Discussion 3

Discussion 3:

Data from inside the institution are important. Internal data is only one source for evaluating an academic program, though. Graduates of that program will leave the institution and enter the workforce or continue their education. These external perspectives from employers, educators, credentialing agencies, and accreditors are important, too. In this discussion, you will consider sources of external data that enhance your program evaluation.  Below is a list of potential sources of external data. To prepare for this discussion, investigate whether sources from each of these categories listed applies to the academic program you are evaluating. You will investigate some of the categories in your initial post, based on the assignments below, and investigate the other categories in your peer responses. If you have questions, post them in the General Questions topic. 

First Letter of Last Name	Categories of Data Sources to Explore in Initial Post
A-H	· Employer expectations · Occupational statistics
I-N	· Professional competencies or credentialing · Professional organizations · Accrediting organizations
O-Z	· Legislators - local, state, and/or federal legislators and legislation (e.g., regulations, funding)

When creating your initial post, consider using headings or creating a table to organize the information in an easy-to-read format. In your initial post, be sure to do the following:

· Address each of the categories assigned to you in the table above based on the first letter of your last name. (my last name starts with a B)

· Describe what data relevant to the academic program under evaluation could be obtained from sources in each category.

· Explain how you might use those data to evaluate the academic program.

Use the other attached documents to complete this discussion: