Authors: John F. Stevenson, Elaine Finan, and Michele Martel This paper examines organizational readiness for the kind of learning-organization environment that features an institution-wide, ongoing, highly valued system for using student learning outcome data to improve educational outcomes. We propose a five-stage developmental model for assessment capacity and provide data on its application in one higher education institution. Results from repeated administrations (in 2009, 2012, and 2015) of an Assessment Climate Survey demonstrate how this developmental perspective and the dimensions of infrastructure, leadership, and faculty support linked to it can aid internal evaluators in directing attention to the organizational context and to steps needed to promote systemic change from an externally driven, top-down, mandated assessment process to an internally valued, learning-centered process. Survey content, psychometric properties, and our approach to using the results to promote change are described, with special attention to the challenges of stage transition and strategies for addressing them.#AssessmentinHigherEducation #2016Conference