T.O.P. Codes and
Data Elements
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CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE PRESENTERS:
STEPHANIE LOW
JOANNE VORHIES
PATTI DORIS
4/7/2015
The Exciting World of Curriculum Coding
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 General Overview:
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Purpose of Coding
Uses of Course Coding
Taxonomy of Program (TOP)
Course Basic (CB) coding
Student Program Award (SP) coding
Where does the course coding go?
Why do we code courses?
What are the data uses?
What happens when errors are made?
Basics of proper coding
Resources
7/15/2011
Purpose of Course Coding
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General Overview - Purpose of Coding
 Course data used in all accountability reporting for
the State Chancellor’s Office.
 The course coding and data are public information,
mandated and used as the vital statistics to report on
our work, the students’ outcomes, and the
effectiveness of our institutions.
7/15/2011
Uses of Course Coding
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 Reports based purely on MIS* coding without
referencing the Course Outline of Record:
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Allocation or Funding to the colleges
Census data
FTES counts for apportionment
FTEF counts for staffing reports
Equity reporting
Reporting to the federal database IPEDS
Report to the California database CPEC
Report to the state legislature ARCC – Accountability report
for California Community Colleges
* MIS = Management Information Systems
7/15/2011
Taxonomy of Programs
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 Taxonomy of Program (TOP) codes categorize
programs and courses at the California community
colleges.
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0401.00 = General Biology
1701.00 = Mathematics
1501.00 = English
 This program classification is then translated into
federal program coding and data elements for
national reporting.
7/15/2011
Basics of Proper Coding – TOP
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 TOP codes and titles serve a variety of purposes at
the state level. For example, they are used in:
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Curriculum Inventory
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to collect and report information about approved programs and
courses
Management Information Systems (MIS) database
to collect and report information on student awards;
 to collect and report information on enrollment and Full Time
Equivalent Students (FTES); and,
 In accountability reports on program completions and course
success in particular types of occupational programs.
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7/15/2011
Basics of Proper Coding – TOP
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 There are also some state purposes for which only
the first two digits of the Taxonomy, the most
general level of classification, are used. For example:
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In reports on staffing, the teaching assignment of each
classroom faculty member is characterized by the two-digit
TOP discipline of most of the courses he or she teaches.
In budget reports, spending on instructional programs is
broken down by two-digit TOP discipline.
In facilities planning, assignable square feet for laboratories
varies according to the TOP discipline.
7/15/2011
T.O.P. Manual – most recent version
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7/15/2011
T.O.P. Manual – most recent version
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7/15/2011
TOP code changes in 2009
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Deleted T.O.P. codes
New T.O.P. Code or Existing Codes
4930.21 – Writing
4930.70 – Reading Skills Development
4930.71 – Reading Skills, College Level
1501.00 – English (writing)
1520.00 – Reading
4930.40 – Career Technical Computational Skills
4930.41 – Pre-Algebra (Basic Math/Arithmetic)
4930.42 – Elementary Algebra
1701.00 – Mathematics, General
1702.00 – Mathematics Skills
4930.20 – Communication Skills
1506.00 – Speech Communication
or 4930.33 – Learning Skills, Speech Impaired
or Other appropriate T.O.P. codes
4930.80 – ESL–Intermediate
4930.81 – ESL–Advanced
4930.82 – ESL–Elementary
4930.83 – ESL–Degree-applicable
4930.84 – ESL Writing
4930.85 – ESL Reading
4930.86 – ESL Speaking/Listening
4930.87 – ESL Integrated
4930.91 – ESL Civics
4930.87 – ESL Integrated
or 4930.90 – Citizenship
4/7/2015
(CB) Course Basic Data Elements
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 Every course is described or defined by course basic data
elements (CB)
 Some examples:
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Course title (CB 02)
TOP code (CB 03)
Credit status (CB 04)
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degree-applicable credit
nondegree-applicable credit
noncredit
Transfer status (CB 05)
Basic skills status (CB 08)
Repeatability (CB 12)
Course Prior to Transfer Level (CB21)
Noncredit Category (CB22)
Course-Program status (CB24)
7/15/2011
(SP) Student Program Award Data Elements
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 Programs (certificates and degrees) are identified by
data in the Curriculum Inventory.
 When colleges report student enrollment and
completion of programs in MIS, the student data
interacts with the Curriculum Inventory by
referencing the program control number (SP04).
 For the first time, we can now relate the courses in
the program in the Curriculum Inventory.
7/15/2011
Where does this coding go?
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 Local colleges report CB codes and send to Chancellor’s
Office electronically.
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Curriculum Inventory
COMIS
 COMIS database interfaces with all other reporting.
