Factors that contribute to useful measurement of the impact of educational programs on college students are reviewed. Chapters cover the following: goals of student outcomes assessment; philosophy of assessment; outcome taxonomies; issues of measurement in talent development assessment; cognitive outcome instruments; increasing the usefulness of outcomes assessments; and practical suggestions for conducting assessments. It is suggested that an institutional program of assessing student outcomes should be based on a coherent philosophy of institutional mission and should reflect a conception of what constitutes effective performance of that mission. Two commonly used approaches to defining excellence are discussed, reputational and resource approaches, but a "talent development" approach is proposed in which assessment focuses more on changes or improvements in students' performance from entry to exit. Talent development assessments may be conducted with either standard, commercially available assessment instruments or with locally designed instruments developed on campus. Reasons why assessments may not live up to their potential as management tools are addressed, including inadequate conceptualization or political barriers. Appended is a summary of the more than 25 cognitive assessment instruments discussed (general education tests, specific skills tests, and subject matter competency). This document contains approximately 120 references. (LB)