2009 Performance Accountability Report Vol. 2 - Maryland Higher ...

Explanation Required
Response to Commission Questions
Graduation-transfer rate after four years
(11c) The graduation-transfer rate after four years for developmental completers in the fall
2003 cohort was 58.8%, down considerably from 66.9% for the fall 2002 cohort. This
marks the lowest graduation-transfer rate for developmental completers in the last four
years. The college’s benchmark for this indicator is 70%.
The graduation-transfer rate for development completers improved dramatically for the fall
2004 cohort, up from 58.8 percent for the previous cohort to 66.1 percent. The college’s
benchmark for this indicator is 70 percent. The college has a series of initiatives focused on
improving the rate, which is now one of its strategic objectives. The college has expanded
both placement testing in the high schools and the coaching program, Step UP, and
intensified efforts to extend the First Year Experience initiative to all entry-level courses.
However, the fact that each cohort of students is different must also be considered.
Graduation-transfer rate after four years
(11d) The graduation-transfer rate after four years for all students in the fall 2003 cohort
was 51.9%, down from 56.6% for the fall 2002 cohort. This is the lowest graduationtransfer
rate for all students in a cohort in the last four years. The college’s benchmark for
this indicator is 60%.
The graduation-transfer rate of all students has also become one of the college’s strategic
objectives. The graduation-transfer rate for all students is up from 51.9 percent for the 2003
cohort to 57.1 percent for the 2004 cohort. The college’s benchmark for this indicator is 60
percent. Step UP and the First Year Experience initiative have been in place for several
years and impact the success of all students. In addition, it is evident that the expansion of
the honors programs, including the addition of the Schoenbrodt Honors Program and the
Alpha Beta Gamma International Business Honor Society, positively impacts the retention
and success of students. In FY09, the college instituted a STEM learning community with
plans to develop a STEM honor society.
Graduation-transfer rate after four years
(18a) The four-year graduation and transfer rate for African American students in the fall
2003 cohort reached its lowest point in four years, 34.9%. This is down from 39.1% for the
fall 2002 cohort, and from 44.9% for the fall 2001 cohort. The college is now well below its
benchmark of 50% for the fall 2006 cohort.
The college is especially pleased with the dramatic improvement in the graduation and
transfer rate of the 2004 cohort of African American students - up from 34.9 percent for the
2003 cohort to 47.3 percent, the highest point ever. The college’s benchmark for this
indicator is 50 percent. The college’s Silas Craft Collegians Program is especially designed
to impact the success of students whose past academic performance doesn’t reflect their
true potential. The Step UP coaching program and the First Year Experience initiative also
positively impact the success rates of African American students.
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