Activities

Working with student success data

Mini-workshop

Sept. 23, 2013

Ed Harri, Dean for Instruction

Anne Marie Karlberg, Director of Assessment and Institutional Research
Upon successful completion of the workshop, employees will be able to…

  1. find existing college, program, and course level data on the AIR website.
  2. use data to better know our students and develop informed teaching strategies.
  3. present data (words, numbers, graphs, images) that are readable and understandable.
  4. analyze data resulting from course outcomes assessment process.
  5. write a well-developed data request.
  6. provide leadership in our disciplines, departments, programs, or services in interpreting and using data.

To access the assessment and institutional research (AIR) website…

  1. from Fidalgo, click on Assessment/Inst. Research or
  2. from Whatcom’s homepage, click onAbout Whatcom, then Assessment and Accreditation.

Activity 1 – Course Completion Rates

To access this data, from the AIR homepage…

  1. From the “Course Data” box, select “Course Completion Rates”.
  2. Select “excel – without discipline sub-totals…”
  3. Select the tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet titled “2000-2012_PrintsOnePageAcross.”
  4. Click on the filter in the cell titled “Course” and select the courses in which you are interested.

Level of course completion for ENGL& 101 and SOC& 101 in 2005-6 and 2011-12

2005-2006 / 2011-12
Course / Enroll-ment / Successful (A to C
and S grades) / Marginal (C- to D-, I, P,
and Y grades) / Non-completion (F, U, V, W, * grades) / Enroll-ment / Successful (A to C
and S grades) / Marginal (C- to D-, I, P,
and Y grades) / Non-completion (F, U, V, W, * grades)
ENGL& 101 / 1,275 / 77% / 5% / 19% / 1,612 / 78% / 4% / 18%
SOC& 101 / 386 / 79% / 10% / 11% / 539 / 70% / 6% / 24%

Interpretation: Of the 1,275 students who enrolled in ENGL& 101 in 2005-06, 77% of them “successfully” completed the course (with an A to C or S grade), 5% “marginally” completed the course (with a C- to D-, I, P, or Y grade), and 19% were “non-completers” (with an F, U, V, W, or * grade).

What is the definition of successful course completion?

______

For ENGL& 101…

Total course enrollment in 2005-2006:______

% of students successfully completing the course in 2005-2006: ______

Total course enrollment in 2011-2012:______

% of students marginallycompleting the course in 2011-2012:______

For SOC& 101…

Total course enrollment in 2005-2006:______

% of students not completing the course in 2005-2006: ______

Total course enrollment in 2011-2012:______

% of students not completing the course in 2011-2012:______

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Activity 2 –Grade Distribution Rates

To access this data, from the AIR homepage…

  1. Select “Grade Distribution” from the “Course Data” box.
  2. Select “Grade distribution for all courses: 2010-2011”

Grade distribution for ENGL& 101 and SOC& 101 in 2010-11

Course / A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D- / F / U / V / W / S / I / P / Enroll-ment
ENGL& 101 / 16% / 17% / 13% / 14% / 8% / 5% / 4% / 3% / 1% / 1% / 1% / 5% / 0% / 3% / 8% / 0% / 1% / 0% / 1,685
SOC& 101 / 16% / 14% / 9% / 9% / 11% / 5% / 4% / 3% / 2% / 2% / 1% / 14% / 0% / 4% / 9% / 0% / 0% / 0% / 611

Interpretation: Of the 1,685 students who enrolled in ENGL& 101 in 2010-11, 16% of them earned an A, 17% an A-, 13% a B+, etc.

For ENGL& 101…

Total course enrollment in 2010-2011:______

% of students earning a “D” in the course in 2010-2011:______

% of students earning a “W” (withdraw) from the course in 2010-2011:______

For SOC& 101…

Total course enrollment in 2010-2011: ______

% of students earning an “F” in the course in 2010-2011: ______

% of students earning a “C- through D-” (marginal completion) from the course in 2010-2011: ______

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Activity3 – Disaggregated course completion rates

To access this data, from the AIR homepage…

  1. Select “Achieving the Dream” from the “Committees & Planning Groups” option on the left sidebar.
  2. Select “Data” from the right sidebar.
  3. Under the section titled “Course completion rates – disaggregated (2010-11), select “BIOL& 160”

Interpretation: Of the 788 students who enrolled in BIOL& 160 in 2010-11, males and females successfully completed the course at equal rates.

What is the definition of successful course completion?______

How many 30-39 year old students took BIOL& 160 in the 2010-2011 academic year? ______

What percentage of 30-39 year old students successfully completed BIOL& 160 during the 2010-2011 academic year? ______

What interesting trends do you notice about student success in BIOL& 160?

______

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Activity4 – Graduation rate data

a. Professional-technical program example (physical therapy assistant – PTA)

To access this data, from the AIR homepage…from the “Program Data” box, select “Graduation and Retention Rates: Professional-Technical Education”, then “Physical Therapy Assistant”.

What is the definition of a PTA program student? ______

How many PTA students were in the 2005-2006 cohort?______

What % of PTA students in the 2005-2006 cohort earned any type of degree or certificate within…

2 years?______3 years?______5 years?______

b. Academic transfer program

To access this data, from the AIR homepage…from the “Program Data” box, select “Graduation and Retention Rates: Academic Transfer Education”.

