CORE THEME TEMPLATE: OPCOM: 10-19-09—ADDING BENCHMARKS
Core Theme 1: Educational Attainment and Student Success
Shoreline Community College (SCC) will provide excellence in academics so that all students will complete their program and/or graduate with the academic preparation and skills necessary to continue their education, meet the demands of the workplace or improve their quality of life through leisure-time activity. Explanation: SCC is committed to facilitating the success of each student’s stated educational goals and to supporting students in the attainment of course completion, certificates, degrees, personal enrichment, and/or professional development.
OBJECTIVES: What are our goals in that core theme? / INDICATORS: How do we measure and assess if we achieved this objective? / RATIONALE: Why did we choose these indicators?
How will they help us achieve the objective?
Objective #1:
University Transfer Students: Students who successfully complete an academic transfer program have the knowledge, skills and study habits to enter baccalaureate or professional programs, are prepared to successfully attain their educational goals, and compare favorably with students already in such programs. / 1A: Graduation numbers (SAI Reports and IPEDS Graduation Rate Reports & Completion Reports)
1B: Transfer numbers for those who do not graduate (MRTE Database & Data Warehouse Reports, SAI Reports & IPEDS Graduation Rate Report)
1C: Comparative data CC vs native baccalaureates (Reports generated from National Community College Benchmark Project & Annual Transfer Data Reports from Baccalaureate Institutions)
1D: Time to degree (Data Warehouse reports & IPEDS Graduation Rate report)
1E: Top 5 transfer Baccalaureate Institution’s data. Track for success. (Annual Transfer Data Reports from Baccalaureate Institutions) / 1A: Graduation numbers are excellent indicators of successful completion, even if only a partial picture. Existing reports for the Student Achievement Initiative and for IPEDS (the Graduation Rate Reports track a cohort of full-time, first time degree/certificate-seeking students over time and the Completions Reports that track all students) give us benchmark data so we can track our graduation rates and completion rates from year to year.
1A Benchmark: 5 years (if possible) of enrollment data versus graduation percentage compared to state and national graduation data. (Benchmark would be the median).
1B: Tracking the number of students who do not graduate from our institution, but who successfully transfer is another indicator of student success. Our Student Achievement Initiative reports, IPEDS Graduation Rate Reports, past history from the MRTE Database as well as data pulled from our Data Warehouse create a view of success that is not captured by the IPEDS completion reports.
1B Benchmark: (NEED RESEARCH FROM NATIONAL DATA for comparison to our non-degree transfer rate.
1C: The National Community College Benchmark Project allows us to choose peer institutions to compare our completion rates with other community colleges for comparison to students in similar programs. The Annual Transfer Data Reports provided by baccalaureate institutions in our state give us comparative data of our transfer students to their native students.
1C Benchmark: Our students perform at or higher than the success level of the native student at the baccalaureates.
1D: Time to degree is another indicator of students meeting their educational goals. We can track persistence over time using our Data Warehouse reports for all students and our IPEDS Graduation Rate reports (tracks a cohort of full-time, first time degree/certificate-seeking students showing both completers and non-completers within 150% of normal time as defined within IPEDS.)
1D Benchmark: IPEDS Graduation Rate Report. Median of 5 year’s data.
1E: We receive Annual Transfer Data Reports from baccalaureate institutions (BIs) in our state that show degrees, credits and GPA from time of transfer, specific term, and cumulative totals. These reports also give us headcounts of native freshman students at the BIs as well as new and total WA transfer students, versus all transfers. These help determine the effectiveness of our transfer programs in preparing students for their ongoing educational goals.
IE Benchmark: Our students perform as well or better than native students at selected colleges and universities.
Objective #2:
Professional/Technical Training
Students who successfully complete a professional/ technical program have the knowledge, skills and work habits necessary to compete for entry-level employment that can lead to economic self-sufficiency. / 2A: Graduation and certificate completion numbers.
2B: Successful employment in chosen field of study prior to graduation.
2C: Professional Technical curriculum or program is regularly reviewed by Professional Technical Advisory Committees.
2E: Programs reflect current and market demand and those are validated by national and regional labor statistics by industry sectors. / #2 Rationale: Connecting job readiness to employment: An important measure of educational attainment is our institution’s ability to train students to enter the workplace. The indicators that we chose link professional/technical education and job readiness to employment.
2A: Graduation and certificate completion numbers are important for a few reasons. Professional/technical education certificates of one year or more include rigorous instruction in communications, human relations and computational skills ensuring that students receive training in both hard and soft skills. Both types of skills are necessary to be successful in the work place. Also, professional/technical education students seek programs that prepare them to enter the workplace as quickly as possible.
Completion rates for professional/technical education less than a year (short-term certificates) are an indicator of the student’s and employer’s belief that the education is beneficial and applicable to the workplace or job attainment.
2A Benchmark: 5 years of SCC completion data – take the median.
2B: Prof-tech students often enter workforce as quickly as possible. Goal of most professional-technical students is to gain employment.
2B Benchmark: SCC survey data from selected programs compared to similar selected statewide programs.
