STUDENT SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT

Lawson State Community College measures student success and achievement with respect to its mission.

Lawson State Community College is a comprehensive, diverse, public, two-year, multi-campus college,

which seeks to provide accessible quality educational opportunities, promote economic growth and

enhance the quality of life for people in its service area. The College is dedicated to providing affordable

and accessible lifelong learning opportunities through varied instructional modes in order to prepare

students for employment or career advancement, enable students to transfer to senior colleges and

universities, and provide customized training for business and industry.

To this end, the college documents successful student achievement in relation to its mission by

monitoring measures such as course completion rates, state licensing examinations, and job placement

rates. The college employs an array of methods to analyze its success in relation to its stated mission. The

institution has established internal benchmarks and benchmarks itself against peer institutions.

The following goals exist for student success and achievement:

1. To achieve a 70% successful course completion rate annually.

2. To have a fall-to-fall retention rate of a minimum of 42%.

3. To have a transfer rate of a minimum of 55%.

4. To maintain a licensure rate of a minimum of 80%.

5. To have a job placement rate annually, no less than 10% below or at the state target level.

To make appropriate decisions relative to curriculum and course content, Lawson State Community

College evaluates course completion data. The table below provides this data for academic years 2010

thru 2014. Success is defined by completing a course with a grade of “C” or better, with a grade of “D” or

“F” indicating Non-Success.

COURSE SUCCESS

Measure 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2015-2016

Grades

Issued %

Grades

Issued %

Grades

Issued %

Grades

Issued

%

*Success 26,163 72.5% 22,515 75.0% 19,803 73.3% 18,861 73.1

Non-

Success 6,401 17.7% 4,801 16.0% 4,870 18.0%

4,897

19.0

Withdrew 3,537 9.8% 2,711 9.0% 2,329 8.6% 2,036 7.9

Total 36,101

30,027

27,002

25,794

*Success is defined as a grade of C or higher.

Other useful tools to evaluate student achievement are the 150% Graduation/Transfer Rate, and the Fall-

to-Fall Retention Rate. According to https://fafsa.ed.gov/help/fotw91n.htm, these rates are defined as:

Graduation rate is the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who

complete their program within 150% of the published time for the program. For example, for a

four-year degree program, entering students who complete within six years are counted as

graduates.

Retention rate is the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who

continue at that school the next year. For example, a student who studies full-time in the fall

semester and keeps on studying in the program in the next fall semester is counted in this rate.

Transfer rate is the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who

transfer to another college within 150% of the published time for the program. For example, a

student who is in a four-year degree program is counted as a transfer if the student goes to another

college within six years.

FALL-TO-FALL RETENTION RATES

Yea

r

To

tal

Hea

dco

unt

Ret

urn

ed

or

Ear

ned

Aw

ard

Hea

dco

unt

Per

cen

tag

e

2011-2012 4,105 1,802 43.9%

2012-2013 3,258 1,590 48.8%

2013-2014 2,933 1,420 48.4%

2014-2015 2,927 1,512 51.7%

2015-2016 3,026 1,472 48.7%

IPEDS GRADUATION AND TRANSFER RATES

Fall Cohort 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

Graduation Rate 150% 13% 13% 10% 18% 17%

Transfer Out Rate 31% 32% 31% 41% 33%

The college monitors the rate of credentials awarded. The college awards the following: Associate of

Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Occupational Technology, and

certificates of varying program lengths.

CREDENTIALS AWARDED

Year Associate Degrees Certificates Total Change from previous

year

2015-2016 221 277 498 -14.7%

2013-2014 226 210 436 -30.5%

2012-2013 281 346 627 -3.8%

2011-2012 280 372 652 1.9%

STATE LICENSING

The College has three programs which require state licensing prior to becoming employed in field:

Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, and Cosmetology. Both the Associate and Practical Nursing

Programs are approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing. Candidates for licensure must pass the

National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses or the National Council Licensure

Examination for Practical Nurses, depending on their completed program of study. Cosmetology

completers must pass both a practical and written examination in order to receive licensure.

The Alabama State Board of Nursing currently has a benchmark of 80% passage for the NCLEX.

Lawson State sets an internal benchmark of 80% as well. Both the Associate Degree Nursing Program

and the Practical Nursing Program have exceeded this benchmark for the past four testing cycles.

Program, Lawson State has surpassed the National Mean each year.

NCLEX LICENSING EXAM ADN

YE

AR

TE

ST

ED

PA

SS

ED

PA

SS

AG

E R

AT

E

LA

WS

ON

ST

AT

E

ST

AT

E

BE

NC

HM

AR

K

NA

TIO

NA

L M

EA

N

2012-13 21 21 100 80% 84.3

2013-14 18 17 94.4 80% 81.7

2014-15 19 19 100% 80% 82.1

2015-16 21 21 100% 80% 83.8

NCLEX LICENSING EXAM PN

YE

AR

TE

ST

ED

PA

SS

ED

PA

SS

AG

E R

AT

E

LA

WS

ON

ST

AT

E

ST

AT

E

BE

NC

HM

AR

K

NA

TIO

NA

L M

EA

N

2012-13 12 12 100 80% 84.7

2013-14 18 15 94.4 80% 82.8

2014-15 19 19 100 80% 82.1

2015-16 25 25 100% 80% 83.8

COSMETOLOGY BOARD RESULTS

*E

XA

MIN

AT

IO

N P

ER

IOD

NU

MB

ER

TE

ST

ED

PR

AC

TIC

AL

PA

SS

AG

E R

AT

E

NU

MB

ER

TE

ST

ED

WR

ITT

EN

PA

SS

AG

E R

AT

E

2013 11 100% 10 70.0%

2014 3 100% 9 66.67%

2015 2 100% 3 66.67%

2016 2 100% 3 66.67%

*Calendar year

JOB PLACEMENT RATES

Another indicator of student success and achievement is the job placement rate. Using the College

Performance Report on Career and Technical Education (Perkins), specifically Core Indicator 4P1,

placement rates are scrutinized and reviewed yearly. Core Indicator 4P1 requires measuring the percent of

concentrators employed, in military, or apprenticeship programs in the 2nd quarter following the term in

which they left postsecondary. Statewide goals are determined each year by the Alabama Community

College System.

PLACEMENT

Defined as percentages of career tech concentrators employed, in military or apprenticeship programs in

the 2nd quarter following the term they left postsecondary institution.

Year Job Placement Rate State Target Level

2015-2016 72.34% 79%

2014-2015 74.03% 80%

2013-2014 72.54% 80%

2012-2013 71.94% 80%

2012-2012 71.10% 70%

File: Student Success and Achievement and SACSCOC 4.1