American River College Integrated Planning System Reports
What are Department Set Standards and Stretch Goals?
Department Set Standards (DSS) and Stretch Goals are statistical criteria used to detect if a decline or an increase in course success rates has occurred for the department as a whole for the most recent academic year compared to the preceding 3 year average (See Figure 1. below). Falling below the Department Set Standard indicates a statistically significant decline in course success rates has occurred. By contrast, scoring above the stretch goal indicates a statistically significant increase in course success rates has occurred. Finally, scoring in between the Department Set Standard and the Stretch Goal indicates that no statistically significant changes have occurred.
Note: This process does NOT include "department to department" or "department to college" comparisons.
Figure 1. 95% Confidence Interval centered around the Average (M) of the preceding 3 years
Why are we being asked to review and report on Department Set Standards and Stretch Goals?
Reviewing current year results against Department Set Standards (minimum standards) and Stretch Goals (aspirational goals) may be useful in promoting and informing departmental dialogue, planning, decision making, and resource allocation.
In addition, ACCJC standards requires colleges to demonstrate that results are reviewed against these set standards and stretch goals. The process for setting standards and stretch goals was reviewed by the Academic Senate (in 2016 for Department Set Standards, in 2018 for Stretch Goals).
Earth Sciences (GIS/Geography/Geology)
| Discipline | Year 1 - (2019 - 2020) | Year 2 - (2020 - 2021) | Year 3 - (2021 - 2022) | 3 Year Average | Department Set Standard and Stretch Goal Based on Prior 3 Years | Target Year - 2022 - 2023 | Meets Department Set Standard? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIS/Geography/Geology | 75.9% (N=2189) | 76.0% (N=2126) | 76.2% (N=2018) | 76.10% | 75.7% - 76.4% * | 82.0% (N=1685) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
Success Rate Percentage
# of A, B, C, Cr, P grades expressed as a % of total grade notations (includes W's but only those occurring after the Drop-No-W Date).
Enrollment (N)
Count of total enrollments (e.g., a student taking five classes is counted five times).
*The Department Set Standard is computed using the department's own course success rates over the previous 3 years (excluding summers). Specifically, A 95% Confidence Interval is constructed around the department's average course success rates over the previous 3 years. The Lower Limit of this Confidence Interval is then used as the Department Set Standard (assumes a t distribution with 2 degrees of freedom (average - (Standard Error * 4.303))). This methodology ensures that falling below the standard is unlikely to occur due simply to random year to year variation but instead is likely to reflect an actual decrease in course success rates for the target year. Stretch goals are computed utilizing the same methodology, but utilizes the Upper Limit of the Confidence Interval (assumes a t distribution with 2 degrees of freedom (average + (Standard Error * 4.303))). Exceeding the stretch goal is likely to reflect an actual increase in course success rates for the target year. Note: Due to methodological limitations, it is possible for the calculated stretch goal to sometimes exceed 100% in cases where there is large variability in course success rates over the previous three years. In such cases, the planning unit is encouraged to set its own internal stretch (aspirational) goals.
Summer semester data are typically excluded due to a variety of factors (e.g., proportion of university students) which differentiate these students from the traditional fall and spring student populations.
[As per the faculty contract, course success rate data should in no way be used as a part of Faculty Peer Review.]
