- Email: [email protected]
Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step
TELN-00594; No of Pages 2 Teaching and Learning in Nursing xxx (xxxx) xxx
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Teaching and Learning in Nursing journal homepage: www.jtln.org
Accreditation Update
Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step Judith A. Halstead, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN ⁎ a r t i c l e
i n f o
Keywords: Self-study report Accreditation Program outcomes Program evaluation
a b s t r a c t The accreditation process requires programs to conduct a self-assessment of the program's compliance with the accreditation agency's standards of accreditation. The self-study report is the written narrative documenting the program's self-assessment of compliance. A comprehensive and concisely written selfstudy report which documents a data-driven evaluation process helps contribute to a successful on-site program evaluation visit. The purpose of this article is to provide a step-by-step process that faculty can use to successfully manage the writing of the self-study report. © 2018 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Writing the self-study report is one of the most critical tasks the faculty undertake in the accreditation process. It can also be an intimidating task, requiring faculty to work together to gather the evidence necessary to write an accurate, organized, and concise report that documents compliance with the accreditation standards. The purpose of the self-study report is to document the faculty's self-assessment of compliance with an established set of accreditation standards. Writing the report calls for faculty to reflect on the program's accomplishments and areas for improvement, within the context of continuous quality improvement. The report provides a framework of evidence that will be used by the on-site program evaluators and other reviewers to guide their peer review of the program. A concisely written self-study report that cites data-driven evaluation of program outcomes, contains carefully selected exemplars to demonstrate compliance, and makes effective use of tables and appendices helps contribute to a successful on-site visit. One way to successfully manage writing the self-study report is to break the task down into stages using a step-by-step process. Identify Key Leaders The first step is to identify those responsible for guiding the process and coordinating the writing of the self-study report. Depending upon program size, one or two faculty may be assigned this responsibility or, with a larger faculty, a task group may be appointed with individuals assigned to coordinate the writing of a specific standard. It is helpful if these lead individuals possess the following competencies: experience with accreditation; understanding of program policies and practices; knowledge of where institutional/program data ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected].
and critical documents are located; familiarity with the program's systematic evaluation plan; time management skills and a fondness for attending to details; team facilitation skills; ability to synthesize information; and concise writing skills. Strategize Your Approach The next step is strategizing the approach to preparing the report. Before beginning to write the report, there are a number of activities to complete. Timelines for completing these activities should be set and regular meetings scheduled to track progress toward meeting the timelines. Anticipate needing about 12–18 months to collect program data, organize documents and write the report. The first activity is to ensure faculty and staff are familiar with the accreditation standards. Proceed by methodically reviewing the requirements of each standard, collectively identifying program strengths and areas for improvement, and the data, documents, and other materials needed to demonstrate program compliance with the standard. Allow sufficient time to amass this supporting evidence. This review may also uncover some gaps in data or processes that the faculty need to address with a corrective action plan. Decisions about how best to report the evidence supporting program compliance with each standard are also needed. For example, will the evidence be written into the report or its appendices, or made available to reviewers electronically or in the on-site resource room? These decisions determine how the evidence is referenced within the report and need to be made prior to writing the report. Engage the Faculty and Staff It is important to engage all faculty and staff in the self-study report process. The more inclusive the process, the more knowledgeable
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2018.11.006 1557-3087/© 2018 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article as: J.A. Halstead, Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.teln.2018.11.006
2
J.A. Halstead / Teaching and Learning in Nursing xxx (xxxx) xxx
and comfortable they will become with the accreditation experience, and a sense of ownership of the process will develop. Faculty and staff can contribute to the report in numerous ways. Examples include: assembling evidence documents; writing specific sections of the report; creating appendices, charts and tables to document program data; gathering examples of student work demonstrating student learning outcomes; providing feedback on drafts of the report; and preparing students for the accreditation process. Providing periodic updates about the writing process and soliciting feedback are also helpful in keeping engagement levels high.
feedback received, revise and edit the report. Ensure that the appendices referenced in the narrative are developed and sequenced appropriately. If the report is written by a team, one person will eventually need to assume responsibility for compiling the report and ensuring that it reads consistently throughout the narrative. If the report addresses multiple programs, validate that evidence supporting compliance for each program has been included and clearly aligned to the appropriate program. Finalizing the Self-Study Report
Drafting the Self-Study Report After compiling the evidence needed for the report and determining what information will be placed in appendices, the first draft can be written. Systematically write the text for each standard, concisely citing data, describing processes and providing examples of outcomes applicable to the standard. Highlight in the text references to tables or appendices as appropriate. The first draft should be distributed to faculty for review and feedback. Seek answers to the following questions: Have the standards and their elements been thoroughly and accurately addressed? Is content missing? Is there redundancy or contradictory information? Any areas needing enhancement or greater clarity? Using the
When the report is finalized, ask at least one external reviewer to read and edit the report for clarity, syntax and congruency across the standards. Following any edits, create a table of contents and make a final determination that table and appendix references remain appropriately labeled. The report is now ready for dissemination. Following these steps will produce an organized self-study report that accurately reflects the program's compliance with the accreditation standards and prepares faculty to confidently participate in the on-site visit.
