Assessment recognizes the value of information in the process of improvement. But to be useful, information must be connected to issues or questions that people really care about. This implies assessment approaches that produce evidence that relevant parties will find credible, suggestive, and applicable to decisions that need to be made. It means thinking in advance about how the information will be used, and by whom. Assessment is most likely to lead to improvement when it is part of a larger set of conditions that promote change.
Assessment alone changes little.
Its greatest contribution comes on campuses where the quality of teaching and learning is visibly valued and worked at. On such campuses, information about learning outcomes is seen as an integral part of decision making, and avidly sought. Through assessment, educators meet responsibilities to students and to the public. There is a compelling public stake in education. As educators, we have a responsibility to the publics that support or depend on us to provide information about the ways in which our students meet goals and expectations.