S4A (ACPE Standard 4) Assessment Instrument
The S4A Instrument (also known as the PharmPPD Instrument) is a validated assessment instrument to assess CAPE Domain 4 (for ACPE Standard 4 accreditation). The elements of Standard 4 which the Instrument assesses is self-awareness, leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, and professionalism. The instrument assesses the skills and behaviors identified by PharmD faculty and employers of PharmD graduates that map to each of these elements.
S3A (ACPE Standard 3) Assessment Instrument
The S3A Instrument is an assessment instrument that assesses CAPE Standard 3 (for ACPE Standard 3 accreditation). The elements of Standard 3 which the Instrument assesses are problem solving, education (of others), patient advocacy, interprofessional collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and communication. The instrument assesses the skills and behaviors identified by PharmD faculty and employers of PharmD graduates that map to each of these elements.
What the Standard 3 and 4
Assessment Instruments Include
Assesments
The S4A Instrument includes four self-assessments that cover P1 to P4 and four faculty assessments (of students) for P1 to P4. The self-assessments are all validated and the faculty assessments, although optional, map to the student self-assessments. The S3A Instrument includes two styles of assessments — assessments on the frequency of desired skills and behaviors, and situational judgement tests (SJTs).
Personal Progress Reports for Students
Each student receives a detailed Progress Report that includes graphical representations of their results, strengths and development areas, activities and additional support materials for all elements of each Standard.
Analytics for Faculty/Programs
Analytics dashboards are available for all relevant faculty and can include analytics on the whole program, cohorts or advisor/mentor groups. Analytics includes comparative analysis of cohorts in all elements including the top skills and behavior strengths and development areas for each cohort and each element of the Standards.
Data for ACPE Accreditation & Research
In addition to the analytics, data is available in for reporting, accreditation and research.
Used by PharmD programs
S3A Standard 3 and S4A Standard 4 Assessment
The S3A Standard 3 and S4A Standard 4 Assessment Instruments are primarily used by PharmD programs to assess their students and meet ACPE Accreditation requirements. The Instruments are also used to support students and faculty by providing students with detailed and automated feedback, providing advisors/mentors with analysis and discussion points as needed, and the identification of students that are having difficulties with elements of the Standards.
Most PharmD programs have the student complete the assessments (approximately 15/20 minutes each) in the Fall and in the Spring to provide comparative data for each year. Some programs also have faculty assess their relevant group of students once during the year to provide comparison and richer feedback to students.
Background and Technical Details
The S3A Standard 3 and S4A Standard 4 assessments instruments were developed in collaboration with PharmD programs. Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy use the assessment instrument for their Doctor of Pharmacy programs.
The S4A and S3A are reliable and valid tests of ACPE’s Standard 3 and 4. A technical report is available upon request.