What is the definition of an academic-transfer program student?______

How many academic transfer students were in the 2005-2006 cohort?______

What % of academic transfer students in the 2005-2006 cohort earned any type of degree within…

2 years?______3 years?______5 years?______

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Activity5 – Math progression

To access this data, from the AIR homepage…

From the “Committees and Planning Group” box on the left sidebar, select “Achieving the Dream.”

From the right sidebar of the “Achieving the Dream” page, select “Data.”

Near the top of the page under “Interventions,” select “2. Progressing to college-level math.”

At the top of the page under “data,” select “2008-2010 progress over 2 years data.”

Of students who took their first math course (Math 97, 98, or 99) at WCC in fall quarter 2008, 2009, or 2010, the percent who within 1 or 2 years completed,with a C or better, a college level math or other Q/SR course

% within 1 year,
completinga college-level… / % within 2 years,
completing a college-level…
First math course taken
at WCC / Quarter first math course was taken / Number of students / Math course / Other Q/SR course / Total / Math course / Other Q/SR course / Total
Math 97 / Fall 2010 / 282 / 11% / 7% / 16% / 17% / 12% / 24%
Fall 2009 / 265 / 18% / 7% / 22% / 28% / 12% / 34%
Fall 2008 / 264 / 9% / 6% / 13% / 17% / 12% / 22%
Average / 270 / 13% / 7% / 17% / 21% / 12% / 27%
Math 98 / Fall 2010 / 351 / 38% / 15% / 42% / 43% / 21% / 46%
Fall 2009 / 361 / 37% / 15% / 42% / 41% / 21% / 46%
Fall 2008 / 307 / 32% / 14% / 36% / 38% / 20% / 43%
Average / 340 / 36% / 15% / 40% / 41% / 21% / 45%
Math 99 / Fall 2010 / 52 / 52% / 29% / 60% / 56% / 35% / 63%
Fall 2009 / 51 / 43% / 25% / 51% / 49% / 25% / 55%
Fall 2008 / 73 / 42% / 18% / 45% / 44% / 23% / 47%
Average / 59 / 46% / 24% / 52% / 50% / 28% / 55%

Interpretation: Of the 282 students whose first math course taken at Whatcom was Math 97 in fall 2010, within one year after completing the course, 11% had completed a college-level math course and 7% had completed another Q/SR course (with a C grade or better).

  1. How are students identified for the fall 2010 Math 97 cohort?

______

  1. How many students are in fall 2010 Math 97 cohort? ______
  1. Interpret the 17%circled in the table above: Of the _____ (number of) students whose ______math course taken at Whatcom was ______in ______(identify year and quarter), within ______year(s) after completing the course, ______% had completed a college-level math course and ______% had completed another Q/SR course (with a C grade or better).
  1. Interpret the 24%in the square in the table above: ______

Activity6 – Credit leakage

Interpretation: Of the 624 new degree- and certificate-seeking students who enrolled in their first Whatcom course in 2009-10, 11% earned no credits, 25% earned 1-14 credits, and 20% graduated within 3 years of first enrolling.

  1. What percentage of 2009-10 new degree- and certificate-seeking students earned less than 30 credits?______
  1. What percentage earned more than 60 credits, but without receiving a certificate or degree?_____
  1. Brainstorm reasons why.

______

  1. Brainstorm next steps.

______

______

Activity7– Outcomes assessment

Performance level of students from multiple sections and instructors of BUS 999 for the course outcome, “Students will be able to write a major research paper”

% of students
Indicator / # of students / Exemplary (4) / Accomplished (3) / Developing (2) / Beginning (1) / Total
a. Identifies problem / 105 / 29% / 33% / 24% / 14% / 100%
b. Uses academic research articles / 105 / 14% / 31% / 33% / 21% / 100%
c. Uses writing conventions / 105 / 34% / 48% / 14% / 4% / 100%
d. Provides in-depth analyses / 105 / 19% / 27% / 40% / 14% / 100%
Average / 24% / 35% / 28% / 13%

Interpretation: Of the 105 students who took BUS 999, 29% of them were able to “identify the problem” at an exemplary level.

  1. What percentage of students are performing at an exemplary level for indicator (c)? ______
  1. What percentage of students are performing at an accomplished level or better for indicator (a)? ______
  1. What percentage of students are performing at the developing level or worse for indicator (b)? ______

Activity 8 – Outcomes versus grades

3 types of performance information are provided for History 225 (American Civil War) with 389 total students:

1. Average student score for each course outcome

Course outcomes: Students will be able to . . . / Average student score (out of 4)
1.Summarize the major events leading to the American Civil War.
2.Identify the major battles of the American Civil War.
3.Describe major social and political issues existing today as a result of the American Civil War. / 2.1
2.4
1.7

2. Course completion rate: 81% of students successfully completed the course with a C or better.

3. Grade distribution

A/A- / B+/B/B- / C+/C / C-/D+/D/D- / F / W
46% / 28% / 7% / 5% / 4% / 10%
  1. What do you notice when observing the data?

______

  1. How would you respond?

______

  1. What would your next teaching steps be?

______

  1. What would your next data steps be?

______

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