Legal Trends in State Law: Assessment Apocalypse for Higher Education?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Legal Trends in Education

Abstract

Are state efforts to mandate student-learning outcomes assessment in higher education a veiled attempt at standardization or “No Child Left Behind for Higher Ed”? Many faculty members have expressed concern with recent trends in state law and policymaking that require institutions to evaluate student learning outcomes and report findings to the general public. It is unknown at this time whether these concerns are accurate or just doomsayers looking for the next assessment apocalypse. A legal analysis of state law will help to better understand the problem and address the implications that may arise from it. This paper addresses what state laws are requiring and whether those speaking out against this legal trend have accurately represented these mandates.

Author

• Robert A. Dumas, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign