Student Achievement

In accordance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Standard 8.1, “The institution identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission…,” Spelman College has identified student achievement metrics, provided appropriate data, established thresholds of acceptability, and explained how each criteria relates to its mission. The student achievement measures identified by the College are:

1. Second-Year Retention
2. Six-Year Graduation
3. State Licensing Examinations
4. Post-Baccalaureate Placement

The Spelman College mission statement indicates that the College is “…dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership development of its students.” Each measure is in alignment with the College’s mission statement. The College strives to attain the highest student achievement outcomes possible, which often exceed those of the national average, Liberal Arts Colleges, and Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).

The College’s target is to exceed the national average for Second-Year Retention by a minimum of five (5) percentage points. In support of the College’s responsibility to its students and their first-year experience at Spelman College, the threshold for Second-Year Retention has been established at 85%. This ensures that the College remains committed to enhancing the student experience and thereby, retaining a majority of its first-year students.

The current Second-Year Retention Rate is 89% for Spelman College. In comparison, this retention rate outpaces those in the comparison group, giving Spelman a 12-percentage point margin over the national average, 7 points over Liberal Arts Colleges, and 22 points over HBCU’s. The 2020-21 retention rate of 89% represents a slight increase in retention from the previous year and exceeds the established benchmark of 85%.

*National Average includes all 4-year Degree-granting, primarily baccalaureate or above Institutions
**Liberal Arts Colleges: Carnegie Classification, Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus
***HBCU includes all 4-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities

The 2020-21 Second-Year Retention Rate for Spelman College’s 2019 cohort has been further disaggregated by race/ethnicity and by socioeconomic level.  Pell eligibility, the most closely related variable, has been used represent socioeconomic level as shown in the chart below.

The College’s target is to exceed the national average Six-Year Graduation Rate by ten (10) percentage points. For the 2013 cohort, Spelman’s graduation rate of 75% is 17 points greater than the national average of 58%. This exceeds the target by 7 points. In addition, the Six-Year Graduation Rate for Liberal Arts Colleges is 71% -- 4 points less than Spelman’s (Table 8.1-2: Six-Year Graduation Rates). Although the College exceeded the Graduation Rates of those in the comparison group by several percentage points, it continues efforts to surpass a graduation rate threshold of 75%. Spelman’s Six-Year Graduation Rate for the 2014 Cohort holds flat at 75%. The 2014 Cohort Graduation Rates for those in the comparison group are not yet available.

*National Average includes all 4-year Degree-granting, primarily baccalaureate or above Institutions
**Liberal Arts Colleges: Carnegie Classification, Baccalaureate Colleges:  Arts & Sciences Focus
***HBCU includes all 4-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities
N/A - Comparison group data are not yet available for the 2014 Cohort in the IPEDS Data Center

The 2020-21 Six-Year Graduation Rate for Spelman College’s 2014 cohort has been further disaggregated by race/ethnicity and by socioeconomic level. Pell eligibility, the most closely related variable, has been used represent socioeconomic level as shown in the chart below.

Spelman College students pursuing teacher certification routinely take the state licensing examination, the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE). The College’s benchmark for these students is a pass rate of at least 85%, which is five (5) percentage points greater than the teacher accreditation standard. The College's Education Department maintains statistics on teacher certification pass rates, which have averaged nearly 97% since the 2012-13 academic year for students taking the GACE exam. The most recent GACE report from the 2020-21 academic year indicates a pass rate of 100% (Table 8.1-3:  GACE Passing Rates). These data indicate student performance on the GACE exam far surpasses the established benchmark.

As of July 2020, the Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) exam is no longer a certification requirement in Georgia as reported in previous years.

The College obtains information annually on job placement as well as graduate and professional school acceptance through the First Destination Survey administered prior to graduation by the Office of Career Planning and Development (CPD). In addition, CPD re-administers the survey six months following graduation to gather additional detailed information about employment; pursuit of graduate/professional education; and other academic or leadership opportunities post-graduation. Table 8.1-4 below gives a summary of Spelman College graduates’ placement rates subsequent to program completion. For comparison, Table 8.1-5 provides national placement rates as reported by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

†Grad/Prof School placement data is based upon National Student Clearinghouse Data and First Destination Survey results.

Survey results also captured participation in other post-baccalaureate opportunities (excluding full-time employment and grad/prof school), considered successful post-graduation outcomes. In 2020, 11% of Spelman graduates reported participation in other post-baccalaureate opportunities including military enlistment, Fulbright engagements, research, internships and fellowships. When combined with full-time employment and grad/prof school placements, the data show that 73% of our most recent alumnae are actively engaged in post-baccalaureate opportunities. The College has established a post-baccalaureate placement threshold of at least 75% for our graduates.

Although the post-baccalaureate placement rate for the 2020 graduates is slightly less, we continue to strive for the benchmark in various ways. The Office of Career Planning and Development (CPD) has improved its job fair offerings inviting more companies to attend on campus. CPD also works with our students to help improve their job interview skills. Graduate school recruitment events are hosted throughout the academic year to help students decide on the right graduate school. In addition, improvements to the data collection and verification process including gathering grad/prof school data from the National Student Clearinghouse and the First Destination Survey, have been implemented providing a more complete reporting of graduates’ post-baccalaureate endeavors. The CDP has also employed new methods in its efforts to increase the response rate and integrity of the First Destination Survey. From 2017 to 2020, the total placement rate of Spelman graduates increased by 13%, due in part to these improvements in data collection methods.

**NACE – National Association of Colleges and Employers
***NACE data are not yet available for 2020 Graduates