A Different Kind of Gap Year: Program Development and Assessment at the United States Service Academy Preparatory Schools

Abstract

Higher education faces a myriad of challenges today. From decreasing college readiness to the drive
among leaders to increase diversity and address inequities in graduation rates, colleges face impediments
to recruit, retain, and graduate high-potential student bodies. In this milieu, the service academies
have long provided an alternate route for select candidates to gain admission to and graduate from
their institutions. This article briefly explains the purpose of the service academy preparatory schools
and how each academy’s preparatory school uses assessment to evaluate, and inform improvements
in, their academic programs which are nested within overarching leader and character development
programs. The approach is that tri-level assessment outcomes evolve from intentional, theory-driven,
systemic, integrated thinking and planning. Each preparatory school highlights a different level of
assessment: student level (micro) at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School; program
level (meso) at the Naval Academy Preparatory School; and organizational level (macro) at the United
States Military Academy Preparatory School. The authors also suggest future assessment possibilities
and generalizability to other contexts for those working to close the readiness gap and addressing some
of the most pressing issues facing higher education today.