The Completion Arch: Measuring Community College Student

96 Pages·2012·4.65 MB·English

by  Laura Horn

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Measuring Community College Student Success: 2012
About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects
students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College
Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership
association is made up of more than 5,900 of the world’s leading educational
institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education.
Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a
successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness
and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®.
The organization also serves the education community through research and
advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.
For further information, visit www.collegeboard.org.
About MPR Associates, Inc.
MPR Associates, Inc., is a research and consulting firm specializing in education.
We are committed to improving education policy and practice and increasing
access to and success in education and work for youth and adults. MPR provides
clear, unbiased, policy-relevant research and innovative data tools for educators,
policymakers, and the public. Our work focuses on K–12 school improvement;
college and career preparation; postsecondary education, with an emphasis on
community college success; and adult education.
For further information, visit www.mprinc.com.
© 2012 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, SAT and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the
College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on the Web:
www.collegeboard.org.
THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success iii
Contents
v List of Figures 17 Developmental Education Placement
vii Preface 18 Measures Reported by State
viii The Advisory Panel 19 What the Research Tells Us
ix Executive Summary 20 Placement in Developmental Courses
xii The Completion Arch Core Measures 22 Participation in Developmental Courses
and Summary of Data Availability
25 Progress
1 Introduction 26 Measures Reported by State
2 Why The Completion Arch? 29 What the Research Tells Us
3 Who Will Use The Completion Arch? 31 Completion of Developmental
4 The Completion Arch Framework Education Courses and Sequences
7 Availability of Measures Across the 32 Enrollment in and Completion of
United States Gatekeeper Courses
8 The Completion Arch Website 33 Threshold Number of Credits in
Overview Specified Time and Completion of
Transfer Preparatory Courses
9 Enrollment 34 Persistence
10 Measures Reported by State 35 Full-Time Attendance in First Term
11 What the Research Tells Us 36 Completion of Courses Attempted
13 Fall Enrollment 37 Continuous Enrollment
15 Unduplicated Annual Enrollment 38 Credits in First Year
16 Future Updates 39 Summer Credits Earned
40 Future Updates
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.
iv THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success
Contents — continued
41 Transfer and Completion 59 Conclusions and Next Steps
42 Measures Reported by State
44 What the Research Tells Us 60 References
45 Graduation Rates, Time to Degree and 67 Appendix A. Primary Data Sources
Completion Rates Within Six Years 71 Appendix B. Availability of Indicators
47 Number of Degrees and Certificates by State
Awarded 73 Appendix C. Glossary
48 Credits to Degree
49 Persistence Without a Degree
After Six Years and Near Program
Completion After Six Years
50 Future Updates
51 Workforce Preparation and
Employment Outcomes
52 Measures Reported by State
53 What the Research Tells Us
54 Licensure Exam Pass Rates
55 Job Placement Rates
57 Graduates’ Wages and Wage Growth
58 Future Updates
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.
THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success v
List of Figures
Figure 1. Number of Students Enrolled in U.S. Figure 14. Number of Enrollment Spells After Six
Community Colleges, Fall Term: 1963–2009 11 Years, U.S. Community College Students ..37
Figure 2. Percentage of Undergraduates in Figure 15. One-Year Credit Milestones, U.S.
Community Colleges by State: Fall 2010 ...13 Community College Students ............38
Figure 3. Percentage of Students Enrolled in Figure 16. Percentage of Students Completing
Community Colleges: Fall 2010...........14 Within Six Years, North Carolina
Community Colleges ...................45
Figure 4. Percentage Distribution of Community
College Students by Demographic Figure 17. Six-Year Completion Rates for U.S.
Characteristics: Fall 2010 ................14 Community College Students ............46
Figure 5. Percentage Distribution of Community Figure 18. Number of Certificates and Associate
College Students by Enrollment Degrees Awarded in 2009-10 by U.S.
