TASKSTREAM® Accountability Management

System

Step-by-Step Guide

for

Academic Student Services Revised August 2019

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Logging Into Taskstream ....................................... 3

Where To Begin? ....................................................... 4

Standing Requirements MISSION ...................................................................... 6 SERVICE UNIT GOALS/OUTCOMES Create New Outcome Sets ............................................. 7 Service Unit Goals Create New Service Unit Goals ..................................... 8 Edit Service Unit Goals .................................................. 10 Outcomes Create New Outcomes .................................................. 11 Edit Outcomes .............................................................. 12 Mapping Create Mapping ............................................................ 13

Assessment Cycles ASSESSMENT PLAN Create an Assessment Plan ............................................ 16 Create and/or Import Measures .................................... 19 ASSESSMENT/REASSESSMENT FINDINGS Insert Findings............................................................... 21 OPERATIONAL/ACTION PLAN Create Operational/Action Plan ................................... 23 Import Action ................................................................ 25 Create Status Report .................................................... 26

Help ............................................................ 27

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LOGGING INTO TASKSTREAM

Please be aware that this guide is meant to assist you in completing and updating your workspaces. Please

feel free to call OAPR with “how to” questions if you need more guidance. You may also contact Watermark directly, as described on page #27 of this guide.

1. Sign on to the NCC Portal and click on the Taskstream icon,

which should be included in your Launchpad. If you do not have the icon on your portal page, please call OAPR so that we can create an account for you.

2. Once you are logged in, the workspaces to which you have

access will appear. You can either click on the workspace of the participating area you wish to address, or use the search function to narrow your options.

3. To open the workspace you wish to view or edit, do not click on the name of the workspace, but the title of the template, i.e., “STUDENT SERVICES ASSESSMENT AND ACTION PLAN” under the specific participating area you plan to address.

4. You may follow the instructions in this step-by-step guide, but also please take a moment to read the directions included within each section of the workspace, as they contain substantive instructions that will assist you in this process. If the directions are not visible, click on the blue triangle to expand the section.

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WHERE TO BEGIN? Quick Reference Guide

Most users of this Step-By-Step Guide will already have an Assessment Plan in place and will NOT need to start at the

beginning. So, please follow the guidelines below to answer the question, “Where To Begin?”

IF you need to enter the status of actions taken based on

your Action Plan,

GO TO the section entitled “Create Status Report” on

page 26.

IF you need to create an Operational/Action Plan based on

your findings,

GO TO the section entitled “Create Operational Action

Plan” on page 23.

IF you need to enter Findings into an existing Assessment

Plan or reflect on previous recommendations,

GO TO the section entitled “Insert Findings on page 21.

IF Service Unit Goals and Outcomes have been included in

your Standing Requirements, but you need to create an Assessment Plan and add Measures,

GO TO the section entitled “Create an Assessment

Plan” on page 16.

IF you wish to map existing Outcomes to various goal sets or

standards,

GO TO “Create Mapping” on page 13.

IF existing Service Unit Goals and/or Outcomes require

editing,

GO TO “Edit Service Unit Goals” on page 10.

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IF Service Unit Goals have been included but there are no

Outcomes for those Goals,

GO TO the section entitled “Create New Outcomes” on

page 11.

IF no Service Unit Goals have been included for the Outcome

Set you will be utilizing,

GO TO the section entitled “Create New Service Unit

Goals” on page 8.

IF you plan to use an existing Outcome Set in your

Assessment Plan,

GO TO the section entitled “Create New Outcome Sets”

#3 on page 8.

IF no Outcome Set has been created for your program or

department, or you need to create a new Outcome Set,

GO TO the section entitled “Create New Outcome Sets”

on page 7 #1.

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STANDING REQUIREMENTS

This area of your workspace documents the Mission and the Service Unit Goals and Outcomes for your area and is also where any editing of these components takes place.

MISSION

The Mission is a summary of the aims and values of your unit/department.

