CCCC ranks among best

SANFORD – Central Carolina Community College is among the best of the best in North Carolina.

CCCC received a perfect score in the North Carolina Community College System’s just-released “2007 Critical Success Factors Report.” The college met or exceeded 12 performance measures established by the NCCCS.

Only six other community colleges, out of 58 in the state, achieved this distinction: Durham Technical, Forsyth Technical, Isothermal, Piedmont, Vance-Granville, and Wilkes.

The performance measures are standards of excellence that show how well the colleges are carrying out their missions of meeting the educational needs of their students, communities, business and industry. The data is primarily from the 2005-06 academic year.

“We really are one of the very best colleges in North Carolina and it is great when the data help to prove that,” said college President Matt Garrett. “I am very proud. People at CCCC have worked extremely hard over the years to achieve this.”

Whether measuring how well CCCC graduates do at UNC four-year institutions, the percentage of students passing state licensure/certification examinations on the first try, business satisfaction with their CCCC-trained employees, or other measures, CCCC met and, in almost all cases, exceeded state standards of performance.

For the third year in a row, the college also achieved a “Superior” rating, along with 37 other community colleges, for meeting the six performance funding measures used by the General Assembly in determining community college funding based on performance.

“To achieve ‘Superior’ status is a real accomplishment by itself,” said Dr. John Slade, CCCC vice president of instruction. “To earn it on the way to meeting or exceeding all 12 performance measures is grand. It’s an honor to stand out in this way, and our goal is to earn this distinction as many times as we can.”

The performance measures were first adopted by the NCCCS in 1999. According to the report, the “Critical Success Factors Report” has evolved into “the major accountability document for the North Carolina Community College System.”

The 12 performance measures were:

1.Progress of Basic Skills Students
Basic Skills includes all adult literacy students. This standard is a composite measure that includes the percentage of students progressing within a level of literacy, the percentage completing a level entered or a pre-determined goal, and the percentage completing the level entered and advancing to a higher level. The state standard was 75 percent; average NCCCS performance was 82 percent. CCCC’s performance was 93 percent, the highest in the state.

2. Passing Rates on Licensure and Certification Examinations
This standard measures the percentage of students passing a state licensure/certification examination on the first attempt. The state performance standard is 80 percent; NCCCS average is 85 percent. Of CCCC students taking state exams with published results, 87 percent passed on the first try.

3. Goal Completion for Completers
At each community college, the percentage of graduates of certificate, diploma and degree programs who reported that their primary goal in attending had been met. The standard was 95 percent; average NCCCS performance was 99 percent. CCCC achieved 99 percent.

4. Employment Status of Graduates
This is the percent of graduates who are employed within one year of last attendance. The performance standard was 95 percent; the NCCCS average, 99.51 percent. Of CCCC graduates, 99.62 percent were employed.

5. Performance of College Transfer Students
The academic performance of community college students transferring to a four-year UNC institution is compared to that of students who started their college education at a UNC institution.

The standard requires a community college to have 86.2 percent of its transfer students earn at least a 2.0 (“C”) grade point average after two semesters at a UNC institution. Only 29 of the 58 community colleges, including CCCC, met this performance measure. The NCCCS average was 84.2 percent.

Of the Associate in Arts/Associate in Science students transferring from CCCC, 92.4 percent had at least a 2.0 average. Of those with at least 24 semester hours, but no AA/AS degree, 89.7 percent had at least a 2.0 average. Of CCCC students who transferred with an AA or AS degree, 95.7 percent earned at least a 2.0 at UNC institutions.

6. Passing Rates of Students in Developmental Courses
This standard measures the percentage of students completing developmental (college preparatory) English, math or reading courses with a grade of “C ” or better. The performance standard is 70 percent; average NCCCS performance, 80 percent. At CCCC, 84 percent of students in developmental courses passed with a “C” or better.

7. Success Rate of Developmental Students in Subsequent College-level Courses
This standard compares the success of developmental completers in subsequent college-level courses compared to the success of non-developmental students. At least 85 percent of developmental students must earn a “C” or better.

The NCCCS average was 86 percent earning “C’s” or better, the same percentage as non-developmental students. At CCCC, 90 percent of developmental students earned “C’s” or better in specified college-level courses, while 94 percent of non-developmental students did.

8. Satisfaction of Completers and Non-completers 
This standard indicates the percent of graduates and early leavers who indicated that the quality of the college programs and services met or exceeded their expectations. The performance standard was 90 percent. CCCC met the NCCCS performance average of 97 percent.

9. Curriculum Student Retention and Graduation
This is a composite indicator showing the percent of students completing their certificate, diploma or degree program or who are continuing enrollment in either curriculum or occupational extension programs. The standard was 60 percent; NCCCS performance average, 65 percent. For 2005-06, CCCC’s performance was 64 percent.

10. Employer Satisfaction with Graduates
This indicates the percentage of a sample of businesses that employ people trained or educated at a community college who indicate they are satisfied with the quality of their employee’s community college training and education. The performance standard is 85 percent; the NCCCS average, 97 percent. CCCC’s performance was 98 percent.

11. Client Satisfaction with Customized Training
Community colleges provide worker training for the businesses and industries in their service areas. This standard requires that 90 percent of those surveyed report satisfaction with the training; the NCCCS average was 99 percent. CCCC achieved a 100 percent satisfaction rating.

12. Program Unduplicated Headcount Enrollment
This measure assesses three-year, unduplicated enrollment in curriculum programs. The standard requires a minimum of 10 students in each program. CCCC and 51 other community colleges met this standard.

The full report can be found on the Web at: http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/Publications/docs/Publications/csf2007.pdf

CUTLINES:
Lee.jpg
Central Carolina Community College serves the three-county area of Lee, Chatham, and Harnett. The Lee Campus (pictured) is located in Sanford. The North Carolina Community College System recently identified the college as one of the top seven community colleges in the state.

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Central Carolina Community College serves the three-county area of Chatham, Harnett and Lee. The Chatham Campus (pictured) is located in Pittsboro. The North Carolina Community College System recently identified the college as one of the top seven community colleges in the state.

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Central Carolina Community College serves the three-county area of Harnett, Chatham, and Lee. The Harnett Campus (pictured) is located in Lillington. The North Carolina Community College System recently identified the college as one of the top seven community colleges in the state.

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A student takes advantage of some mild weather and a handy bench to do some outdoor studying at Central Carolina Community College’s Lee County Campus. The North Carolina Community College System recently identified the college as one of the top seven community colleges in the state.