Student Achievement at ABAC

About

ABAC’s mission statement puts student success at the forefront of preparing a graduate for life beyond graduation. As stated in the mission statement, ABAC strives to provide an “excellent education by engaging, teaching, coaching, mentoring, and providing relevant experiences that prepare the graduate for life.” Further evidence of the College’s focus on student success is seen in its Strategic Plan. The strategic initiatives Excellence and Stewardship focus on mentoring through advising and teaching to help our students progress and gain valuable skills such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, professionalism, etc., which positively impacts ABAC’s retention and graduation. 

To that end, ABAC has set criteria to be measured for student achievement in key areas, such as retention rate, the number of bachelor’s degrees conferred, graduation rate, scores on licensure exams, and appropriate job placement rates. 

Criterion for Student Achievement: IPEDS First-Year Undergraduate Retention Rate

The GOAL for the retention rate of first-time undergraduate students is to exceed the average of ABAC’s SACSCOC peer institutions (other USG State Colleges). 

ABAC annually monitors the first-year retention rate of first-time, full-time degree-seeking students as a measure of the success of its degree programs. The data below, pulled from IPEDS, are for post-consolidated ABAC. 

 The table below shows the initial cohort semester, the retention semester, the size of the cohort, ABAC’s retention rate, and the average of our peer institutions (the other USG State Colleges). For the most recent fall cohort in 2020 (for which USG data is available), ABAC’s student achievement outcomes in terms of first-year retention were higher than the average retention rate for its peers, indicating successful goal attainment. Successful goal attainment has also been achieved in the previous year’s freshman cohort. For Fall 2015 and Fall 2016, ABAC’s first-year retention rates were 61% and 64%, respectively, and did not exceed the peer group averages, but were typically very close to those averages. 

 

Note. For FY 2018, ABAC and Bainbridge College consolidated; * indicates associate and certificate programs. Source, USG by the Numbers.  

Criterion for Student Achievement: IPEDS Six-Year Baccalaureate Graduation Rate

The GOAL for the six-year baccalaureate graduate rates is to exceed the average graduation rate of ABAC’s SACSCOC peer institutions (other USG State Colleges). 

ABAC annually monitors its six-year baccalaureate graduation rate of first-time, full-time degree-seeking students as a measure of the success of its degree programs. The data below are for pre and post-consolidated ABAC. 

The table below shows that ABAC has continually achieved its threshold of acceptability goals with respect to the peer group average. There was a slight dip in ABAC’s graduation rate between the fall 2012 and the fall 2013 cohorts of 0.5 percentage points; however, the rate increased aggressively for the fall 2014 cohort. ABAC’s graduation rate has increased by about 11 percentage points between the fall 2011 and fall 2014 cohorts. Additionally, ABAC continues to be on the upper end of the graduation rate range for USG State Colleges (peer group) and exceeds the peer group average for the fall cohorts presented below. 

Source. IPEDS 

The SACSCOC 2019 Interpretation of CR 8.1 also stipulates that institutions should disaggregate their graduation data by appropriate student demographic categories in order to identify student populations that may be at risk of having low graduation rates. Racial group differences are often studied in the USG when retention and graduation rates are under review, so a disaggregation of ABAC’s six-year graduation rates by racial group is particularly appropriate. Below are the disaggregated graduation rates by key racial student groups. 

Source. IPEDS *NR=Not reliable rates due to relatively small cohort size 

Looking closely at the cohorts from fall 2013 through fall 2014, there is a concern in these disaggregated data that Black/African American and Hispanic student populations are more at-risk for lower graduation rates at ABAC. The graduation rates for Black/African American and Hispanic student populations have risen sharply from Fall 2013; however, there is room for improvement. 

Although the initiatives described above to improve graduation rates involve all racial groups equally, additional institutional strategies are underway explicitly aimed at improving the graduation rates of the at-risk student group. In 2018, ABAC and five other universities and technical colleges were awarded the Southwestern Georgia STEM Pathways Alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). LSAMP aims to transform the STEM learning environment by significantly increasing the number of underrepresented minoritized majors graduating with baccalaureate degrees in STEM disciplines and entering graduate STEM programs. 

Given that ABAC is USG’s State Agricultural College, the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources joined MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences) [13] and started a chapter for ABAC students. MANRRS provides access to valuable connections, internships, conferences, and opportunities for students pursuing degrees. MANRRS also establishes a peer support system for some of ABAC’s most at-risk populations. 

Criterion for Student Achievement: IPEDS Three-Year Associate Graduation Rate

The GOAL for the three-year associate graduate rates is to exceed the average graduation rate of ABAC’s SACSCOC peer institutions (other USG State Colleges). 

ABAC annually monitors its three-year associate graduation rate of first-time, full-time degree-seeking students as a measure of the success of its degree programs. The data below are for pre and post-consolidated ABAC. 

