Assessment Professional Development Competencies - Applications of the Assessment Skills Framework - Occasional Paper No. 54

Oct 15, 2026

An occasional paper examines the need for and usefulness of learning objectives or competencies within the assessment field. It traces how assessment is still solidifying as a discipline, reviews common entry routes, and argues for targeted assessment-related professional development. The paper introduces the Assessment Skills Framework (Horst & Prendergast, 2020) as a taxonomy of assessment-related learning outcomes, then explains applications of the framework through ten benefits of coherent assessment competencies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Assessment Professional Development Competencies: Applications of the Assessment Skills Framework

Assessment Skills Framework: The What and the Why

Example of Application of Assessment Skills Framework

Ten Contributions of a Common Set of Competencies to Assessment as a Discipline

Conclusion

References

June 2021 N0 54 National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment Assessment Professional Development Competencies: Applications of the Assessment Skills Framework Caroline O. Prendergast & S. Jeanne Horst [www.learningoutcomesassessment.org](www.learningoutcomesassessment.org) Contents Abstract 3 Assessment Professional Development Competencies: Applications of the Assessment Skills Framework 4 Assessment Skills Framework: The What and the Why . . . . .5 Example of Application of Assessment Skills Framework . . . . .8 Ten Contributions ofa Common Set of Competencies to Assessment as a Discipline . . . . .9 Conclusion 13 References 15 About the Authors 17 About NILOA 18 Please Cite As: Prendergast, C. O., & Horst, S. J. (2021, June) . Assessment professional development competencies: Applications of the assessment skills framework (Occasional Paper No. 54) . Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. *Note: Both authors contributed equally to this work. NILOA Mission The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), established in 2008, is a research and resourcedevelopment organization dedicated to documenting, advocating, and facilitating the systematic use of learning outcomes assessment to improve student learning. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 2 Abstract In this occasional paper, we invite readers into a conversation about the need for and usefulness of a set of learning objectives or competencies for the field of assessment. We briefly discuss the slow solidification of the field of assessment asa discipline, the diverse paths of entry into the field of assessment, and the increasing need for assessment-related professional development and training. We then present one example of a set of assessment knowledge, skills, and attitudes, the Assessment Skills Framework (Horst & Prendergast, 2020), a taxonomy of assessment-related learning outcomes. Applications of the framework are offered in light of ten benefits that a coherent set of assessment competencies could offer to our field. Although the Assessment Skills Framework is highlighted, we hope that the discussion serves in continuing the conversation regarding assessment competencies at the broader professional level. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 3 Assessment Professional Development Competencies: Applications of the Assessment Skills Framework Caroline O. Prendergast & S. Jeanne Horst Although the roots of formal higher education assessment trace to the early 1980s (Banta et al., 2016; Ewell, 2002; Nicholas & Slotnick, 2018), assessment continues to solidify into a discipline. Currently, there is no single path into the practice of assessment (Curtis et al., 2020; Nicholas & Slotnick, 2018; Polychronopoulos & Leaderman, 2019) . As Curtis and colleagues (2020) noted, the route to becoming an assessment practitioner is often “uncertain and chaotic”(p. 1) . The practice of assessment attracts people from many backgrounds and disciplines, bringing a variety of skill sets, identities, and worldviews (Nicholas & Slotnick, 2018; Polychronopoulos & Leaderman, 2019) . Moreover, at our institution and likely many others, we employ full-time assessment professionals in addition to the diverse group of faculty assessment coordinators who conduct assessment for their roughly 120 programs. Faculty and staff frequently rotate in and out of assessment coordinator roles. This means that a large number of people on our campus have some familiarity with assessment practice. Popham (2009) argued, in the context of K-12 education, that assessment literacy among educators provides innumerable benefits to teachers, students, and schools alike, while strengthening assessment practices and providing necessary critiques of assessment systems. H

FAQs

Why does the paper emphasize the need for assessment competencies or learning objectives?

It argues that assessment is still solidifying as a discipline and that a coherent set of competencies supports clearer development of skills and training for people responsible for assessment.

What is the Assessment Skills Framework used for in this paper?

The paper presents the Assessment Skills Framework (Horst & Prendergast, 2020) as a taxonomy of assessment-related learning outcomes and uses it to guide example applications.

How does the paper connect professional development to assessment practice in institutions?

It describes diverse entry paths and frequent rotation into assessment roles, then cites survey findings showing participation in professional development and ongoing demand for effective, flexible training approaches.

Oct 15, 2026

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