1. Under “General Information,” “Standing Requirements” in the left hand column, click on “Mission.”

2. In order to include the appropriate Mission, click on toward the top right of the page. Click on the button to open the Mission text box, and input (or copy/paste) your text. When you are satisfied, click on the top right and .

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SERVICE UNIT GOALS/OUTCOMES

(also referred to as OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES)

In this section, you will identify Service Unit Goals/Operational

Objectives and Outcomes for your area and, if appropriate, map those Outcomes to institutional and/or external goal sets.

CREATE NEW OUTCOME SETS

An Outcome Set includes both Service Unit Goals/Operational Objectives and corresponding Outcomes. If you need to create a new

Outcome Set, follow steps #1 and #2 below. If you plan to use an already existing set, skip to step #3 on page 8.

1. To begin creating your Assessment Plan, you must first create

an Outcome Set. To do so, click on “Service Unit

Goal/Outcome” under the “Standing Requirements” and

.

2. Click on “Create New Set.”

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Choose the title that appears for your Outcome Set or create a new title. Check off the box to allow mapping, and press

.

3. If you wish to utilize an outcome set that has already been created, click on “Select Existing Set“.

You may then choose any set that was previously created. You can view the set(s) prior to choosing one by clicking on

on the far right.

4. Once you have created or chosen an Outcome Set, you may begin creating goals or you may .

CREATE NEW SERVICE UNIT GOALS If you have selected an already existing Outcome Set for which Service Unit Goals have already been created, you do not need to create new

goals.

1. To begin creating your Service Unit Goals, click on “Service Unit Goal/Outcome” under the “Standing Requirements” and .

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2. Click on , and add the first Service Unit Goal/Operational Objective. (Note: This space only allows for 140 characters, so be concise. If you need additional room, or would like to clarify what is written, you may use the “Description” text box.) Click

To create additional Service Unit Goals/Operational Objectives, repeat step #2.

3. Once you have included one or more Service Unit Goal(s), you

may begin creating your Outcomes or you may

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EDIT SERVICE UNIT GOALS

1. To edit existing Service Unit Goal(s), click on “Service Unit Goal/Outcome” under the “Standing Requirements” and

2. Go to the Service Unit Goal/Operational Objective you wish to edit, click on on the far right, make any necessary modifications, and click on . (If the system asks what you wish to update, check only the current assessment cycle, NOT past completed cycles.)

3. Once you have completed your edits, you may or you may continue by creating or editing Outcomes.

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CREATE NEW OUTCOMES

Outcomes address what the Unit/Area expects to accomplish that will demonstrate that the Outcome has been achieved.

1. To begin creating your Outcomes, click on “Service Unit Goal/Outcome” under the “Standing Requirements” and

.

2. Under the Service Unit Goal/Operational Objective for which you wish to create the Outcome, click on “Create New Outcome.” Add and number the first Outcome. (Note: This space only allows for 140 characters, so be concise. If you need additional room, or would like to clarify what is written, you may use the “Description” text box.) Click

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3. You now have three choices…

a. IF you would like to add additional Outcomes under the same Operational Objectives, click “Add another outcome.”

b. IF you would like to add Outcomes under another Operational Objective, click “Back to all outcome sets.”

c. IF you would like to map to specific goal sets (or standards) that are accessible to your workspace, click “Add mapping” and proceed to “CREATE MAPPING,” step #2 on page 14 of this booklet for step-by-step instructions.

4. Once you have completed your tasks for the session, click on

“Back to all outcome sets” and .

EDIT OUTCOMES

1. To edit existing Outcomes, click on “Service Unit Goal/Outcome” under the “Standing Requirements” and

.

2. Go to the Outcome you wish to edit, click on the far right, make any necessary modifications, and click on

. (If the system asks what you wish to update, check only the current assessment cycle, NOT past completed cycles.)

