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| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: July 9, 2003 |
NEW REPORT PROVES COMMUNITY COLLEGES PREPARE STUDENTS TO EXCEL
Raleigh: Students who come out of North Carolina's community colleges get good jobs, make their employers happy, and pass their licensing exams. And they're doing better every year, according to a new report from the North Carolina Community College System.
The annual Critical Success Factors Report documents each community college’s performance on a set of standards developed by the System to meet accountability requirements of the General Assembly.
For the past three years, community colleges have had the opportunity to earn the designation of "superior" based on their results. The first year, five of the 58 comprehensive community colleges earned "superior" rankings. Twenty-six did so the second year. This year the total is 31 colleges with a "superior" ranking. The rankings are based on the 2001-2002 academic year.
"This is tremendous progress in a very short time," according to System President H. Martin Lancaster. "These measures focus on how well our students perform and demonstrate how well our colleges serve them. Everyone involved in our colleges should be proud of this continued improvement. These statistics show that the funding provided to our colleges by the General Assembly is a good investment that provides an amazing rate of return. Our instructors and staff do a great job for the students they serve."
Four community colleges received a perfect score by meeting or exceeding all 12 measures: Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Coastal Carolina, Robeson, and Tri-County. Three community colleges have each achieved a "superior" rating in each of the three years the report was generated: Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge, and Tri-County.
According to Keith Brown, Associate Vice President, Planning and Research at the System Office, "The measures demonstrate the excellent job our community colleges do in educating and training the citizens of North Carolina." Several colleges had significant improvement over the previous year.
Examples of the measures:
 | Employment of Graduates: The statewide average for 2001-02 was 99.47% with all community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 95%. |
| Employer Satisfaction With Graduates: The statewide average for 2001-02 was 95% with all community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 85%. |
| Licensure or Certification Exams for First-Time Test Takers: The statewide average for 2001-02 was 86% of test takers receiving a passing score. Forty community colleges met or exceeded the performance standard of 80%. Community colleges prepare students for a myriad of professions that require state licensure or certification, including Nursing, Aviation Maintenance, Emergency Medical Technician, and Dental Hygiene. |
- Student Satisfaction of Completers and Non-Completers:
| Curriculum Student Retention & Graduation: The statewide average for 2001-02 was 67% with 46 community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 60%. A majority of the students who enroll stay at the community college until they have completed their course of study. |
| Progress of Basic Skills Students: The statewide average for 2001-02 was 78% with 48 community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 75%. Community colleges excel in providing basic skills services for those individuals who need literacy, ESL, and other non-curriculum or certificate resources. |
The complete 2003 Critical Success Factors Report is available on the NCCCS Web page at http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/Publications/Publications/csf2003.pdf.
The North Carolina Community College System is the open door to opportunity, providing world-class workforce training and convenient, quality education resources.
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