As allied health professional students increasingly seek individualized pathways to align with their interests and distinguish themselves for residency, fellowship, and employment, programs such as scholarly concentrations, tracks, pathways, and certificates must demonstrate clear evidence of learner success and achievement. However, assessment strategies for these non-required programs are often underdeveloped or addressed late in the process.

This interactive focus session will support educators, program developers, and academic leaders in identifying and implementing meaningful assessment strategies for optional curricular initiatives. Through brief didactics that overview the basics of program assessment and evaluation, as well as concrete examples and guided small-group work, participants will use a structured worksheet to map assessment methods to their program’s goals and intended outcomes. Following small-group discussions, a report-out and facilitated debrief will allow for peer feedback and cross-institutional idea sharing.

By the end of the session, participants will leave with a draft assessment map tailored to their program’s structure and goals, and with practical tools to strengthen evaluation processes in non-core curricula.

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe how clearly articulated program goals inform and guide appropriate methods of assessment.
2. Identify and match meaningful assessment strategies to the structure and scope of their non-required programs.
3. Apply the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation to aim beyond Level 1 (“reaction”) and consider higher-level outcomes such as behavior change and results.
4. Develop an initial assessment plan that aligns program objectives with measurable outcomes and can evolve over time.