 This data is public information given when requested to
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Researchers
Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO)
California Department of Finance (DOF)
US Department of Education
7/15/2011
How do we use coding?
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Mandated Reporting for
Funding
 Accountability Reporting (ARCC,
ARCC supplemental, etc)
 Career Technical Education
(CTE)
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Perkins Core Indicator Reports
Perkins Allocations
 Justification & Funding
 Matriculation
 EOPS
 DSPS
 BOGW Administrative Funding
Other Reporting
 Federal
 Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System
(IPEDS) Reporting
 CCC Data Mart
 Annual Staffing Report
How do we use coding?
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Data Matches
• Transfer to UC/CSU/NSC
match
• Dept. of Social Services
• EDD/UI Match/Wage
Study
Research Questions
• Legislative Analyst Office (LAO)
• Department of Finance (DOF)
• California Postsecondary
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Education Commission (CPEC)
California Student Aid
Commission
Public Policy Institute
UC/CSU
Legislature
Community College
Organizations
Newspapers
Labor Unions
How is the coding data used?
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The data, based upon the coding, can be used to:
 Justify funding increases or decreases
 Provide a rationale for policies
 Provide accountability for expenditures such as
Perkins and Basic Skills Initiative
 Program review
 Educational improvement
 Identify an approved program eligible for financial
aid and veterans benefits
7/15/2011
2011/12 Changes to Course Data Elements (CB)
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DED#
Data Element Name
Change
CB02
COURSE-TITLE
Note added to type out long titles because the
length of course title is not limited in the
Curriculum Inventory. When submitting to
MIS, the title will be truncated to 68
characters.
CB06
CB07
COURSE-UNITS-OF-CREDIT-MAXIMUM
COURSE-UNITS-OF-CREDIT-MINIMUM
Notes are added to remind that credit courses
may not have zero units (Legal Advisory 0802).
CB09
COURSE-SAM-PRIORITYCODE
Meanings are revised to refer to current career
fields and to clarify that value “B” should be
the highest level course in the occupational
area.
CB11
COURSE-CLASSIFICATIONCODE
Coding values for credit courses are deleted.
All credit courses will now be coded “Y”. Title 5
reference is updated for value “J”.
7/15/2011
2011/12 Changes to Course Data Elements (CB)
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DED#
Data Element Name
Change
CB12
COURSE-REPEATABILITY
This data element was deleted in 2000, but
has been reinstated to gather data on courses
designated as repeatable, pursuant to title 5
section 55041.
Deleted
CB14-20 CAN codes
CB21
COURSE-PRIOR-TO-COLLEGE-LEVEL
CB22
COURSE-NONCREDIT-CATEGORY
CB25
COURSE-CID-DISCIPLINE-ID-CODE
T.O.P. codes added to instructions for
noncredit courses. Elementary and Secondary
Education courses (493060 and 493062) may
now be coded with levels. Only noncredit
basic skills (CB08=B) courses in these T.O.P.
codes may have the value “Y” when they are
not in a sequence.
Meanings were revised for clarity.
New data element to assign a C-ID designation
to a course that has been accepted by the C-ID
project.
7/15/2011
Coding Errors
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 Wrong TOP code (CB03)
 Wrong transfer coding, especially for repeatable
activity courses
 Wrong basic skills coding
 Incorrect degree applicability
 CB21 all the same level
4/7/2015
What do we need to do to correct the problems?
 Use the rubrics to show levels and progress
comparable across institutions
 Code level prior to transfer (CB21) for credit and
noncredit courses
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Courses don’t need to perfectly match all descriptors but
should mainly match a level
You can have more than one course on a level
The transfer level targets are transfer level math and
Freshman Composition for English, reading and ESL
4/7/2015
What do we need to do to correct the problems?
 Correctly code courses with discipline faculty during
the curriculum review process
 Stimulate discussions about basic skills and degreeapplicable courses appropriate to your college vision,
mission and culture
4/7/2015
Resources
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 Data Element Dictionary
http://cccco.edu » Chancellor's Office
» Divisions
» Tech. Research & Info.
» MIS
» Data Element Dictionary (right links)
 T.O.P. Manual –
http://cccco.edu » Chancellor's Office
» Divisions
» Academic Affairs
» Taxonomy of Programs (TOP), 6th Edition (left links)
7/15/2011
Resources
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 CB 21 coding resources are moving! –
http://cccco.edu » Chancellor's Office
» Divisions
» Academic Affairs
» CB21 Course Prior to Transfer Rubrics
 New email account! curriculum@cccco.edu
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Messages will be distributed to the most appropriate person
available to respond.
7/15/2011