completed?

The OAE checks in with programs and other stakeholders regularly and updates the repositories every summer. The OAE looks for gaps and reaches out to the interested parties for more information. There are also check points built into the APR process for the purpose of keeping the College’s assessment work well documented.