Unpacking the Student
Success Scorecard
Measuring Disproportionate Impact and
Identifying Factors that Impact Hispanic Student
Completion Rates
Matthew Wetstein, Ph.D., Vice President of Instruction, San Joaquin Delta College
Alice van Ommeren, Ed.D., Dean, Research, Analysis and Accountability, CCCCO
Alyssa Nguyen, Senior Research Analyst, San Joaquin Delta College
Sabrina Sencil, Research Analyst, San Joaquin Delta College
Tom Leigh, Ph.D., Research Program Specialist II, CCCCO
Background
• Increasing attention to reducing the
achievement gap (outcomes)
• Policymakers and administrators are inquiring
about the racial disparities
• Researchers are being tasked to measure and
explain inequities and disparities
• Hispanic enrollment is increasing, but a
persistent completion gap exits.
Caution
Racial categories are constructs and do not
capture social, cultural, economic and political
issues surrounding racial diversity.
Differences in outcomes are due to underlying
social, cultural, economic issues associated
with race/ethnicity.
Measuring Disproportionate Impact
• Existing Legislation or Policy
– Title 5, Section 55512(a)
• Assessment process and its impact
• Terms of ethnicity, gender, age or disability
– Student Success Task Force
• Recommendation to disaggregate
• Demographics, including race/ethnicity
– Title 5, Section 54220
• Student Equity Plans
• Revised and due in Fall 2014
2013 Scorecard Completion
COHORT
2013 Scorecard
2006-07 Cohort
OUTCOME
Attained Completion
Outcome
Completion
Percentage of degree and/or transfer-seeking students tracked for six years through 2011-12 who
completed a degree, certificate or transfer related outcomes.
Measuring Disproportionate Impact
Two Methods:
• 80-Percent Rule
• Proportionality Index
The 80 Percent Rule
The 80 Percent Rule methodology is based on the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) 80% Rule, outlined in the 1978 Uniform
Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures,
and was used in Title VII enforcement by the U.S.
Equal Opportunity Commission, Department of
Labor, and the Department of Justice.
The 80 Percent Rule (cont’d)
The 80% Rule states that: “A selection rate for any
race, sex, or ethnic group which is less than fourfifths (4/5) (or eighty percent) of the rate for the
group with the highest rate will generally be
regarded by the Federal enforcement agencies as
evidence of adverse impact, while a greater than
four-fifths rate will generally not be regarded by
Federal enforcement agencies as evidence of
adverse impact.”
Calculating the 80 Percent Ratio
Three Steps:
1. Calculate the frequency and percent of disaggregated
subgroups in cohort and outcome groups.
2. Calculate the percent attainment of each subgroup.
Divide the outcome count by the cohort count.
3. Divide the percent attainment of each subgroup by
the percent attainment of a reference group to
obtain the 80 Percent Ratio.
Step One. Calculate the frequency and percent of
disaggregated subgroups in cohort and outcome groups.
Race/Ethnicity
African American
American Indian
2013 Scorecard Cohort
Count
Percent
12,923
7.3
Completion Outcome
Count
Percent
5,044
5.8
1,565
0.9
603
0.7
Asian
28,800
16.2
18,035
20.7
Hispanic
56,703
32.0
22,425
25.7
1,688
1.0
690
0.8
Unknown
15,260
8.6
8,084
9.3
White
60,523
34.1
32,386
37.1
Pacific Islander
Step Two. Calculate the percent attainment of each group. Divide
the outcome count by the cohort count.
Race/Ethnicity
2013 Scorecard Cohort
Count
Percent
Completion Outcome
Count
Percent
Percent
Completion
African American
12,923
7.3
5,044
5.8
39.0
American Indian
1,565
0.9
603
0.7
38.5
Asian
28,800
16.2
18,035
20.7
62.6
Hispanic
56,703
32.0
22,425
25.7
39.5
1,688
1.0
690
0.8
40.9
Unknown
15,260
8.6
8,084
9.3
53.0
White
60,523
34.1
32,386
37.1
53.5
Pacific Islander
Step Three. Divide the percent attainment of each
subgroup by the percent attainment of a reference group to
obtain an 80 Percent Ratio.
How to pick the reference group?
• Original EEOC legislation mandated the highestperforming group.
• CCCCO suggests the largest subgroup as the reference
group.
or
• When there is not a clear majority or the majority
percentage may not be the best choice (e.g., the
percent of the largest majority is less than the overall
rate) one can use the overall rate as the reference.
Step Three. Divide the percent attainment of each subgroup by
the percent attainment of a reference group to obtain an 80
Percent Ratio.
Race/Ethnicity
2013 Scorecard
Cohort
Count
Percent
Completion Outcome
Count
Percent
Percent
Completion
80-Percent
Ratio
African American
12,923
7.3
5,044
5.8
39.0
72.9
American Indian
1,565
0.9
603
0.7
38.5
72.0
Asian
28,800
16.2
18,035
20.7
62.6
117.0
Hispanic
56,703
32.0
22,425
25.7
39.5
73.9
1,688
1.0
690
0.8
40.9
76.4
Unknown
15,260
8.6
8,084
9.3
53.0
99.0
White
60,523
34.1
32,386
37.1
53.5
100.0
Pacific Islander
Proportionality
Divide the percentage of each race/ethnicity in
the outcome group by its percent in the cohort.
Interpreting the Proportionality Index
Proportionality Index
Interpretation
Proportions of subgroups in cohort and
1.0
outcome are equal.
Subgroup is less prevalent in the outcome
Less Than 1.0
group than the cohort.
Subgroup is more prevalent in the outcome
More Than 1.0
group than the cohort.
Proportionality: Divide the percentage of each race/ethnicity
in the outcome group by its percent in the cohort.
Race/Ethnicity
African American
American Indian
2013 Scorecard Cohort
Count
Percent
12,923
7.28
Completion Outcome
Proportionality
Count
Percent
5,044
5.78
0.79
1,565
0.88
603
0.69
0.78
Asian
28,800
16.23
18,035
20.67
1.27
Hispanic
56,703
31.95
22,425
25.7
0.80
1,688
0.95
690
0.79
0.83
Unknown
15,260
8.6
8,084
9.26
1.08
White
60,523
34.1
32,386
37.11
1.09
Pacific Islander
Hispanic 2013 Scorecard Completion Rate
Proportionality by College
Summary Statistics
Mean
Median
Minimum
Maximum
Range
0.86
0.85
0.64
1.28
0.64
Parent Education Level by Race-Ethnicity*
N = 31,376
All
44.2
Grade Nine Or Less
87.4
Grades 10,11,or 12 But Did Not
Graduate
74.2
African American
American Indian
High School Graduate
48.7
Some College No Degree
Asian
Hispanic
41.7
Pacific Islander
Associate Degree
Multi-Race
35.4
White
Baccalaureate Degree
19.6
Graduate or Professional Degree
20.5
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
*First-Time Students Fall 2012 with valid Parent Education value.
100%