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3. Once you have completed your edits, you may

or you may continue by mapping to goal sets or standards.

CREATE MAPPING

You should map your outcomes to the relevant goal sets, strategic

plans, and/or external accreditation standards.

1. You may map your Outcomes to internal and external goals and standards (in Taskstream referred to as Goal Sets) in two ways:

a. While creating your outcomes, you can click on “Add

mapping” as indicated in #3c on page 12 of this booklet in the CREATE NEW OUTCOMES section, and proceed to Step #2 on page 14.

b. You can go directly to the Outcome as follows:

i. Click on ““Service Unit Goal/Outcome” and ;

ii. Go to the specific Outcome you would like mapped, and click on on the right of the outcome;

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iii. Click on and proceed to step #2 below .

2. Use the drop down menu to “Select Type of Set,” choose “Goal Sets Distributed to {specific area},” and click

NOT .

3. Select the appropriate Goal Set and click . (Note, you can only choose one goal set at a time.)

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4. Select those section(s) of the goal set that you would like mapped to your Outcome, and click on the bottom right.

5. Repeat these steps to create additional mapping. Once you have completed your work, .

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ASSESSMENT CYCLES

This area of your workspace outlines your Assessment Plan and documents your assessment results. All of the

Outcomes included in your Standing Requirements need to be assessed during each four year Strategic Planning Cycle.

ASSESSMENT PLAN

You create an Assessment Plan by describing measures for each

Outcome you have identified in the Standing Requirements. For each measure you create, you should explain the criteria used to delineate

levels of performance e.g., exceeding, meeting, or not meeting expectations. Wherever possible, attach supporting attachments

evidencing your level of achievement.

CREATE AN ASSESSMENT PLAN Once the Service Unit Goals/Operational Objectives and Outcomes have been included in your Standing Requirements, an Assessment Plan must be created by carrying over the Operational Objectives and Outcomes into the appropriate cycle and creating measure(s) for each Outcome. 1. Click on “Assessment Plan” under the appropriate

assessment cycle and .

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2. When entering the “Assessment Plan” section of your

workspace, you may encounter one of the following bulleted scenarios:

AN ASSESSMENT PLAN HAS BEEN CREATED FOR A PREVIOUS CYCLE - Typically, your best option would be to click on

as this will carry over all previous Outcomes & Measures from the previous assessment cycle. When you choose this option, all existing plans will be listed, including those from other templates within the same participating area, and you can choose the one you would like carried into the current cycle.

You can then edit as needed.

OUTCOME SET(S) HAVE BEEN CARRIED INTO THE ASSESSMENT PLAN SECTION OF YOUR WORKSPACE, BUT MEASURES HAVE NOT YET BEEN ADDED – You may now proceed to create measures for your Outcomes, as outlined in the section on page 19 entitled CREATE AND/OR IMPORT MEASURES.

OUTCOME SET(S) HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE STANDING REQUIREMENTS, BUT THE ASSESSMENT PLAN SECTION OF YOUR WORKSPACE IS EMPTY AND NO PLANS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN ANY PREVIOUS CYCLES –

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Click on

Click on on the bottom right;

Click on toward the top right. This allows you to create your Assessment Plan using an Outcome Set (Operational Objectives and Outcomes) that has been created in the Standing Requirements. You may view any existing Outcome Set by clicking on on the far right.

Click on the circle next to the set you wish to choose,

and click .

Next, click on the box next to on the

far right, which carries all of your Outcomes into the plan,

or just select those outcomes you choose to carry into

this cycle by clicking on the box on the left of each

outcome. Finally, click on

You may now proceed to create measures for your Outcomes.

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CREATE AND/OR IMPORT MEASURES

Please note, after clicking on “Add New Measure,” be sure to read the directions at the top of the screen.