Please cite this article as: J.A. Halstead, Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.teln.2018.11.006
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Teaching and Learning in Nursing journal homepage: www.jtln.org
Accreditation Update
Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step Judith A. Halstead, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN ⁎ a r t i c l e
i n f o
Keywords: Self-study report Accreditation Program outcomes Program evaluation
a b s t r a c t The accreditation process requires programs to conduct a self-assessment of the program's compliance with the accreditation agency's standards of accreditation. The self-study report is the written narrative documenting the program's self-assessment of compliance. A comprehensive and concisely written selfstudy report which documents a data-driven evaluation process helps contribute to a successful on-site program evaluation visit. The purpose of this article is to provide a step-by-step process that faculty can use to successfully manage the writing of the self-study report. © 2018 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Writing the self-study report is one of the most critical tasks the faculty undertake in the accreditation process. It can also be an intimidating task, requiring faculty to work together to gather the evidence necessary to write an accurate, organized, and concise report that documents compliance with the accreditation standards. The purpose of the self-study report is to document the faculty's self-assessment of compliance with an established set of accreditation standards. Writing the report calls for faculty to reflect on the program's accomplishments and areas for improvement, within the context of continuous quality improvement. The report provides a framework of evidence that will be used by the on-site program evaluators and other reviewers to guide their peer review of the program. A concisely written self-study report that cites data-driven evaluation of program outcomes, contains carefully selected exemplars to demonstrate compliance, and makes effective use of tables and appendices helps contribute to a successful on-site visit. One way to successfully manage writing the self-study report is to break the task down into stages using a step-by-step process. Identify Key Leaders The first step is to identify those responsible for guiding the process and coordinating the writing of the self-study report. Depending upon program size, one or two faculty may be assigned this responsibility or, with a larger faculty, a task group may be appointed with individuals assigned to coordinate the writing of a specific standard. It is helpful if these lead individuals possess the following competencies: experience with accreditation; understanding of program policies and practices; knowledge of where institutional/program data ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected].
and critical documents are located; familiarity with the program's systematic evaluation plan; time management skills and a fondness for attending to details; team facilitation skills; ability to synthesize information; and concise writing skills. Strategize Your Approach The next step is strategizing the approach to preparing the report. Before beginning to write the report, there are a number of activities to complete. Timelines for completing these activities should be set and regular meetings scheduled to track progress toward meeting the timelines. Anticipate needing about 12–18 months to collect program data, organize documents and write the report. The first activity is to ensure faculty and staff are familiar with the accreditation standards. Proceed by methodically reviewing the requirements of each standard, collectively identifying program strengths and areas for improvement, and the data, documents, and other materials needed to demonstrate program compliance with the standard. Allow sufficient time to amass this supporting evidence. This review may also uncover some gaps in data or processes that the faculty need to address with a corrective action plan. Decisions about how best to report the evidence supporting program compliance with each standard are also needed. For example, will the evidence be written into the report or its appendices, or made available to reviewers electronically or in the on-site resource room? These decisions determine how the evidence is referenced within the report and need to be made prior to writing the report. Engage the Faculty and Staff It is important to engage all faculty and staff in the self-study report process. The more inclusive the process, the more knowledgeable
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2018.11.006 1557-3087/© 2018 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article as: J.A. Halstead, Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.teln.2018.11.006
2
J.A. Halstead / Teaching and Learning in Nursing xxx (xxxx) xxx
and comfortable they will become with the accreditation experience, and a sense of ownership of the process will develop. Faculty and staff can contribute to the report in numerous ways. Examples include: assembling evidence documents; writing specific sections of the report; creating appendices, charts and tables to document program data; gathering examples of student work demonstrating student learning outcomes; providing feedback on drafts of the report; and preparing students for the accreditation process. Providing periodic updates about the writing process and soliciting feedback are also helpful in keeping engagement levels high.
feedback received, revise and edit the report. Ensure that the appendices referenced in the narrative are developed and sequenced appropriately. If the report is written by a team, one person will eventually need to assume responsibility for compiling the report and ensuring that it reads consistently throughout the narrative. If the report addresses multiple programs, validate that evidence supporting compliance for each program has been included and clearly aligned to the appropriate program. Finalizing the Self-Study Report
Drafting the Self-Study Report After compiling the evidence needed for the report and determining what information will be placed in appendices, the first draft can be written. Systematically write the text for each standard, concisely citing data, describing processes and providing examples of outcomes applicable to the standard. Highlight in the text references to tables or appendices as appropriate. The first draft should be distributed to faculty for review and feedback. Seek answers to the following questions: Have the standards and their elements been thoroughly and accurately addressed? Is content missing? Is there redundancy or contradictory information? Any areas needing enhancement or greater clarity? Using the
When the report is finalized, ask at least one external reviewer to read and edit the report for clarity, syntax and congruency across the standards. Following any edits, create a table of contents and make a final determination that table and appendix references remain appropriately labeled. The report is now ready for dissemination. Following these steps will produce an organized self-study report that accurately reflects the program's compliance with the accreditation standards and prepares faculty to confidently participate in the on-site visit.
Please cite this article as: J.A. Halstead, Writing your Self-Study Report Step-By-Step, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.teln.2018.11.006