An in-depth look at one of a valuable tools for assessing student learning outcomes Longitudinal assessments, in which researchers track the experiences of individual students over a predetermined period of time, are powerful tools for measuring college student learning outcomes and for institutional planning, policy, and program design. This volume in the critically acclaimed New Directions for Institutional Research comprises contributions from leading experts in the field from institutions of higher learning nationwide who focus on three key aspects of longitudinal assessment, namely, methodology, data collection, and the application of findings in the crafting of institutional improvement initiatives.