Section 32. The council shall prepare a system of student assessment, to be administered within the public system of higher education, to measure student improvement, between the first and fourth years of attendance at public higher education institutions, on various tasks, including, but not limited to, ability to reason, communication and language skills, and other factors the council deems appropriate to evaluate, in order to assess the general performance of higher education institutions in fostering learning and academic growth. The council shall determine the method of assessment and shall publish the results of such assessment.