Benchmarks and Timelines

Establishing Benchmarks

Once you have refined your program's learning objectives, mapped them to an appropriate course, and selected an assessment measure or method, your next step is to determine what level of performance is acceptable according to the values of your program and professional field.

Types of Benchmarks

Benchmarks are dependent upon a point of comparison. There are many types of benchmarks, and each one comes with advantages and disadvantages. Selecting the best type of benchmark will depend on your program's objectives and available resources, but using multiple perspectives will result in a balanced picture of student learning.

Local Benchmarks: Are students meeting our own standards?
External Benchmarks: Are students meeting external standards, such as accreditation or professional requirements?
Peer Benchmarks: How does student X's performance compare to student Y's performance? How does the student body as a whole compare to students at similarly situated programs?
Value-Added Benchmarks: Are students improving?
Historical Trend Benchmarks: Are we improving over time?
Strengths & Weaknesses Benchmarks: What are students' relative strengths and areas for improvement?
Productivity Benchmarks: Are we getting the most for our investment?

Adapted from "Understanding and Using Assessment Results" by Linda Suski (2008).

Benchmarking Considerations

When selecting benchmarks, consider the following suggestions:

What letter or numerical grade is expected to show sufficient learning, integration and retention of concepts?
What percentage of the student body should achieve the benchmark to demonstrate broad understanding?
What response rate would make your survey data meaningful?
Is the quantitative benchmark appropriate to your sample size? Be mindful of over-reliance on quantitative data if your program is small.
Work to understand the "why" and "how" when students meet or do not meet a target. Is there a common misconception that can be addressed proactively next time?
Like goals and objectives, benchmarks can be aspirational! Set the bar high and adjust as needed.
Even when the benchmark is met, there are likely still ways to improve teaching and learning! Don't forget to analyze the subset of students who may still need support to achieve your program objectives.

Crafting Benchmarks

When crafting or selecting benchmarks for your academic program's annual assessment report, be sure to include the following information at minimum:

Reference the assessment method and course you selected in your curriculum map. For example, if you selected the Final Portfolio Assignment (Assessment Method) from your program's Capstone course (Location in Curriculum Map), your benchmark should relate specifically to that course and method.
Select a minimum score that will 'meet' the PLO. Examine the assessment method and the PLO. What score will tell you, as a subject matter expert, that students demonstrated their proficiency in the PLO using this assignment? For example, "A minimum score of 85 or better on the Final Portfolio Assignment."
Establish a performance threshold for your class or student body. What portion or percentage of students meeting the PLO will tell you, as a subject matter expert, that students are generally progressing as expected in this skill or domain? For example, "At least 70% of students will achieve a minimum score of 85 or better on the Final Portfolio Assignment."
Add relevant details from your rubric or evaluative process. Are there specific things you're looking for to indicate student achievement of the PLO? Do they need certain scores on rubric sections or to get specific exam questions right in addition to an overall score? Add details that will clarify your assessment process and ensure you are capturing the data needed to understand your students' learning.

Establishing Timelines

Creating a predictable timeline of when assessment of each program learning objective will occur helps to ensure consistency and accountability from year to year. While it is not necessary to assess every program learning objective annually, programs should assess at least one objective per year to ensure a sustainable, continuous process of assessment is in place. With your team, consider which assessments will occur:

Every semester (grading of mapped assignments, course evaluation)
Every year (alumni, graduate, or employer surveys)
Every 2, 3, 5, etc. years (focus groups, advisory council surveys, retrospective reviews or Self-Studies)