Assessment Handbook

Preface

This assessment handbook was designed by the Montgomery College Office of Assessment and is intended to provide a guide for all faculty and staff involved in the assessment process at Montgomery College. The Office of Assessment supports the College’s mission and vision in the area of assessment and evaluation by:

• Providing leadership, guidance, and data support for the College’s assessment of administrative areas and assessment of student learning outcomes for programs and general education
• Coordinating a comprehensive system of program reviews for academic areas
• Collecting, analyzing, and distributing reports and information to the College about assessment results
• Consulting with administrative areas, disciplines, and academic programs on assessment and evaluation projects

It should be noted that this handbook is not a legal document. In any case where there may be a conflict or discrepancy between this handbook and any official document, the official document prevails.

This handbook is updated annually by the Office of Assessment. Faculty and staff should always confirm that they are viewing the most recent version available to ensure that all information (to include schedules, reports, due dates, etc.) contained herein is accurate and up-to-date and reflects the current assessment process and requirements at the College.

Feedback on the handbook is welcomed by the Office of Assessment and can be electronically submitted via an online Handbook Feedback Formnew window.

Getting Started: How to Use this Handbook

This handbook is intended to assist faculty and staff with the assessment process at Montgomery College and to make the process as efficient, effective, and user-friendly as possible. To facilitate the different needs that might exist between faculty/staff members who are working on assessment (i.e., new members who may be unfamiliar with the process, experienced members who may only need to access a particular section, stakeholders who may be looking for general information, etc.), the handbook has been broken down into manageable segments: Section 1: Framing Concepts, Section 2: The Assessment Process at MC, and Section 3: Assessment in Practice. Users may access any particular area that suits their needs via the right sidebar menu.  

Various forms and documents that are discussed throughout this handbook are located in the Assessment Repository in Blackboard, which requires users to have an MC User ID and password for access. MC users can access instructions on how to join this MC Blackboard Community sitenew window.

Finally, this handbook will act as a continuous work in progress. As new assessment software is introduced at the College, and for other changes that might arise, every effort will made to update and supplement this document with the most up-to-date information and links to additional resources.  

 

*A Quick Note for Faculty/Staff

Section 2 and Section 3 are specifically aimed at assessment practitioners within the College. Section 2 provides an overview for the types of assessment at MC and the assessment cycle/scheduling. Section 3 is meant to provide a hands-on approach to assessment with information that is focused on each area or type of assessment. There are also practical examples that may be especially helpful for faculty/staff that are looking for guidance on their specific assessment activities. Be sure to look for the “Assessment in Practice” examples that are provided in many areas of Section 3.