1. Click on “Assessment Plan” under the appropriate assessment cycle and .

2. Click on under the outcome you wish to address.

3. When creating a new measure, be sure to include the following, as outlined in the directions within the “Add New Measure” section of your workspace:

“Define a measure for this outcome. Set a near term target

that is attainable in this assessment cycle. If applicable, you

may also set a long term target that represents the ideal

outcome over multiple cycles. Once this measure is added,

then you may add supporting attachments and links in the

next step (from the main assessment plan screen).”

When complete, click .

4. If you wish to add a measure identical or similar to one created for another Outcome in this workspace,

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click on and then on the right. A window will open. Click in the box indicating

5. Choose the measure you would like to import by clicking on the circle next to that measure and click on

6. Make any appropriate changes to the measure, including the numbering, and be sure to include all details requested in #3 on page 19.

7. When complete, click .

8. Add or import any additional measures under each Learning Outcome and when finished, .

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ASSESSMENT/REASSESSMENT FINDINGS

For each measure, discuss the results/findings for that measure, compare the results to the last time the Outcome was assessed, and

indicate plans to improve that Outcome in order to meet your Service Unit Goal/Operational Objective. Attach substantiating evidence, if

appropriate.

INSERT FINDINGS

1. Click on “Assessment/Reassessment Findings” under the appropriate assessment cycle and .

2. Click on on the bottom right of the

measure you wish to address.

3. In the text box, add all relevant data.

4. In the second text box marked compare the results to prior assessment of this outcome, and describe the effectiveness of any previous modifications, if applicable. Explain why this outcome was or was not met.

5. If you wish to include any additional information or comments, you may use the third text box marked

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6. Finally, indicate the levels to which both the acceptable target and the ideal target were achieved, and

Once submitted, you will see your findings included and can attach substantiating evidence by clicking on

7. Remember to .

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OPERATIONAL/ACTION PLAN

CREATE OPERATIONAL/ACTION PLAN 1. Click on “Operational/Action Plan” under the appropriate

assessment cycle and .

2. If an action plan has not been created, click on and proceed to step #5 below.

3. If an action plan has been created, but outcomes have not

been selected, proceed to step #6 below.

4. If an action plan has been created, and the outcomes you wish to address have already been selected, proceed to step #7 below.

5. Click on on the bottom right and

. The Outcome Set[s] within the Standing Requirements of this workspace will appear. Choose the appropriate set, and click .

6. Choose the outcomes you wish to address or select

in the blue ribbon across the top of the outcome set, and click on .

7. Click on under each outcome that you wish to address. Note that each action corresponds to a specific outcome. However, an outcome often has more than one measure. Therefore, when you create the action, you must indicate the particular findings the action relates to by checking the appropriate “Findings for Measure” box, and click .

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8. You can now add the title of your Action and can see that the

Action is linked to a particular findings.

9. To add additional actions, repeat steps 7 & 8, and when you

have included all your actions, .

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IMPORT ACTION

1. Follow steps #1-7 under CREATE OPERATIONAL/ACTION PLAN on page 23 of this booklet.

2. Click on on the right.

3. Choose the action you would like to import by clicking on the circle next to the action

and click on .

4. Proceed to make any appropriate changes to the action, click on and when you have included all

your actions, .

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CREATE STATUS REPORT 1. Click on “Status Report” under the appropriate cycle and

.

2. Click on on the bottom right of the Action you wish to address. Add the current status using the drop down menu provided, and include additional information requested and all relevant data. Click

3. Once submitted, you may add attachments, if appropriate 4. Once you have completed your work, please

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If you experience technical problems, you can…

1. Click on at the top right of your screen, where you will be directed to “Help Topics.” This section includes a category entitled “Workspace Participant FAQs,” as well as various topics that may be of assistance to you. Additionally, if you click on “Browse and Search All Topics” there is a search function available.

2. If you are unable to resolve your problems, you may

contact Mentoring Services at Watermark by e-mailing your questions to support@watermarkinsights.com or calling 1-800-311-5656.

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OAPR – 8.20.19