2C. SCC has 27 advisory committees with approximately 400 employers that meet 2 to 3 times a year to assess curriculum relevancy and skills needed to ensure students obtain the skills needed to secure employment. Advisory Committees review curriculum, identify resources, hire graduates, and provide internships.
2C Benchmark: All 27 advisory committees meet the minimum required meetings for program review. Meeting minutes reflect program review discussions.
2E: Professional Technical programs are tied to current demand occupations and labor market data
2E Benchmark: 3 to 5 years of comparative data that includes current trend employment data compared to SCC program mix.
Objective #3:
Developmental Program Students
Students who successfully complete the following developmental or remedial programs in:
A.  A. Basics Skills Education have basic literacy survival skills in reading, language, arithmetic.
B.  English as a Second Language develop speaking, reading and writing fluency in English.
C.  Adult Basic Education (ABE) have the necessary skills in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social science to earn a high school diploma or GED certificate.
D.  GED program transition to college-level courses and programs.
E.  College-Preparatory Education gain the necessary language, mathematics and study skills to complete entry-level courses of a college program of study. / 3A: Achievement of significant CASAS gains or completion of at least one ABE level as reported by WABERS (including LCN and CEO programs)
3B: Achievement of significant CASAS gains or completion of at least one ESL level as reported by WABERS
3C: Students pass the GED test.
3D: GED completers enroll in college-level classes or programs and successfully complete course.
3E: Students who initially enroll in developmental level writing and/or math courses successfully complete those classes and then enroll in and pass college-level writing and/or math courses. / #3 Rationale: SAI IPEDS
3A: Progress in CASAS is the state’s primary means of measuring program effectiveness and is required by SBCTC and the U.S. Dept. of Education.
3A Benchmark: 3 years of data demonstrating that SCC is at or above median achievement of ABE students statewide as measured by CASAS.
3B: Completion of at least one ESL level as measured by the CASAS test. CASAS is the primary means of measuring program effectiveness and is required by SBCTC and U.S. Department of Education.
3B Benchmark: 3 years of data demonstrating that that SCC is at or above median achievement of ESL students statewide as measured by CASAS.
3C: The GED continues to be recognized as a high school equivalency exam by employers and the military. GED is also accepted as proof of ability to benefit for financial aid awards.
3C Benchmark: 3 years of SCC data related to passing the GED test compared to 3 eyars of statewide data. Benchmark would be at or above median.
3D: Transition to college-level courses is a major objective of the Washington State ABE/GED program.
3D Benchmark: 3 years data for SCC GED completers tracking enrollment in college-level classes and completion rates. (CHECK NATIONAL DATA OR STUDIES? SEE DAVID PRINCE)
3E: The primary purpose of developmental education is to increase student readiness for college –level courses as measured by the SAI.
3E Benchmark: 2 years SAI data, selected tipping points (PH/JJ) . Compare our 2 year data against statewide data for those identified tipping points.
Objective 4:
Center for Business and Continuing Education Program (CBCE)
Students who successfully complete a Continuing Education or Community Service Program or course have the knowledge and skills necessary to remain current in their job, upgrade job skills, or improve their quality of life through leisure-time activity. / 4A: Number of non-duplicated quarterly enrollments
4B: Quarterly student evaluations
4C: Quarterly instructor evaluations
4D: Number of CEUs quarterly
4E: Number of OSPI Clock Hour Certificates quarterly
4F: Number of certifications
4H: LERN data (national): CBCE Best Customer; net profit, classes per student / *note: Typically, CBCE students will take a course or series of courses without the intent to obtain a degree.
4A: All enrollment data set benchmarks for CBCE. The Learning Resource Network (LERN) model has national statistics that indicate the number of non-duplicated quarterly enrollments. We need a baseline to mark our enrollments against. All enrollments are a key indicator of self sustainability.
4A Benchmark: 5 years of CBCE enrollment data; increase enrollment by 5% every year.
4B: Student evaluations give CBCE feedback whether students take classes for professional or personal development,and also their educational needs.
4B Benchmark: Student evaluations reflect a minimum of 4.0 on a Likert Scale of 1 to 5 as it relates to instructor and course satisfaction with a 70% evaluation return rate.
4C: Instructor evaluations give CBCE information to improve processes and thus serve students in a more effective manner.
4C Benchmark: Student evaluations reflect a minimum of 4.0 on a Likert Scale of 1 to 5 as it relates to instructor and course satisfaction with a 70% evaluation return rate.
4D and 4E: CEUs and Clock Hours are necessary for employees to remain professionally current or further their workforce development.
4D and 4E Benchmarks: 1 year of SCC data compared to statewide data, if available.
4F:Certifications are indications of professional development:
4F Benchmark: Up to 5 years of certifications data – benchmark is an increase of at least 3% in number of certifications completed.
4H: Compare Learning Resources Network (LERN) with CBCE data to better understand non-credit educational trends.
4H Benchmark: Compare CBCE data points with LERN data points related to Best Customer, net profit and classes per student. Meet or exceed median LERN data in Best Customer, net profit and classes per student.

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