Cuesta College ARCC Data Report to the San Luis Obispo Community College District Board of Trustees May 5, 2010

What is ARCC? Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges Performance Framework Implementation of AB 1417 (Pacheco, 2004) Performance indicators based on MIS data Performance is compared to similar peer colleges Very public data! More info – check out the FAQ handout

What is ARCC? Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges Performance Framework Implementation of AB 1417 (Pacheco, 2004) Performance indicators based on MIS data Performance is compared to similar peer colleges Very public data! More info – check out the FAQ handout

Student Progress and Achievement Definition: Percentage of cohort of first-time students with minimum of 12 units earned who attempted a degree/certificate/transfer course within six years and who are shown to have achieved ANY of the following outcomes within six years of entry: Earned any AA/AS or Certificate (18 or more units) Actual transfer to four-year institution (students shown to have enrolled at any four-year institution of higher education after enrolling at a CCC) Achieved “Transfer Directed” (student successfully completed both transfer-level Math AND English courses) Achieved “Transfer Prepared” (student successfully completed 60 UC/CSU transferable units with a GPA >= 2.0)

Percent of Students who earned at least 30 units Definition: Percentage of cohort of first-time students with minimum of 12 units earned who attempted a degree/certificate/transfer course within six years of entry who are shown to have achieved the following value-added measure of progress within six years of entry: Earned at least 30 units while in the CCC system (value-added threshold of units earned as defined in wage studies as having a positive effect on future earnings.)

Persistence Rate Definition: Percentage of cohort of first-time students with minimum of six units earned in their first Fall term in the CCC who return and enroll in the subsequent Fall term anywhere in the system.

COURSE COMPLETION RATE FOR CREDIT VOCATIONAL COURSES Methodology: The cohorts for vocational course completion rate consisted of students enrolled in credit vocational courses in the academic years of interest ( , , ). These cohorts excluded “special admit” students, i.e., students currently enrolled in K-12 when they took the vocational course. Vocational courses were defined via their SAM (Student Accountability Model) priority code. SAM codes A, B, and C indicate courses that are clearly occupational. Success was defined as having been retained to the end of the term (or end of the course) with a final course grade of A, B, C, or CR.

ANNUAL SUCCESSFUL COURSE COMPLETION RATE FOR CREDIT BASIC SKILLS COURSES Methodology: The cohorts for basic skills course completion rate consisted of students enrolled in credit basic skills courses in the academic years of interest ( , , ). These cohorts excluded “special admit” students, i.e., students currently enrolled in K-12 when they took the basic skills course. Basic skills courses were those having a course designation of B in CB08 (basic skills course). (Note that the CB08 = P for “Pre- collegiate basic skills” designation is no longer used under Title 5 or in COMIS and has been eliminated from these specifications). Success was defined as having been retained to the end of the term (or end of the course) with a final course grade of A, B, C, or CR.

IMPROVEMENT RATE FOR CREDIT ESL COURSES Methodology: The ESL improvement rate cohorts consisted of students enrolled in credit ESL courses who successfully completed that initial course. Excluded were “special admit” students, i.e., students currently enrolled in K- 12 when they took the ESL course. Only students starting at two or more levels below college level/transfer level were included in the cohorts. Taxonomy of Programs (TOP) codes were used to identify ESL courses. Success was defined as having been retained to the end of the term (or end of the course) with a final course grade of A, B, C, or CR. Students who successfully completed the initial ESL course were then followed across three academic years (including the year and term of the initial course). The outcome of interest was that group of students who successfully completed a higher-level ESL course or college level English course within three academic years of completing the first ESL course.

IMPROVEMENT RATE FOR CREDIT BASIC SKILLS COURSES Methodology: The basic skills improvement rate cohorts consisted of students enrolled in a credit basic skills English or Mathematics course who successfully completed that initial course. Excluded were “special admit” students, i.e., students currently enrolled in K-12 when they took the basic skills course. Only students starting at two or more levels below college level/transfer level were included in the cohorts. Taxonomy of Programs (TOP) codes were used to identify Math and English courses. Basic skills courses were those having a course designation of B in CB08 (basic skills course). (Note that the CB08 = P for “Pre-collegiate basic skills” designation is no longer used under Title 5 or in COMIS and has been eliminated from these specifications). Success was defined as having been retained to the end of the term (or end of the course) with a final course grade of A, B, C, or CR. Students who successfully completed the initial basic skills course were followed across three academic years (including the year and term of the initial course). The outcome of interest was that group of students who successfully completed a higher-level course in the same discipline within three academic years of completing the first basic skills course.

CUESTA COLLEGE ARCC INDICATORS ( ) Student Progress and Achievement Rate Cuesta55.4%56.1%57.3%56.2%59.1%58.6% Peer Group 58.1%53.4%58.8%59.7% Percent of Students Who Earned at Least 30 Units Cuesta71.9%75.1%75.7%78.0%75.7%75.3% Peer Group 69.3%70.9%71.1%72.1% Persistence Rate Cuesta69.1%69.5%70.1%70.5%67.8%66.9% Peer Group 66.6%62.4%67.6%66.5% Annual Successful Course Completion Rate for Vocational Courses Cuesta78.6% 77.2%78.2%75.6% Peer Group 75.7%74.4%74.5%74.0% Annual Successful Course Completion Rate for Credit Basic Skills Courses Cuesta56.3%55.8%58.5%57.0%55.8%58.5% Peer Group 61.4%57.8%62.1%63.8% Improvement Rate for Credit ESL Courses Cuesta41.9%39.4%35.5%25.6%18.8%17.7% Peer Group 39.3%41.3%41.5% Improvement Rate for Credit Basic Skills Courses Cuesta46.4%49.5%61.0%50.5%55.4%52.8% Peer Group 50.9%47.1%48.3%49.2% BELOW PEER GROUP AVERAGE ABOVE PEER GROUP AVERAGE

SO WHAT? - A thermometer cannot cure a fever… - What can we do to cure the fever? Potential Actions: 1) IR needs to provide disaggregated data 2) We collectively need to ensure MIS Data Integrity 3) Form a Taskforce to examine possible treatments? Work with Basic Skills/Retention? 4) Other Ideas?