Characteristics: Fall 2010 ................14 Community Colleges ...................47
Figure 6. Unduplicated Annual Enrollment: 2009-10..15 Figure 19. Average Number of Credits Earned
Toward a Degree by Full-Time Students
Figure 7. Percentage of First-Time Degree-Seeking
Who Earned Associate Degrees for 27
Students Enrolled in ATD Colleges in Fall
CCA States............................48
2003 to Fall 2004 Who Were Referred to
Different Levels of Developmental Reading Figure 20. Persistence Without a Degree After Six Years
and Mathematics, by Levels Offered .......21 for U.S. Community College Students.......49
Figure 8. Participation in Developmental Math, Figure 21. Pass Rates for Texas Community and
Reading and Writing in California . . . . . . . . .22 Technical College Students Who Took
Licensure and Certification Exams in
Figure 9. Percentage of Community College
2007-08, by Occupational Field ...........54
Students Enrolled in Developmental Math
and English Courses During Their First Figure 22. Percentage of Spring 2007 Virginia
Academic Year for 27 CCA States .........23 Community College Exiters Employed in
Spring 2007, Six Months Later and Two
Figure 10. Completion of Developmental Education
Years Later............................55
Requirements in ATD Colleges ...........31
Figure 23. Employment and Workforce Participation
Figure 11. Completion of Gatekeeper Math Courses ..32
Rates for Students First Enrolled in U.S.
Figure 12. Among California Community College Community Colleges in 2003-04..........56
Transfer Students, Percentage Who
Figure 24. Average Salary for Oklahoma State
Completed a Transfer Curriculum Prior to
System Graduates After One Year and
Transferring...........................33
Five Years, by Type of Award .............57
Figure 13. Completion of At Least 80 Percent of
Figure 25. Median Salary in 2009 for Students
Course Credits Attempted in First Year,
Who First Enrolled in U.S. Community
North Carolina Community College
Colleges in 2003-04 ....................58
Students .............................36
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.

THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success vii
Preface
People really have to understand the metrics and the data courses. Some indicators characterize
behind the metrics. …There’s a much larger story when we momentum points — behaviors associ-
think about community college students and what their intent ated with successful outcomes, such
as attending full time and completing
is and why they come here.
courses attempted. And, of course,
Richard Rhodes, president, Austin Community College1 we report outcomes not only in the
traditional terms of transfer and degree
completion, but also in terms of produc-
This statement perfectly captures Arch aims to shed light on the story by
tivity, such as the time it takes students
the reason MPR Associates and the synthesizing publicly available national-,
to complete a credential and the num-
College Board undertook the creation state- and initiative-level data that are
ber of awards that colleges confer.
of The Completion Arch: Measuring presented in indicators of student prog-
Community College Student Success. ress and success. These indicators are One of the most important functions
The above quote is part of Richard summarized in this report and reported of The Completion Arch is to explain
Rhodes’s response to the Texas in detail on the new Completion Arch the data underlying each indicator, to
Association of Business, which posted website. The purpose of The Completion describe exactly what is measured,
the Austin Community College three- Arch is not to advocate for any one point to delineate who is counted and to
year graduation rates on a public of view, but to let the data tell the story. explain why the indicator is important.
billboard to publicize what the associa- Users of this resource will learn, for
We began by identifying a common set
tion perceived as the college’s failure example, the difference between an
of metrics designated by prominent
to graduate enough students. But as institution-reported graduation rate and
initiatives, organizations and research-
Rhodes notes, there is a broader story a student-level longitudinal comple-
ers as being linked to community
beyond graduation rates. tion rate. The state indicators come
college student success. We organized
from published sources, while the
What is that story? What metrics convey the metrics into a five-part framework
national indicators come from survey
the complex narrative not only of the spanning the community college experi-
data collected by the U.S. Department
multiple missions of community col- ence from first enrollment to entry into
of Education. In some areas, data are
leges, but also the academic success the workforce after college. Between
scarce and the related indicators are
of the students who attend these insti- the events of enrollment and employ-
limited in what they can tell us, but we
tutions and account for more than 40 ment are indicators that summarize
have endeavored to report what data
percent of all undergraduates enrolled students’ advancement through their
are available. As more data become
in higher education? The Completion education programs. Indicators report
available, we will be able to present a
on the extent to which students partici-
fuller account of how community col-
pate in developmental education, the
1 Hamilton, R. (2011, December 9). Graduation- lege education prepares students for a
rates campaign heads to Dallas. The Texas progress they make from year to year,
career or for education beyond a com-
Tribune. Retrieved Dec. 15, 2011, from http://www and how likely they are to reach credit
.texastribune.org/texas-education/higher-education/ munity college degree.
