1. How Data Can Help or Hurt Community Colleges
Richard Winn, EdD
President, ACCJC
Personal Introduction
How many from ACCJC institutions?
NOTE: Only accreditor with just CCs in membership. Explain why if asked.
ACCJC seeks both to protect and champion our members as a distinct and extremely valuable sector in higher education.

2. Regional accreditation in a picture

3. NEASC
1885
NWCCU
1917
WASC:
ACCJC
WSCUC
WSC
1962
MSCHE
1887
SACSCOC
1895
HLC
1895
In 1885 there was no concept of a community college. By 1962 it was a defined and recognized sector. At that time, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) defined agencies for three sectors: Senior Colleges & Universities (WSCUC); Community Colleges (ACCJC); and K-12 schools (WSC).

4. Are performance data agnostic to their use?
The national conversation is focused on outcomes, primarily on graduation rates. This is good, but . . .
There is an inclination to use the same performance data across all sectors of higher education, in the interest of “consistency and comparability” of metrics.
When accreditors petition for renewal of recognition with the US Department of Education, their performance is viewed as an aggregate of their members’ graduation rates.
The NACIQI review panel looks at a federal accreditor dashboard as the opening point of their inquiry with the accreditor.

5. ACCJC: WSCUC: 94% underperform 9% underperform
This is the Accreditor Dashboard used by NACIQI

6. ACCJC:
WSCUC:

7. How a Revised IPEDS Dataset looks for ACCJC
Graduation only
Graduation plus transfer
The data set makes a huge difference!

8. Key Differences (thanks to the RP Group)
Measure
Timeframe
Cohort
Outcome
Federal Scorecard
3 years
Full-time students only*
Degree-seeking definition can vary by college
Earned degree or certificate
CCC Scorecard
6 years
Full-time and part-time students**
Degree-seeking definition is clear and uniform across colleges
Earned degree or certificate; transferred to four-year institution; and/or became transfer prepared
CRAIG
* Enrolled in at least 12 units in their first term
** Must complete at least 12 units and attempt a math or English course within three years of entering college.

9. CCC Examples Large Urban College (~25,000)
Federal scorecard outcome: 15%
Represents 16% of entering students
CCC scorecard outcome: 46%
Part-time students: 78%
Pell recipients: 34%
Promise grant (BOG): 68%
Small Rural College (~5,000)
Federal scorecard outcome: 9%
Represents 17% of entering students
CCC scorecard outcome: 37%
Part-time students: 69%
Pell recipients: 49%
Promise grant (BOG): 78%
CRAIG

10. Why “graduation in three years” is a challenge:
Many don’t stay full-time after their first semester
Full-time means 12 units; need 15 units/term to graduate in 2 years
Many begin with a smaller course load to adjust to college rigor
Some change their program of study (major) multiple times
Swirl: Obtaining credits from multiple colleges
Begin in basic skills English and/or math
69% of transfers don’t earning an associate degree before leaving

11. The Voices We Hear
“CAP commended CHEA for its focus on accountability and performance, specifically highlighting the new requirement that accreditor standards provide a procedure for the agency to take timely action in order to prevent underperforming institutions from achieving or maintaining accredited status CHEA should require agencies to have standards defining acceptable performance—particularly on student achievement.
– Antoinette Flores, Center for American Progress (CAP)
Key Issue: ”Bright Lines” or “Process”?

12. Relying Primarily on Data Without Context:
Example Institution X:
Graduation rate: 4% among Pell recipients: Should this college be accredited?
Pell recipients: 100% of FTES ($4.5m annually)
Large portions of the constituency do not participate in the money economy
Very limited employment opportunities post-graduation
It is the only post-secondary institution in a remote region, with four feeder high schools; students do not have available options
The entire healthcare, government, and K-12 education infrastructure relies on their graduates
Question: What is the accreditor’s obligation to this institution? To its constituency? To the American taxpayer?

14. Owning the narrative about data
The Obama administration pushed the “completion agenda” that focused on college degree acquisition
It’s an easy metric to follow
Supported by the assumption that most community college students are full- time, college-ready, and degree-seeking
The conclusion: Accreditors must judge schools on rate of degree completion
Who determines which data to obtain, publish, and use for policy?
What role do researchers have in setting the national conversation?
“Weighing the pig does not fatten the pig.” How to move beyond just the numbers?

15. Four common assumptions about the use of data
“All students have options. Publishing the data lets them choose the best.”
Data are reliable, relevant, sufficient to support important life decisions.
Dashboard comparisons, rankings, let students choose the best, by-the-numbers.
“Poor performance data will shame low performers to improve.”
Trust the marketplace to drive change.
Data will awaken a school to what it doesn’t already know or wants to hide.
“Data without context is still determinative.”
A few metrics on a table can tell an accurate story about a school’s performance, in all its dimensions, for all its students.
No need to know the ranking algorithm or program-specific performance data.
“Accreditors are accountable for all the key performance indicators at a school.”
Cost; student debt; loan default; post-completion employment and earnings; graduation rates
Engage audience in analysis of each assumption before going to next.

16. What, then, is the proper place for data . . .
For the public (students, families, employers)
For the institution (evaluation/planning; reporting)
For the legislative community (Department of Education; taxpayers)
For accrediting agencies
Help me fill in the blanks

17. Thank you!
Richard Winn
President, ACCJC