Definition of Terms

Headcount is the unique count of individual students. Students are classified by the headcount status using the STD7 derived data element based on the student's enrollments at the college during the term. Students are classified into the first criteria alphabetically which they met (for example, a student who met both the "Credit Student Enrolled in Weekly/Daily Census Section" criteria and the "Noncredit Student Enrolled In Positive Attendance Section With 8 Or More Hours" criteria would be classified as "Credit Student Enrolled in Weekly/Daily Census Section" (STD7 = 'A')).

Enrollment is the number of classes an individual student takes. Enrollment count is the number of enrollments with grades of A,B,C,D,F,P,NP,I*,IPP,INP,FW,W,DR. CCCCO adjusted the MIS enrollment count (SX04) to include non-credit enrollments; the enrollment count includes the number of enrollments with grades A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, I*, IPP, INP, FW, W, or DR, the enrollment credit status (SXD2) is T, D, S, C, N, or B the enrollment attendance hours (SX05) are greater than zero, and the section accounting method (XB01) is not equal to O (sections not claimed for apportionment). 

Success refers to the students' course success rate. Course success rate is the success count divided by enrollment count. Success count is number of enrollments with grade (SX04) of A,B,C,P,IA,IB,IC,IPP. The MIS enrollment count (SX04) was adjusted to include non-credit enrollments; the enrollment count includes the number of enrollments with grades A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, I*, IPP, INP, FW, W, or DR, the enrollment credit status (SXD2) is T, D, S, C, N, or B the enrollment attendance hours (SX05) are greater than zero, and the section accounting method (XB01) is not equal to O (sections not claimed for apportionment). 

In plain English, a student is counted in the success count if they got a grade of a C or higher or passed in pass/no pass courses. 

Course Success is a part of the college's Institutional Set Standards (goals) and is reported annually to ACCJC. For the purpose of ISS and ACCJC reporting, the noncredit students are excluded from the course success rate. The college establishes ISS for course success as the average of five years of data plus two standard deviations as the Aspirational Goal and the average of five years of data minus two standard deviations as the Floor Goal.

Retention refers to the retention rate of students in a course. Course retention rate is the retention count divided by enrollment count. Retention count is number of enrollments with grade (SX04) of A,B,C,D,F,P,NP,I*,IPP,INP,FW. The MIS enrollment count (SX04) was adjusted to include non-credit enrollments; the enrollment count includes the number of enrollments with grades A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, I*, IPP, INP, FW, W, or DR, the enrollment credit status (SXD2) is T, D, S, C, N, or B the enrollment attendance hours (SX05) are greater than zero, and the section accounting method (XB01) is not equal to O (sections not claimed for apportionment). 

In plain English, a student is counted in the retention count if they received any grade besides a W or Excused Withdrawal (EW). So as long as a student was enrolled for the entire course, they count as being retained. 

Persistence refers to the percentage of students who return to the same institution. Unlike retention, which is tied to a course, persistence is considering the student's overall journey at an institution.

Persistence from Fall to Spring is also referred to Term to Term persistence. Persistence from Fall to Fall is also referred to Year to Year persistence.

General methodology: The proportion who persisted at the same college in the selected year, excluding students who completed an award or transferred to a postsecondary institution.

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) defines a section as distance education (DE) when 51% or more session instruction method total hours (XF07) are distance education. Distance Education sessions within a section are where the session instruction method (XF01) is distance education delayed interaction (50), two-way interactive video and audio (51), one-way interactive video and two-way interactive audio (52), two-way interactive audio only (53), other simultaneous interactive medium not coded above (54), passive mediums (61, 62, 63, 64), and distance education internet based simultaneous interaction (71), and delayed interaction (72). At COD, distance education sessions are coded as delayed interaction (72). 

Degrees earned metric is a part of the college's Institutional Set Standards (ISS). This metric is a count of students who earned degrees. Students are counted only once per year, regardless of the number of degrees earned in a given year. Two award types are counted based on SP02: A: Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree and S: Associate of Science (A.S.) degree.

The college establishes ISS for degree completion as the average of five years of data plus two standard deviations as the Aspirational Goal and the average of five years of data minus two standard deviations as the Floor Goal.

The Associate Degrees for Transfer Awarded is a part of the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) original Vision for Success (VfS). It is the total number of degrees awarded that are ADTs. Students are counted only once per year, regardless of the number of degrees earned in a given year. The "Award" field from the Chancellor's Office Curriculum Inventory System is used to identify associate degrees for transfer. Two award types are counted based on SP02:

A: Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree.
S: Associate of Science (A.S.) degree.

Certificates earned metric is a part of the college's Institutional Set Standards (goals). This metric is a count of students who earned. Students are counted only once per year, regardless of the number of certificates earned in a given year. The following award types are counted based on SP02:
T: Certificate requiring 30 units to less than 60 units.
L: Certificate requiring 18 to less than 30 units (valid only before 2018-19).
N: Certificate requiring 16 to less than 30 units.
B: Certificate requiring 12 to fewer than 18 semester units (approved by Chancellor’s Office; valid only before 2018-2019).

The college establishes ISS for certificate completion as the average of five years of data plus two standard deviations as the Aspirational Goal and the average of five years of data minus two standard deviations as the Floor Goal.

Transfers is a part of the college's Institutional Set Standards (goals). This metric is a count of students who transferred in a given year as reported in the UC, CSU, and CCCCO's Datamart sites:

University of California Transfers (UC)
California State University Transfers (CSU)
In-State Private and Out-Of-State Transfers (ISP/OOS)

The college establishes ISS for the transfer metric as the average of five years of data plus two standard deviations as the Aspirational Goal and the average of five years of data minus two standard deviations as the Floor Goal.

The Vision Goal metric is a part of the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) original Vision for Success (VfS). It is a total number of students who earned either a degree or a certificate. Students are counted only once per year, regardless of the number of certificates earned in a given year. Award types included are based on SP02:

A: Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree.
S: Associate of Science (A.S.) degree.
T: Certificate requiring 30 units to less than 60 units.
L: Certificate requiring 18 to less than 30 units (valid only before 2018-19).
N: Certificate requiring 16 to less than 30 units.
B: Certificate requiring 12 to fewer than 18 semester units (approved by Chancellor’s Office; valid only before 2018-2019).

The average Units a student earned for an AA/AS Degree is a part of the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) original Vision for Success (VfS). It is the average number of units earned by students who earned an AA/AS and completed 60 or more units. Units are summed for the year in which the student earned an award.

One Degree: Average units earned by students who earned only one AA/AS degree at COD. 

Multiple Degrees: Average units earned by students who earned more than one AA/AS degree in a given year.

Units totals are degree applicable only: Student-Units-Earned-Local (SB16) 
Student-Units-Earned-Transfer (SB17) 

The percent of students who indicated that they are working in a field similar to what they studied is a part of the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) original Vision for Success (VfS). Former COD students who meet the following criteria are surveyed via the Career Technical Education Employment Outcomes Survey (CTEOS): 
Earned a CTE award (completer). 
Earned 9 or more CTE units in a year, but did not earn an award (Skills Builder). 
Did not enroll at the college the year following 
Responded "Very Close" or "Close" to the survey question, "How closely related to your field of study is your current job?”