DUBLIN — Bladen Community College has received encouraging news in the 2019 report on its performance measures.
The school is among 58 in the N.C. Community College System, all of which are analyzed for meeting or exceeding a level of excellence, being above the college average but below excellence, being above the baseline but below average, and being below the baseline.
The college did not have any measurements below the baseline. Across all the measurements, Lisa DeVane advised the college trustees to avoid comparison to data from 2016, 2017 and 2018. DeVane is the director of Institutional Effectiveness/Planning.
“The measurements in 2016, 2017, 2018 are different from 2019,” she told the group at last week’s meeting. “The levels are set for three years; 2019 is the start for a baseline.”
In her report, DeVane said the college is pleased to be above all the baselines.
“The college has made great strides in curriculum completion and college transfer success,” the report to trustees read.
“We have done a lot to improve our first-year progression and our completion rates,” she told the trustees.
DeVane said the college is working on relationships with students, and within that is focus on early alerts. Understanding students’ study habits, and finding ways to help them improve, are a big part of the process as well.
Seven areas were measured:
• Basic skills progress. This is the percentage of periods of participation with at least one measureable skill gain.
• Student success rate in college-level English. This is the percentage of first-time associate degree-seeking and transfer pathway students passing a credit-bearing English course with a “C” or better within three years of their first fall term enrollment.
• Student success rate in college-level math. This is the percentage of first-time fall associate degree-seeking and transfer pathway students passing a credit-bearing math course with a “C” or better within three years of their term of enrollment.
• First year progression. This is the percentage of first-time fall credential-seeking students who graduate prior to or enroll in postsecondary education during the subsequent fall term.
• Curriculum completion. This is the percentage of first-time fall credential-seeking curriculum students who have graduated, transferred or are still enrolled during the fourth academic year with 42 successfully completed non-developmental hours.
• Licensure pass rate index. This is the weighted index score of first-time test-taker results on licensure and certification exams. Exams included in this measure are state-mandated exams which candidates must pass before becoming active practitioners. Weights are based on the tier associated with the related instructional program.
• College transfer performance. Among community college associate degree completers and those who have completed 30 or more articulated transfer credits who subsequently transfer to a four-year university or college during the fall semester, the percentage who graduate prior to or remain enrolled at any four-year college or university the subsequent fall semester.
Bladen Community College had three measurements above the college average, and four that were below the college average but above the baseline level.
The State Board of Community Colleges in 1993 began monitoring performance data to ensure public accountability. In 1998, the General Assembly directed the board to review past performance measures and define standards to ensure programs and services were of sufficient quality.
In 2010, a review process was established to be sure measures and methods were current. Every three years, a committee is appointed to review the measures and recommend deletions, revisions and additions.
