A-B Tech’s Assessment of Student Achievement
A-B Tech’s Mission is “Dedicated to student success, A-B Tech delivers quality education to enhance academic, workforce, and personal development.” The College utilizes multiple measures of student achievement to monitor, in part, success in meeting the Mission, including:
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Outcome Measure – (This is a cohort-driven, eight-year measure of student completion that is collected annually by the federal government.)
- North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) Performance Measures – (These are seven student success measures that are tracked annually by NCCCS. Performance on these measures is reported annually to system colleges and is linked to state performance funding.)
- A-B Tech Student Retention and Completion Data - (These are cohort-based measures of student success that were derived from the College’s participation in national Achieving the Dream and statewide Completion by Design projects.)
As A-B Tech is dedicated to student success, the College expects that at minimum performance on national and state measures will meet or exceed those of peer institutions. It is the goal of A-B Tech that performance on each of the above measures will exceed the performance of peer institutions. On measures where national and state peer data are not available, the College expects to achieve established minimum annual thresholds with the goal of meeting or exceeding established annual targets. These thresholds and targets are based on historical performance data.
The most recent performance results for A-B Tech are presented below (For questions regarding any of the data provided below, please contact the Research and Planning Office at (828) 398-7175).
IPEDS Outcome Measure – Eight-Year Graduation Rate
The IPEDS Outcome Measure (OM) survey component provides the award and enrollment statuses of four degrees/certificate-seeking undergraduate student cohorts and eight sub-cohorts at degree-granting institutions. Student completion awards are collected at four-year, six-year, and eight-year status points after students have entered the institution. A-B Tech has selected the eight-year status point as our official completion rate.
A-B Tech expects performance on this measure, at a minimum, to meet or exceed the national average for 2-year colleges in the US. The College’s goal is to exceed the national average by at least 10%.
| A-B Tech’s Graduation Rate | National Average | Goal Status |
|---|---|---|
| 30% | 28.7% | Above Baseline, Below Target |
NCCCS Performance Measures
The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System’s major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled during the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public about the performance of the system’s 58 community colleges. Currently, there are seven system-wide student success measures:
- Basic Skills Student Progress
- Student Success in College-Level English Courses
- Student Success in College-Level Math Courses
- First Year Progression
- Curriculum Completion
- Licensure and Certification Passing Rate
- College Transfer Performance
A-B Tech expects performance on the following measures, at minimum, to meet or exceed the state average for all 58 community colleges. The College’s goal is to exceed the state excellence level.
2022 Performance Measures Summary Report
(Based on 2018-2019 Cohort Data)
A-B Tech uses performance measures data to assess overall student achievement.
The College, at a minimum, expects to meet the system average.
| Performance Measure | System Excellence Level | System Mean | System Baseline/Threshold | A-B Tech Results | A-B Tech Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Success Rate in College-Level English | 1.147 | 1.014 | 0.747 | 0.830 |
|
| 2 | Success Rate in College-Level Math | 1.192 | 1.016 | 0.662 | 0.906 |
|
| 3 | First-Year Progression (Fall 2020 Cohort) | 1.069 | 1.003 | 0.872 | 0.838 |
|
| 4 | Curriculum Completion (Fall 2017 Cohort) | 1.094 | 1.014 | 0.853 | 0.835 |
|
| 5 | Licensure and Certification Passing Rate | 1.073 | 0.982 | 0.800 | 1.150 |
|
| 6 | College Transfer Performance | 1.024 | 0.990 | 0.922 | 1.002 |
|
Source: Performance Measures for Student Success NCCCS
Measure definitions:
- Student Success Rate in College-Level English Courses: Percentage of first-time Associate degree-seeking and transfer pathway students passing a credit-bearing English course with a “C” or better within their first two academic years.
- Student Success Rate in College-Level Math Courses: Percentage of first-time Associate Degree seeking and transfer pathway students passing a credit-bearing Math course with a “C” or better within their first two academic years.
- First-Year Progression: Percentage of first-time fall credential-seeking students who graduate, transfer, or are still enrolled with 36 non-developmental hours after 6 years.
- Curriculum Completion: Percentage of first-time fall credential-seeking students who graduate, transfer, or are still enrolled with 36 hours after six years.
- Licensure and Certification Passing Rate: Aggregate institutional passing rate of first-time test-takers on licensure and certification exams. Exams included in this measure are state-mandated exams that candidates must pass before becoming active practitioners.
- College Transfer Performance: Among community college Associate Degree completers and those who have completed 30 or more credit hours who transfer to a four-year university
A-B Tech Student Retention and Completion Data
Based on data collection and assessment efforts during A-B Tech’s participation in Achieving the Dream and Completion by Design processes, three student success measures were established:
- The proportion of students earning 6 college credits in the first term
- The proportion of students earning 12 college credits in the first year
- Credential completion in the first year
The above measures are tracked annually and progress reports are provided each term to the Board of Trustees, College leadership, and the campus community.
A-B Tech expects performance on the following measures, at minimum, to meet or exceed established baseline performance levels. The College’s goal is to meet or exceed established targets.
A-B Student Success Measures
2021-22 Performance
| Measure | Outcome/Performance | Threshold/Baseline (Prior 3-yr Avg) | Goal/Target | Goal Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The proportion of students earning 6 college credits in the first term | 42.5% | 47.8% | 49.2% | Below Threshold, Below Target |
| The proportion of students earning 12 college credits in the first year | 33.7% | 37.4% | 38.5% | Below Threshold, Below Target |
| Credential Completion in the First Year | 53.9% | 51.4% | 52.9% | Above Threshold, Above Target |
Student cohorts are comprised of all award-seeking students entering the institution for the first time each fall term.
- First-time students earning six college-level credits with a C or better. The first term is the first term with credit-bearing courses.
- First-time curriculum students earning 12 college-level credits with a C or better. The year is based on the student’s first term and the subsequent two terms (including summer).
- First-time curriculum students earning a credential in the first year. The year is based on the student’s first term and the subsequent two terms (including summer).
- Historic Baseline is the average of the three years prior to the Fall cohort.
Target is the baseline plus 3% of the three years prior to the cohort.
Questions regarding student achievement data should be addressed to the College’s Research & Planning Office.