Development of an educational assessment plan for Doctor of Pharmacy programs

The assessment of academic and student services is becoming an essential component in higher education. Program assessment is a method to collect, disseminate and use data in order to improve the academic program and the students’ experiences while enrolled in that program. A program assessment plan for doctor of pharmacy programs is now part of the accreditation standards from the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. The organization of an assessment plan includes leadership from college/school administration and faculty, plus participation from administrators, faculty, students, alumni, employers and possibly others. The development of an assessment plan includes designing prospective activities to determine what to assess, methods to perform the assessment, collection and dissemination of assessment data, data analysis, use of the data, and assessment of the assessment plan. Assessment activities should be implemented gradually, with a focus on assessing those factors that are most important, can be readily assessed, and can be useful