Overview
Assessment is most valuable when results are used to inform decisions and support continuous improvement.
Stage 5 connects the findings from Stage 4 to action. Programs and units should consider what the results mean, what should be maintained or changed, what actions are appropriate, who will be responsible for implementation, and how the effectiveness of those actions will be evaluated in a future assessment cycle.
Using results for improvement does not always require making a major change. Depending on the evidence, an appropriate response may be to:
- Address an identified weakness
- Strengthen an area that is approaching expectations
- Maintain an effective practice
- Investigate an unexpected result
- Improve the assessment method or data collection process
- Continue monitoring performance before making a change
The important question is:
What does the evidence indicate we should do next?
Major Steps
Using results for improvement involves the following major steps:
- Review the findings and determine what warrants attention
- Identify an evidence-based response
- Develop a specific and feasible improvement action
- Assign responsibility and establish a timeline
- Implement and document the action
- Follow up to determine what happened after implementation
Review the Findings
Begin with the Results and Analysis from Stage 4.
Consider:
- Was the Minimum Criteria for Success met?
- What strengths were identified?
- What areas did not meet expectations?
- Were there important differences within the results?
- How do the findings compare with previous assessment cycles?
- Are there emerging patterns or trends?
- Were there limitations in the assessment method, sample, or data?
- Is additional information needed before deciding what action to take?
The decision should be based on the analysis of the evidence, not simply on whether the Minimum Criteria for Success were met.
For example, an overall criterion may be met while one rubric dimension, survey item, service area, instructional modality, or other component shows substantially weaker performance. That finding may still warrant action.
Similarly, not meeting a criterion does not automatically identify the appropriate solution. Programs and units should first consider why performance may have fallen short before selecting an improvement strategy.
Determine the Appropriate Response
Improvement should be proportional to what the evidence shows.
When Expectations Are Not Met
When the Minimum Criteria for Success are not met, identify the specific area of concern and determine an action that reasonably addresses the finding.
Possible responses may include:
- Revising curriculum, instruction, or assignments
- Improving a service or process
- Providing additional support or resources
- Changing communication or outreach strategies
- Providing professional development
- Revising procedures or policies
- Examining additional data to understand the issue
When Expectations Are Partially Met or Results Are Mixed
Mixed findings may indicate that some components are performing well while others need attention.
Use the more detailed results to identify where improvement should be targeted rather than making a broad change that may not address the underlying issue.
When Expectations Are Met
Meeting the Minimum Criteria for Success does not mean that no reflection is necessary.
Programs and units should consider whether to:
- Maintain practices that appear to be working
- Continue monitoring performance
- Strengthen a specific component that performed below others
- Raise expectations when sustained performance indicates that the current benchmark is no longer sufficiently challenging
- Examine whether the assessment method continues to provide meaningful evidence
- Identify opportunities for further improvement
Continuous improvement includes both addressing weaknesses and sustaining effective practices.
Document the Use of Results
The Use of Results explains what the program or unit plans to do in response to the assessment findings.
A strong Use of Results should identify:
The finding that prompted the action
The specific action that will be taken
How the action relates to the finding
Who will be responsible for the action
When the action is expected to be implemented
How the action is expected to support improvement
The Use of Results should describe a specific, feasible, and assessable action rather than a general intention.
Example
Results and Analysis:
Students met the overall written communication criterion, but disciplinary writing conventions were the lowest-performing rubric dimension.
Use of Results:
Beginning in Fall 2026, faculty teaching the senior capstone course will introduce a required writing workshop and formative draft focused on discipline-specific writing conventions. Capstone faculty will revise the assignment instructions and provide structured feedback before students submit the final paper. The change is intended to strengthen the specific area of student performance identified in the assessment.
Implement the Planned Action
After the Use of Results has been reported, the program or unit should carry out the planned action according to the established timeline.
During implementation, programs and units should maintain documentation that will allow them to demonstrate what was actually completed.
Examples may include:
Revised syllabi or assignments
Updated procedures or policies
Meeting minutes
Training materials
Communications
Revised forms or instruments
New resources
Screenshots or system documentation
Implementation logs
Other records demonstrating that the planned action occurred
This documentation will become part of the Follow-Up due one year after the Use of Results is reported.
Complete the Follow-Up
The Follow-Up is due one year after the Use of Results is reported.
The purpose of the Follow-Up is to document whether the planned improvement action was implemented and what is known about its effect.
A complete Follow-Up should address:
Was the planned action implemented?
What specifically was implemented or changed?
What evidence demonstrates that implementation occurred?
What has happened since the action was implemented?
What should happen next?
Evidence of Implementation
Evidence of implementation should be included as part of the Follow-Up.
Appropriate evidence may include:
Revised course materials
Updated assignments or rubrics
Revised procedures or workflows
Training materials
Meeting minutes
Communications
New or updated resources
Screenshots
Reports or implementation logs
Other documentation showing that the planned action occurred
The evidence should directly support the improvement action described in the previous year's Use of Results.
Example
Previous Use of Results:
Beginning in Fall 2026, faculty teaching the senior capstone course will add a required writing workshop and formative draft focused on disciplinary writing conventions.
Follow-Up:
The writing workshop and formative draft were incorporated into all sections of the senior capstone course beginning in Fall 2026. Faculty also implemented a common feedback guide emphasizing discipline-specific writing conventions.
Evidence of Implementation:
Revised capstone assignment instructions, writing workshop materials, and the common faculty feedback guide.
If subsequent assessment results are available, the Follow-Up should also describe what occurred after implementation.
Effect of the Action:
In the subsequent assessment, the average disciplinary writing conventions score increased from 2.6 to 3.0. The program will continue the revised approach and monitor performance during the next assessment cycle.
If sufficient time has not passed to evaluate the effect of the action, the Follow-Up should still document implementation and evidence of implementation and indicate when the effect will be assessed.
Closing the Loop
The continuous improvement sequence is:
Results → Analysis → Use of Results → Implementation → Follow-Up and Evidence → Reassessment
The Use of Results identifies what will be done.
The Follow-Up, completed one year later, documents what was actually done, provides evidence of implementation, and reports any available evidence about what happened afterward.
Closing the loop does not require every action to produce immediate improvement. Some changes may require additional time or assessment cycles before their effect can reasonably be evaluated.
Possible Follow-Up conclusions include:
The action was implemented and appears to be working.
The action was implemented, but additional time or evidence is needed.
The action was implemented but did not produce the expected result.
The action was only partially implemented and requires additional work.
The action was not implemented, and the barriers should be documented.
The findings indicate that a different improvement strategy is needed.
Before Completing Stage 5
Before completing the current assessment cycle, confirm that:
The Use of Results is clearly connected to the assessment findings.
The planned action is specific, feasible, and assessable.
Responsibility and an implementation timeline are identified.
Documentation will be retained to demonstrate implementation.
The program or unit understands that the Follow-Up and evidence of implementation are due one year after the Use of Results is reported.
When completing the Follow-Up one year later, confirm that:
The status of the previous improvement action is clearly reported.
What was actually implemented is described.
Evidence of implementation is provided.
Any available evidence of effect is discussed.
The next appropriate action is identified.
Assessment supports continuous improvement when findings are used to plan action, actions are implemented, implementation is documented, and the results are revisited over time.