graduation-rates-campaign-heads-dallas/ milestones or complete gatekeeper
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.
viii THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success
The Advisory Panel
In developing The Completion Arch, This initiative is guided by the education leaders below, whose commitment
the College Board and MPR Associates to community colleges and the students they serve are well known and highly
have taken the long view. Our aim is regarded. Their advice and counsel have been instrumental in creating a resource
to build a comprehensive resource of value for educators, policymakers, researchers and students.
that serves a broad audience and facili-
Mike Baumgartner Byron McClenney
tates communication among the many
Vice President Achieving the Dream (ATD)
initiatives and organizations working
Complete College America (CCA) Project Director, Community College
to increase student success. The ini- Washington, DC Leadership Program
tial launch marks the first step in this The University of Texas at Austin
Michelle Cooper
endeavor. We will update the website Austin, TX
President
and the print report on a regular basis Institute for Higher Education Policy Patrick Perry
to incorporate newly released data and Washington, DC Vice Chancellor
to add new metrics as they become Kevin Dougherty California Community Colleges Chancellor’s
Office
available. In doing so, we strive to pre- Associate Professor of Higher Education
Sacramento, CA
sent the most up-to-date information Community College Research Center (CCRC)
to colleges, policymakers, philanthropic Teachers College, Columbia University Jay Pfeiffer
New York, NY Former Deputy Commissioner
organizations and other constituents
Florida Department of Education
to assist them in making evidence- Kenneth L. Ender
Tallahassee, FL
based decisions about how to advance President
Harper College Kent Phillippe
the success of community college
Palatine, IL Associate Vice President
students.
Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA)
Stephen J. Handel
Laura Horn American Association of Community
Executive Director, The College Board
Director, Postsecondary Education and Colleges (AACC)
Co-chair, Completion Arch Advisory Panel
Transition to College Washington, DC
San Jose, CA
MPR Associates, Inc.
Paul Sechrist
Berkeley, CA Richard Kazis
President
Senior Vice President
Christen Pollock Oklahoma City Community College, OK
Jobs for the Future
Vice President, Advocacy & Policy Center Chair, Board of Trustees, The College Board
Boston, MA
The College Board Oklahoma City, OK
New York, NY Paul Lingenfelter
Steve Titan
President
Treasurer and Vice President
State Higher Education Executive Officers
The College Board
(SHEEO)
New York, NY
Boulder, CO
Ronald Williams
Vice President, The College Board
Co-chair, Completion Arch Advisory Panel
New York, NY
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.
THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success ix
Executive Summary
It is widely acknowledged that more they achieve interim milestones? These The Completion Arch was conceived to
Americans need to acquire postsec- types of metrics can help commu- consolidate the efforts of these initia-
ondary degrees for the United States nity colleges and states more quickly tives by compiling a set of common
to remain competitive in the global evaluate whether specific programs metrics and summarizing the statistics
economy. The Obama administration and policies are leading to successful in the form of national-, state- and
and several influential philanthropic, interim outcomes and also to determine initiative-level indicators of student
nonprofit and state-led organizations, where interventions may be necessary progress and success. These metrics
including the College Board, have set to aid students who lose momentum or and summary statistics are presented
ambitious goals to increase the share show signs of failure. in a newly developed website (http://
of young adults who hold postsecond- completionarch.collegeboard.org)
Prominent initiatives, researchers and
ary credentials. Taken together, these that allows researchers, educators,
associations have made it their preroga-
goals translate to increasing by at least policymakers and others to access
tive to define and report such metrics
50 percent the proportion of 18- to the full range of publicly available data
as well as to redefine completion to
26-year-olds who hold “high-quality” addressing community college student
include more types of students who
postsecondary credentials (by 2020 progress and success. The Completion
attend community colleges — part-time
or by 2025, depending on the orga- Arch also provides in-depth information
students; those who first enroll in win-
nization). These goals cannot be met concerning important parameters of
ter, spring and summer; and students
without the sustained and significant each metric (e.g., What is measured?
