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

Trends in Other Indicators
A number of the indicators in the Performance Accountability Report have multiple components,
yielding a total of 53 benchmarks the college is currently accountable for meeting by fiscal year
2010. The college currently meets or exceeds 27 of the 53 benchmarks, or 51 percent. This
relatively low percentage reflects well on the college’s willingness to set high aspirations. When
the college established its benchmarks, the college’s performance was often above that of peer
colleges and state averages. With a commitment to continuous improvement, and in accord with
the Commission’s guideline that benchmarks be “indicative of progress,” the college set
ambitious goals in many cases. For most indicators, the trend is positive and the college is
confident it will reach most of the benchmarks by FY2010. The college is pleased that it met or
exceeded the benchmarks for four indicators (1a, 11a, 30a, and 30b) for the first time in this
year’s report.
The indicator showing the greatest improvement in this year’s report is indicator 11a, the
graduation-transfer rate for college-ready students. Of the 82 students entering the college as
first-time college students in fall 2004 and not needing developmental coursework, who
attempted at least 18 hours during the next two years, 67 (81.7 percent) had graduated from
Carroll Community College or transferred to another institution of higher education within four
years. This four-year graduation-transfer rate for college-ready students of 81.7 percent exceeded
the college’s benchmark of 70 percent and followed four previous cohorts whose highest rate
was 69.1 percent.
The area with the greatest challenge for the college relates to indicator 9, Developmental
Completers after Four Years. This indicator is from the Maryland Model of Community College
Student Degree Progress (the “degree progress analysis”) and is defined as the percentage of
students in an entering fall cohort with at least one developmental need, who, after four years,
have completed all recommended developmental coursework. The college established a goal of
60 percent, to be attained by the 2006 cohort. This was an ambitious target, as the statewide
average was 43 percent. The most recent cohort, the fall 2004 entering cohort, achieved a 56.3
percent developmental program completion rate. The trend in this percentage since it was first
calculated for the fall 2000 cohort has been 54.6—57.8—56.6—55.6—56.3. Thus the rate of
developmental program completion within four years has been stable—at a rate above the
statewide average, but below the college’s goal of 60 percent.
Encouraging and assisting students with completing their developmental education courses early
in their college careers is a priority of the college, and the results as tracked by indicator 9 are
closely monitored. College President Dr. Faye Pappalardo included “develop learning
enhancement strategies to improve transitional student performance and completion rates while
reducing time to completion” among her Strategic Initiatives for FY2010. Carroll institutional
research has documented that students who need and complete all recommended developmental
courses will have graduation-transfer rates similar to students entering the college ready for
credit classes. The key to improving overall student success rates at the college hinges largely on
improving developmental student success and progress.
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