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 at 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
Grades
Issued
%
26,163
72.5%
2012-2013
Grades
Issued
%
22,515
75.0%
*Success
NonSuccess
6,401
17.7%
4,801
Withdrew
3,537
9.8%
2,711
Total
36,101
30,027
*Success is defined as a grade of C or higher.
16.0%
9.0%
2013-2014
Grades
Issued
%
19,803 73.3%
2014-2015
Grades
%
Issued
20,542
73.4
4,870
2,329
27,002
4,951
2,488
27,981
18.0%
8.6%
17.7
8.9
Other useful tools to evaluate student achievement are the 150% Graduation/Transfer Rate, and the Fallto-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.
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
Percentage
Returned
or Earned
Award
Headcount
Year
Total
Headcount
FALL-TO-FALL RETENTION RATES
4,105
3,258
2,933
2,927
1,802
1,590
1,420
1,512
43.9%
48.8%
48.4%
51.7%
IPEDS GRADUATION AND TRANSFER RATES
Fall Cohort
Graduation Rate 150%
Transfer Out Rate
2012
13%
32%
2011
10%
31%
2010
18%
41%
2009
17%
33%
2008
17%
35%
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
2014-2015
239
345
584
+25.3
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. Also,
with the exception of the 2010-11 Associate Nursing Program, Lawson State has surpassed the National
Mean each year.
46
21
18
19
44
21
17
19
95.7%
100%
94.4%
100%
80%
80%
80%
80%
NATIONAL MEAN
STATE
BENCHMARK
PASSED
TESTED
YEAR
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
PASSAGE RATE
LAWSON STATE
NCLEX LICENSING EXAM ADN
90.2
84.3
81.7
83.3
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
15
12
16
11
15
12
15
11
100%
100%
93.8%
100%
80%
80%
80%
80%
NATIONAL MEAN
STATE
BENCHMARK
PASSAGE RATE
LAWSON STATE
PASSED
TESTED
YEAR
NCLEX LICENSING EXAM PN
84
84.7
82.8
82.1
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
*Calendar year
2
7
4
8
11
3
2
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
7
8
11
19
10
9
3
PASSAGE RATE
NUMBER
TESTED
WRITTEN
PASSAGE RATE
NUMBER
TESTED
PRACTICAL
*EXAMINATIO
N PERIOD
COSMETOLOGY BOARD RESULTS
42.9%
100%
54.5%
73.7%
70.0%
66.67%
66.67%
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 Department of
Postsecondary Education.
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
2014-2015
2013-2014
2012-2013
2011-2012
2010-2011
Job Placement Rate
74.03%
72.54%
71.94%
71.10%
66.31%
State Target Level
80.00%
80.00%
80.00%
79.00%
84.44%
File: Student Success and Achievement and SACSCOC 4.1