This document provides guidance on writing effective assessment results. It discusses gathering and analyzing assessment data, writing results reports, and common mistakes to avoid. Key steps include collecting data from assessment measures, analyzing it for strengths, weaknesses and needs, and writing a report that describes achievement of benchmarks, participants, methodology, and highlights findings. Quantitative data should report numbers and percentages with limitations and representativeness, while qualitative data identifies and summarizes themes. The report examples discuss how to improve based on survey, rubric and non-traditional results.

1. Writing Results Effectively
Workshop

2. Please remember this…
IE is a PROCESS – not a
“form”!

3. University Assessment Cycle

4. Start with what you know!
Measurable benchmarks
Assessment measures

5. Writing the Results
Gather data from your ASSESSMENT
MEASURE
Analyze and interpret the data
Write the actual results
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Let’s go!

6. The Report
• Achievement
of benchmark
• Description of
participants
• Assessment
methodology
• Highlight
findings
• Previous trend
/ assessment
data
• Outliers

7. Analyzing & Interpreting the Data
What are the strengths?
What are the weaknesses
What are the needs?
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
These questions will help you complete
the “Use of Results” Column

8. Rules of Thumb for Data Reporting
Writing about Numbers
(Quantitative Data)
Surveys/Exams/Logs/Rubrics
• Report both the number and the
percentage (difference between
10 and 200 people)
• Always disclose limitations
• Discuss how representative your
results are (response rate)
• For surveys, can collapse
categories (use judgment)
• When you have a lot of data or
items, report highlights only
Writing About Words
(Qualitative Data)
Comments from survey
• Identify Themes
• Summarize
• Categorize

9. Example: Reporting Survey Results
What if my overall
outcome or goal was
for students to overall
be satisfied with the
degree they received
from SUSLA after
going into the world
of work?
What are your observations regarding the results?
What is important to report about the results in the narrative (form)?
How could you improve student satisfaction in the department based on these
results? Is there anything else that need to be addressed based on the results?
What if all the questions on a survey receive 90% satisfaction or above?

10. Example: Reporting Rubric Results
What if my outcome
was as follows:
Students will be able
to write effectively?
What are your observations regarding the results?
What is important to report about the results in the narrative (form)?
How could you improve student performance in writing based on these results? Is there
anything else that need to be addressed based on the results?

11. Example: Reporting
Non-Traditional Results
What are your observations regarding the results?
What is important to report about the results in the narrative (form)?
How could you improve department performance based on these results? Is there anything
else that need to be addressed based on the results?

12. Common Mistakes
1. Not collecting data.
2. Reporting results that are not connected to the outcome or
assessment measure.
3. Not completely analyzing and addressing the results.
4. Not reporting or collecting results on each demographic indicated in
the outcome.
5. Making decisions based on too little data.
6. Not providing supporting documentation.
7. Writing an action plan that is not aligned with the results.

13. Questions? Comments?
We are happy to help you!
assessment@susla.edu
Devonye Brown
X 9225
dbrown@susla.edu
Cleopatra Allen
X 9220
callen@susla.edu