Instructions for Section I: Quantitative

Student Success Metrics

Leader College of Distinction Certification Metrics

Colleges that choose to apply for the Leader College of Distinction status must meet the more rigorous recertification metrics outlined below.

1. Colleges must report four years of data and show a substantive three-year upward trend on the three metrics selected in the All Students (Overall) group. At a minimum, colleges must select two metrics from Group A and one metric from group B.

Group A (Select Two from the Purple tabs on the data template)

☐ Completion of Gateway Math and/or English in Year One

☐ Persistence from Year One to Year Two (fall-to-fall retention)

☐ College credits completed/attempted with C- or higher grade within one year of initial enrollment

Group B (Select One from the Orange tabs on the template)

☐ Completion of a certificate or degree within four years of initial enrollment

☐ Transfer metric and earned baccalaureate (B.A. or B.S. degree within six years)

2. Colleges must demonstrate, through disaggregation, the narrowing of equity gaps on at least two student characteristic categories on two or more metrics. Please review Achieving the Dream’s equity statement for additional information about equity.

- - - - Regarding data disaggregation, you should show improvement with a student group over time, but not a case in which one group is benefiting at the expense of another group.
      - For example, perhaps your female students were outperforming your male students in graduation rates several years ago. Over time, an increase of five percentage points in graduation rates among male students is considered an improvement, but not when the same comparison among female students yields a decline of three percentage points. Although that change closes a gap, it does so at the expense of a decline in performance of another group.
      - The student characteristic(s) selected must represent a sizable proportion of your student body. These groups should represent, at a minimum, your two largest groups in population sizes, and also tie to the focus of your student success agenda. We recommend that regardless of your interest level, your group sizes consist of at least 25 students or more (when possible), with no fewer than 10students.
      - If your institution’s overall cohort sizes are small and therefore yield many group sizes of fewer than 10, we encourage you to fill out as much of the data template that is still applicable to your institution and supplement with information in your narrative responses to explain the efforts your institution has been making in ensuring success for all students. Please include a relevant dichotomous characteristic of your choice to strengthen your application.

- - - - Suitable student characteristics include the following:

☐ Race or Ethnicity

☐ Gender

☐ Income status (Pell recipient status)

☐ Veteran status

☐ First-generation college student status

☐ Student Parent

☐ Part-time status

☐ A dichotomous characteristic* of your choice not already listed here

*Dichotomous = two options (or options). Example, traditional-age or non-traditional-age students.

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