VALUE Scoring Collaborative

Generating Credible Evidence of Student Learning

The VALUE Scoring Collaborative enables institutions to evaluate authentic student work using shared, faculty-developed standards.

Through the Collaborative, trained faculty evaluators assess student assignments using VALUE rubrics—widely recognized frameworks for evaluating complex learning outcomes such as critical thinking, communication, ethical reasoning, and written communication.

By examining real student work drawn from coursework, the VALUE Scoring Collaborative produces credible, comparable evidence of student learning while preserving academic ownership and disciplinary context.

Any higher education institution, department, program, consortium, or educational provider may submit samples of student work for evaluation through the Collaborative.

How the VALUE Scoring Collaborative Strengthens Assessment

Assessing complex student learning across programs and institutions requires shared standards and reliable evaluation methods.

The VALUE Scoring Collaborative helps institutions:

  • Evaluate authentic student work using nationally recognized VALUE rubrics
  • Generate reliable evidence of student learning through calibrated faculty scoring
  • Benchmark performance across institutions while respecting local academic contexts
  • Analyze learning across student populations, including first-generation students and other demographic groups
  • Strengthen institutional improvement efforts through meaningful assessment data

By combining authentic student work with faculty-driven evaluation, the Collaborative provides institutions with evidence that supports both educational improvement and external accountability.

Since its launch in 2014, the VALUE Scoring Collaborative has brought together educators and institutions committed to improving how higher education evaluates student learning. Participating institutions have contributed thousands of examples of authentic student work for faculty evaluation using VALUE rubrics, helping build a growing national understanding of student learning outcomes across higher education.

By the Numbers

  • 63,000+

    Pieces of student work scored

  • 171

    Participating colleges and universities (2- and 4-year)

How the VALUE Scoring Collaborative Works

Institutions participate in the VALUE Scoring Collaborative by submitting samples of authentic student work for faculty evaluation using the VALUE rubrics.

  1. Submit Student Work. Participating institutions upload samples of student assignments—such as papers, projects, or portfolios—to a secure digital repository. Submissions typically represent a specific learning outcome and level of study.
  2. Faculty Evaluation. Certified faculty evaluators assess student work using the VALUE rubrics, applying shared performance standards developed by higher education experts.
  3. Calibration and Reliability. Faculty evaluators complete calibration training to ensure scoring consistency across institutions and disciplines.
  4. Actionable Results. Participating institutions receive detailed reports that provide insight into student learning outcomes across programs and student populations. These results can inform curriculum design, institutional assessment strategies, and program improvement efforts.

VALUE Rubrics Used in the Scoring Collaborative

The VALUE Scoring Collaborative currently evaluates student work using VALUE rubrics for 8 essential learning outcomes. These rubrics articulate widely shared expectations for undergraduate learning and provide structured frameworks for evaluating student performance.

Institutional Participation and Pricing

Any higher education institution, department, program, consortium, or educational provider may participate in the VALUE Scoring Collaborative by submitting student work for evaluation.

Submission TypeAAC&U Member InstitutionNon-Member Institution
First set of 100 student work samples (single outcome)$6,000$8,000
Each additional set of 100 samples (any outcome)$3,000$4,500

Participation in the VALUE Scoring Collaborative includes professional development opportunities that help build institutional capacity for authentic assessment:

  • Workshop attendance: Two seats in the VALUE Assessment Accelerator workshop or four seats in Hacking the VALUE Rubrics
  • Calibration training: Three seats for faculty evaluators (each participant selects one rubric for training)

Part of the VALUE System

The VALUE Scoring Collaborative is part of AAC&U’s Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) system for authentic assessment. Institutions use it alongside additional resources that define shared learning expectations, support assignment design, and build faculty capacity for meaningful assessment.

Explore other parts of the VALUE system:

Ready to Participate in the VALUE Scoring Collaborative?

AAC&U works with faculty leaders, assessment offices, and institutions to support participation in the VALUE Scoring Collaborative and the use of authentic student work to generate meaningful evidence of student learning.

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