| Course | Year 1 - (2019 - 2020) | Year 2 - (2020 - 2021) | Year 3 - (2021 - 2022) | 3 Year Average | Department Set Standard and Stretch Goal Based on Prior 3 Years | Target Year - 2022 - 2023 | Meets Department Set Standard? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG 300 | 77.1% (N=611) | 81.6% (N=613) | 83.7% (N=619) | 80.80% | 72.4% - 89.1% * | 84.2% (N=583) | Yes |
| GEOG 301 | 81.1% (N=212) | 74.2% (N=186) | 70.1% (N=204) | 75.10% | 61.3% - 89.0% * | 80.8% (N=156) | Yes |
| GEOG 305 | 66.7% (N=33) | 60.9% (N=46) | 63.4% (N=41) | 63.70% | 56.4% - 70.9% * | 72.2% (N=18) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
| GEOG 306 | 77.6% (N=49) | 88.2% (N=51) | 78.0% (N=50) | 81.30% | 66.2% - 96.3% * | 90.0% (N=60) | Yes |
| GEOG 307 | 62.5% (N=16) | 50.0% (N=16) | 100.0% (N=11) | 70.80% | 6.2% - 135.5% * | 70.6% (N=17) | Yes |
| GEOG 308 | 71.4% (N=14) | 64.7% (N=17) | 75.0% (N=20) | 70.40% | 57.4% - 83.4% * | 88.9% (N=9) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
| GEOG 309 | 83.3% (N=6) | N/A | N/A | 83.30% | N/A - N/A * | 75.0% (N=4) | N/A |
| GEOG 310 | 77.1% (N=48) | 81.8% (N=66) | 81.4% (N=59) | 80.10% | 73.6% - 86.6% * | 80.6% (N=62) | Yes |
| GEOG 320 | 82.6% (N=46) | 95.8% (N=24) | 90.9% (N=44) | 89.80% | 73.2% - 106.4% * | 80.8% (N=26) | Yes |
| GEOG 330 | 54.0% (N=87) | 66.7% (N=105) | 66.7% (N=90) | 62.50% | 44.3% - 80.6% * | 61.5% (N=39) | Yes |
| GEOG 331 | 78.9% (N=19) | 60.9% (N=23) | 85.7% (N=7) | 75.20% | N/A - N/A * | N/A | N/A |
| GEOG 334 | 72.2% (N=54) | 69.1% (N=55) | 69.6% (N=46) | 70.30% | 66.1% - 74.5% * | 71.0% (N=31) | Yes |
| GEOG 340 | 81.3% (N=32) | 73.5% (N=49) | 60.0% (N=30) | 71.60% | 44.9% - 98.3% * | 55.6% (N=27) | Yes |
| GEOG 342 | 79.5% (N=39) | 75.7% (N=37) | 70.0% (N=20) | 75.10% | 63.2% - 86.9% * | 78.9% (N=19) | Yes |
| GEOG 344 | 69.2% (N=26) | 82.2% (N=45) | 63.9% (N=36) | 71.80% | 48.4% - 95.2% * | 88.9% (N=18) | Yes |
| GEOG 350 | 88.2% (N=17) | 85.2% (N=27) | 64.0% (N=25) | 79.10% | 46.3% - 111.9% * | 66.7% (N=18) | Yes |
| GEOG 360 | 92.9% (N=28) | 78.6% (N=28) | 64.5% (N=31) | 78.60% | 43.4% - 113.9% * | 79.2% (N=24) | Yes |
| GEOG 362 | 100.0% (N=17) | 68.2% (N=22) | 87.5% (N=8) | 85.20% | 45.4% - 125.1% * | 80.0% (N=5) | Yes |
| GEOG 375 | 65.5% (N=29) | 62.5% (N=32) | 52.6% (N=19) | 60.20% | 43.5% - 77.0% * | 68.4% (N=19) | Yes |
| GEOG 385 | 83.3% (N=24) | 91.7% (N=24) | 66.7% (N=24) | 80.60% | 48.9% - 112.2% * | 75.0% (N=16) | Yes |
| GEOG 495 | N/A | N/A | 100.0% (N=1) | 100.00% | N/A - N/A * | 100.0% (N=2) | N/A |
| GEOG 498 | 86.7% (N=15) | 87.5% (N=8) | 84.6% (N=13) | 86.30% | 82.6% - 89.9% * | 100.0% (N=7) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
| GEOL 300 | 76.5% (N=234) | 73.2% (N=250) | 78.9% (N=194) | 76.20% | 69.1% - 83.3% * | 86.3% (N=168) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
| GEOL 301 | 84.2% (N=95) | 82.6% (N=69) | 73.4% (N=79) | 80.10% | 65.6% - 94.5% * | 92.1% (N=63) | Yes |
| GEOL 305 | 65.0% (N=217) | 75.5% (N=151) | 75.9% (N=162) | 72.10% | 56.7% - 87.5% * | 82.2% (N=157) | Yes |
| GEOL 306 | 76.5% (N=98) | 67.4% (N=92) | 70.3% (N=91) | 71.40% | 59.8% - 83.0% * | 89.2% (N=37) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
| GEOL 310 | 89.3% (N=28) | 78.6% (N=28) | 76.0% (N=25) | 81.30% | 63.8% - 98.8% * | 79.3% (N=29) | Yes |
| GEOL 311 | 82.4% (N=17) | N/A | 68.4% (N=19) | 75.40% | N/A - N/A * | 80.0% (N=25) | N/A |
| GEOL 320 | 69.6% (N=23) | 63.3% (N=30) | 63.2% (N=19) | 65.40% | 56.3% - 74.4% * | 59.1% (N=22) | Yes |
| GEOL 325 | 75.0% (N=12) | 58.3% (N=12) | 69.2% (N=13) | 67.50% | 46.5% - 88.5% * | 80.0% (N=15) | Yes |
| GEOL 330 | 62.5% (N=16) | 65.0% (N=20) | 72.2% (N=18) | 66.60% | 54.0% - 79.1% * | 100.0% (N=5) | Yes, and exceeds Stretch Goal |
| GEOL 331 | 85.7% (N=7) | N/A | N/A | 85.70% | N/A - N/A * | 100.0% (N=4) | N/A |
| GEOL 499 | 90.0% (N=20) | N/A | N/A | 90.00% | N/A - N/A * | N/A | N/A |