Gateway course completion rates in the first academic year
The percentage of students completing transfer-level English, transfer-level math, and their program of study’s gateway course (e.g., introduction to psychology, anatomy and physiology, business analytics, etc.) within their first 30 credit hours. These data should be displayed separately for English, math, and specific program gateway courses. Data also should be aggregated at the program and college-wide level to reveal trends as well as differences between courses and programs.
Research shows that students who pass gateway courses in their first 30 credits are more likely to complete credentials. 17 Without structures designed to lead to high rates of gateway course completion in the first year, students often delay taking transfer-level math, English, and gateway program courses until the second year of associate degree programs. As a result, students may delay a sense of connection to their programs, take courses that do not apply to their degrees, and have lower graduation rates.
While college leaders will find value in collecting data on all students, consistently disaggregating data whenever possible can reveal outcome disparities. This information is essential for colleges developing strong reform plans to improve and close disparities in student success.
- Race/ethnicity
- Gender
- Family/Personal Income
- Age
- Parent/Dependent status
- Attendance intensity
- First-generation status
- Veteran status
Students may identify with one or many of the above identities. College leaders should consider how these different identities intersect and pay close attention to these relationships and how they may influence each student’s experience.