What are "benchmarks (indicators)" of program and instructional effectiveness?
Benchmarks represent goals or measuring sticks for program objectives. They are also "indicators" of how the program is meeting the evaluative criteria. For example, one benchmark for evaluating the program of study through course evaluations may be "90% of students reported satisfaction with nursing courses." Satisfaction may be determined by students marking a 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale on the course evaluation form.
Benchmarks can be placed in a numerical rating for most evaluative criteria. Using a numerical rating provides a mechanism to measure each item.