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Working Group on Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment

The Working Group on Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment was formed in January 2010 as a precursor to the Vision Project, which was later approved by the Board of Higher Education in May 2010. Prior to and now within the scope of the Vision Project, the Working Group studies the issues of assessing student learning outcomes and comparing Massachusetts' results on these measures with the achievements of students in other states.

What's New

Working Group on Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Releases Recommendations for System-wide Assessment

March 21, 2011—The Vision Project's Working Group on Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment has released its Phase Two Report (.PDF). This Phase Two report draws upon findings and recommendations from the first report and reflects a diligent effort on the part of the Working Group to:

• consider a number of state-level issues related to learning outcomes assessment—accountability, comparability, transparency, tests, and rankings;
• provide an analysis on where Massachusetts stands in comparison to other states with respect to policies and practices; and
• provide a plan for system-wide learning outcomes assessment based on a set of common learning outcomes and assessment measures that builds on and supports strong campus-based assessment programs.

Commissioner Freeland has asked the presidents of all public higher education institutions to distribute the report to chief academic officers and other faculty and staff who work on student learning outcomes assessment and provide him with their feedback to the Working Group's recommendations by the end of April.