ABSTRACT
Assessment, evaluation, and accountability have been emerging priorities in higher education since the 1980s, particularly as colleges and universities received criticism from state and federal governments regarding the need for greater accountability and transparency for determining student achievement. Then US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings commissioned the report to assess and document the state of US higher education. This chapter presents a discussions of the realities and pressures of accountability and assessment priorities on graduate programs, particularly those of adult education. Undergirding the culture of assessment are institutional accreditation and programmatic reviews that require colleges and universities to examine and provide evidence of student achievement and institutional performance. Assessment for graduate students begins with the admissions process. These activities often include a grading system that identifies class rankings and grade point average over the course of the student’s postsecondary enrollment. Assessment guidance is provided mostly for undergraduate education.
