RELEASE DATE:  June 9, 2006

CONTACT:  Audrey K. Bailey

                       (919) 807- 6963

 

North Carolina Community Colleges earn top grades for performance

 

Raleigh:  If you’re looking for a good education, at a reasonable price, that will quickly lead to employment; go to a community college.  If you’re an employer looking for employee training, or looking for new, well-trained employees; try your local community college.  According to a new report on community college performance, you’ll both be very satisfied.

 

The new report on performance measures, the way the General Assembly assesses how well the North Carolina Community College System is doing its job, indicates that all 58 of its comprehensive community colleges met or exceeded the state’s rigorous standards in five performance areas, up from three last year.  The indicators are: completer satisfaction, employment of graduates, curriculum student retention and graduation rates, employer satisfaction with graduates, and business and industry satisfaction with customized training. 

 

These are five of the 12 standards described in the annual Critical Success Factors Report, which documents each community college’s performance.  This reporting is part of the strict accountability requirements of the General Assembly.  This year’s report shows once again that North Carolina’s community colleges are a great investment paying tremendous dividends to the communities they serve.

 

For the past six years, community colleges have had the opportunity to earn the designation of "superior" based on their performance results.  The first year, only four of the 58 comprehensive community colleges earned a "superior" ranking.  After that first year, improvement was impressive. Twenty-six were ranked “superior” the second year, 31 the third year, 36 the fourth year, and 37 achieved that ranking last year.

 

This year, 36 colleges have the "superior" ranking, even with the inability of some colleges to complete their reporting due to minor data recovery problems.   The rankings are based on the 2004-2005 academic year.  Seven colleges received a perfect score, meeting or exceeding the average percentage in all 12 standards.

 

"Our community colleges provide such a tremendous service to their communities. I continue to marvel each year at how well our colleges continue to perform, especially considering the growing enrollment and funding challenges that exist for every campus,” said System President Martin Lancaster.  “This is our opportunity to prove the value of this system and show how well our colleges are performing.  Funds spent on community colleges are dollars well invested, paying dividends in every aspect of life in North Carolina.  Legislators and citizens can take great pride in how well their community colleges have responded to the changing education and workforce preparedness needs of North Carolina.  Once again we've done more with less and done it well!  We deserve an A+ and a bigger budget."

 

The seven community colleges with a perfect score are:  Bladen Community College (Dublin) Coastal Carolina Community College (Jacksonville); Fayetteville Technical Community College (Fayetteville); Halifax, (Weldon), James Sprunt Community College (Kenansville); Robeson Community College (Lumberton) and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (Salisbury).

 

Blue Ridge Community College (Flat Rock) and Tri-County Community College (Murphy) have earned superior rankings in each year the report has been generated. 

 

“This comprehensive report validates the unquestionable dedication our colleges have to providing the programs and services that support the economic needs of North Carolina,” said Keith Brown, associate vice president for planning, accountability, research and evaluation at the System Office.

 

Examples of 2004-2005 results include:

 

·     Business/Industry Satisfaction with Customized Training: Every business and industry client registered satisfaction with services provided by community colleges, earning all 58 community colleges and the system as a whole a 100 percent average, compared to the statewide standard of 90 percent.

 

·     Employer Satisfaction with Graduates: The statewide average for 2004-05 was 95% with all community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 85%

 

*     Goal Completion of Completers:  The proportion of graduates of certificate,  diploma, or degree programs who say they met their stated goal is a statewide average of 99% with all 58 community colleges meeting or exceeding the System standard of 90%.

 

·     Employment of Graduates:  Community college students get jobs. The statewide average for 2003-04 was 99.58% with all 58 community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 95%.

 

·     Student Satisfaction of Completers and Non-Completers:  Not every student needs to graduate to complete his or her education goal.  Very often students are hired in their chosen profession before obtaining a degree.  The standard in this area is 90% satisfaction.  Fifty-seven colleges reported an average of 97% satisfaction in this area. 

 

·     Goal Completion for Completers:   Certificate, diploma, and degree program graduates at all 58 community colleges reported that their primary goal in attending has been met.  The system standard is 95%, the system average is 99%.

 

·     Licensure or Certification Exams for First-Time Test Takers: The statewide average for 2004-05 was 85% of test takers receiving a passing score the first time they sat for a certification exam. Forty-three 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.

• Progress of Basic Skills Students: The statewide average for 2004-05 was 81% with 55

        community colleges meeting or exceeding the performance standard of 75%.  Basic skills

        services include literacy, ESL, and other non-curriculum or certificate resources.

 

The following community colleges earned superior rankings:

The complete 2006 Critical Success Factors Report is available on the NCCCS Web page at http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/Publications/docs/Publications/csf2006.pdf.

Summary tables begin on page 48 on the site.  The report is filled with comprehensive information about the Community College System in several areas including workforce development statistics, diverse population learning needs, technology, and System resources.

 

The North Carolina Community College System is the open door to opportunity, providing world-class workforce training and convenient, quality education resources.

 

-NCCCS-