who do not start in a certificate or
participation of community colleges, Who is counted? What are the advan-
degree program. Some of the key orga-
which enroll more than 40 percent of tages and the limitations of the data?).
nizations leading the data reform effort
U.S. undergraduates. In presenting the broad range of met-
include Achieving the Dream (ATD),
rics associated with student success in
Essential to tracking student success at Complete College America (CCA),
community colleges, The Completion
community colleges is the availability Community College Research Center
Arch will aid state and national initia-
of solid data and commonly defined (CCRC) and Voluntary Framework of
tives in their efforts to increase student
metrics that go beyond measuring the Accountability (VFA). While the missions
completion rates and highlight the mul-
traditional (and limited) enrollment and of these groups differ, ranging from
tiple missions of community colleges.
graduation rates that these colleges data-driven program improvement
report to the federal government. In (ATD), to college accountability (VFA As illustrated in the figure on the next
particular, what is needed are metrics and the U.S. Department of Education), page, we organized The Completion
that illuminate what happens to stu- to state policy reform (CCA), they have Arch metrics into a five-part framework
dents between the starting and the much in common in terms of the met- spanning the community college experi-
ending points: Where do they make rics they have defined and, in some ence from first enrollment to entry into
progress? Where do they falter? Do cases, the data they collect and report. the workforce after college.
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.
x THE COMPLETION ARCH Measuring Community College Student Success
Framework
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Completion P
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ent Arch OEmepaWo
Enrollm MeasurSintgu dCeonmt Smuucncietsys College utcomesploymenration anrkforce
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VFA ATD
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ATD Achieving the Dream Institute for Higher Education & Leadership Policy IHELP
IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Community College Research Center CCRC
(National Center for Education Statistics [NCES])
Complete College America Alliance of States CCA
CCRC Community College Research Center
Achieving the Dream ATD
ED U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences:
Committee on Measures of Student Success
Between these beginning and end points college and college milestones and Within each area, we also identify
are indicators that summarize students’ indicators signaling momentum. indicators for future additions to The
advancement through their education Completion Arch. Some indicators have
Each measure further consists of one or
programs, including “Developmental data available (e.g., simultaneous enroll-
more indicators reported at the national,
Education Placement,” “Progress,” and ment in more than one institution listed
state and initiative levels. An indicator is
“Transfer and Completion.” The figure under “Transfer and Completion”),
a specific operational definition of a mea-
also displays the sources for metric defi- others do not, but data are anticipated
sure and its results. Each indicator may
nitions and the primary data sources. in the future (e.g., student learn-
have a slightly different outcome, popula-
ing outcomes listed under “College
Each of the five areas encompasses tion or time frame. The details — which
Milestones”).
multiple measures. A measure is a include what precisely is being measured,
conceptual definition of student prog- which students are being counted and The Completion Arch presents more
ress within the general topical area. For for what time period — are reported with than 150 unique indicators of student
example, as shown in the table on page the indicator. One of the most important progress and success, and hundreds of
xii, Enrollment consists of two mea- functions of The Completion Arch is to national and state variations. Many are
sures: fall enrollment and unduplicated explain the data underlying each indicator summarized in this report and all are
annual enrollment. Progress, however, so that users of this resource will under- shown in detail on the website. Ideally,
is a much larger area, including pre- stand how indicators differ. each indicator would be reported by
For detailed background data and additional information, please visit http://completionarch.collegeboard.org.