The table below shows that ABAC has continually achieved its threshold of acceptability goals with respect to the peer group average. There was a slight dip in ABAC’s three-year graduation rate between the fall 2017 and the fall 2016 cohorts of 0.2 percentage points. ABAC’s three-year graduation rate has increased by about four percentage points between the fall 2041 and fall 2017 cohorts. Additionally, ABAC continues to be on the upper end of the three-year graduation rate range for USG State Colleges (peer group) and exceeds the peer group average for the fall cohorts presented below. ABAC’s strategies listed above under the IPEDS six-year graduation rate have also contributed to its rise in three-year graduation rates. 

Source. IPEDS 

The SACSCOC 2019 Interpretation of CR 8.1 also stipulates that institutions should disaggregate their graduation data by appropriate student demographic categories in order to identify student populations that may be at risk of having low graduation rates. Racial group differences are often studied in the USG when retention and graduation rates are under review, so a disaggregation of ABAC’s three-year graduation rates by racial group is particularly appropriate. Below are the disaggregated graduation rates by key racial student groups. 

Source. IPEDS *NR=Not reliable rates due to relatively small cohort size 

Looking closely at the cohorts from fall 2014 through fall 2017, there is a concern in these disaggregated data that the Black/African American student population is more at-risk for lower graduation rates at ABAC. The Black/African American student population’s graduation rates nearly doubled from Fall 2014; however, the rate is only half of their White and Hispanic peers. The institutional strategies described above under six-year graduation rates are also relevant for those students seeking associate degrees. 

Criterion for Student Achievement: Nursing Undergraduate National Council RN Licensure Examination Results

The GOAL for the NCLEX pass rate is 1) to exceed the national average and 2) to exceed the institutional threshold. 

The NCLEX is administered through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) with the intention of developing psychometrically sound and legally defensible nurse licensure and certification examinations consistent with current practice.   The data below are for post-consolidated ABAC.   

The table below shows the ABAC NCLEX-RN Pass Rate for 2021 and the previous four academic years. The minimum threshold for achieving student success is 80%, as determined by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) standards and the Georgia Board of Nursing. 

ABAC has substantially exceeded this criterion’s threshold of acceptable student achievement in four of the last five years and was only one percentage point below the 80% threshold, most recently in 2021. However, ABAC’s passing rate on the NCLEX was higher than the national NCLEX average in 2021. Although the reasons for the sudden drop in NCLEX passing rates in 2021 have not yet been determined, the negative impact of the COVID pandemic is suspected to be a key contributing factor.  

 

Source. National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) 

Criterion for Success: Appropriate Placement Rates for the ASN-RN Program Graduates

For the ASN-RN job placement rate, the goal is to strive for 90% job placement in the field of nursing within 12 months of graduating, as determined by the School of Nursing and ACEN. Job placement data is gathered through a survey of graduates issued by the School of Nursing. The table below shows the ASN-RN job placement rate for 2020 and the previous two academic years. 

The survey response rate was above 30%, which is typical, and the job placement rate was 98% to 100% for the past three years, exceeding the threshold for acceptable student achievement. 

 

Criterion for Student Achievement: Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) AgEd Pass Rates

The GOAL for the GACE pass rate is 1) to exceed the licensure pass rate requirement and 2) to exceed the minimal institutional threshold. 

GACE is Georgia’s state-approved educator certification assessment program.  These computer-delivered assessments have been developed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) and Educational Testing Service (ETS).  The purpose of the GACE assessments is to help the GaPSC ensure that candidates have the knowledge and skills needed to perform the job of an educator in Georgia’s public schools. The data below is for post-consolidated ABAC. 

The BS Agricultural Education is ABAC’s only educator preparation program. To become certified teachers, candidates must pass the GACE AgEd Content Assessment at the professional level. The threshold of acceptable performance goal for the GACE pass rate is to exceed the licensure pass rate requirement. The table below shows the GACE Ag Ed pass rate for 2020 and 2019 (2021 is still in progress). ABAC student achievement on this exam exceeds the threshold of the acceptable academic performance goal. 

Source. ETS 

Criterion for Student Achievement: Appropriate Placement Rates for the BS in Agricultural Education Graduates

Another measure of achievement for students in the BS Agricultural Education program is the job/graduate school placement rate. The GOAL for the graduates is to have a signed teaching contract, be employed in the industry, or enter graduate school within three months of graduation. Information is collected through a survey administered by the faculty advisors through the Department of Agriculture Communication and Education. The table below shows the placement rates for the academic years ending in 2019 – 2021. 

Job opportunities are not as great to teach agricultural education courses in the K-12 public schools as in other academic disciplines where those disciplinary studies are required of all students. Consequently, it has been reasonable to assume that only two-thirds of the graduates in this program would be employed in Ag Ed teaching, and the rest of the graduates would be placed in other related positions. These outcomes data confirm that this institutional threshold for acceptable student achievement has been met in recent years.