Learning outcomes assessment review guide for equity-minded practice

Equity gaps persist as a critical challenge in post-secondary education, affecting student
success metrics such as completion, persistence, and course success rates across diverse
demographic groups. These disparities signal a systemic issue within the learning structure,
highlighting the inefficacy of existing policies, processes, and instructional practices in serving
all students equitably. Community colleges, as pivotal gateways for low-income and minority
students to higher education, play a crucial role in addressing these gaps. Despite the urgency
to address equity, a gap exists between the importance placed on equity by education leaders
and the limited use of assessment data for this purpose.
This product dissertation, The Learning Outcomes Assessment Review Guide for Equityminded Practice, aims to empower community college leaders in identifying and addressing
equity gaps through the examination of their learning outcomes assessment procedures. The
research questions guiding the development of the Guide focus on tools, frameworks,
strategies, and steps necessary for institutions to bridge the gap between their current state
and an aspired practice rooted in research. Creating inclusive learning environments
necessitates continuously interrogating teaching and learning policies and practices. The Guide
provides a roadmap to navigate these complexities by synthesizing research-based assessment
practices, Total Quality Frameworks such as the Baldrige Education Framework and the NILOA
Excellence in Assessment framework, with student learning theory and equity theory.