Winners of National Award for Excellence in Assessment

Dr. Sara Finney (Professor & Associate Director, Center for Assessment and Research Studies), Dr. Jonathan Stewart (Director for Finance, IT, & Assessment), Autumn Wild (Assessment & Measurement PhD student), Riley Herr (Assessment & Measurement PhD student), and Kate Schaefer (Assessment & Measurement PhD student) won the national award for Excellence in Equity-Centered Assessment from ACPA–College Student Educators International.

This recognition celebrates two years of work, culminating in the creation of “A Meta-Assessment Rubric to Guide Professional Development and Practice in Equitable Outcomes Assessment”. Their efforts developing, implementing, empirically studying, and ultimately improving an equity-focused meta-assessment rubric exemplifies outstanding equity-centered assessment praxis in higher education. This project aims to better serve minoritized and underserved student populations by focusing on the use of assessment data to design equitable campus policies. The meticulous two-year development of the rubric, accompanying equity resources, and week-long professional development ensures that equity considerations are embedded in every step of the assessment process, ultimately impacting experiences of students in profound ways. Their study of the rubric’s utility provides strong evidence of its effectiveness to impact professionals’ knowledge about assessment for social justice. Thus, their package of resources not only sets a new standard for assessment practice and training but also provides a blueprint for other institutions seeking to enhance equity in higher education.

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