TOPS AND CB CODING:PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED BY:ASCCC CCCCO - INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES CCCCO - MIS

The Exciting World of Curriculum Coding

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California Community CollegesStudent Success Rates in Basic Skills and ESL

Fiscal Year 2001-02 to Fiscal Year 2006-07

Academic Year

ESL Success Rate

English Success

Rate

Math Success

Rate

Total Basic Skills

Success Rate

01-02 68.7% 59.5% 53.7% 61.2%

02-03 69.8% 60.7% 56.2% 62.7%

03-04 69.8% 60.5% 55.1% 62.2%

04-05 69.7% 59.4% 53.7% 61.3%

05-06 69.9% 58.8% 52.5% 60.6%

06-07 70.6% 59.3% 52.2% 60.5%

ARCC Reporting3

2009 Statewide Data

Data on Our Student’s Preparation4

Purpose of Course Coding

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General Overview - Purpose of Coding

Curriculum represents the vehicle of our work and the means by which all student work is accounted for at the State Chancellor’s Office.

The course coding and data are not locked away. They are public information, mandated and used

as the vital statistics to report on our work, the students’ outcomes, and the effectiveness of our institutions.

Uses of Course Coding

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The following represent a few reports created purely on the MIS * coding without ever referencing the Course Outline of Record:

Allocation or Funding to the collegesCensus dataFTES counts for apportionmentFTEF counts for staffing reportsEquity reporting (?)Reporting to the federal database IPEDSReport to the California database CPEC

Report to the state legislature ARCC – Accountability report for California Community Colleges

* MIS = Management Information Systems

Types of Coding – TOPs Taxonomy of Program

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Every course is classified within a Taxonomy of Program (TOPs) code.

For instance, TOPs coding identifies the program of study such as 0401 = general biology, 1701 = mathematics, 1502 = English. The program is not the one defined by your institution, but rather the program taxonomy at the Chancellor’s Office. This program classification is then translated into federal program coding and data elements for national reporting.

Types of Coding – (CB) Course Basic Data Elements

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Every course is described or defined by 22 course basic codes (CB coding) that assigns data elements to allow reporting and analysis according to specific curriculum functions.

Some examples:Course title (CB 02) TOPs code (CB03)Credit status (CB 04)Transfer status (CB 05)Basic skills status/ Degree applicable (CB 08)Repeatability (CB 12), etcCourse Prior to Transfer (CB21)Noncredit Category (CB22)

Enrollments(SX)

StudentDemographics

(SB)Sections

CoursesFin.Aid

Assess.

PBS

VTEA

Matric.

Pgm.Awds.

Emp.Demo.

Sessions

Calendar Assignments

EOPSDSPS

Emp.Assign.

Cal-WORKs

CCC MIS Database

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Why do we code courses?

What are the data uses?

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Research Questions

• Legislative Analyst Office (LAO)

• Department of Finance (DOF) • California Postsecondary

Education Commission (CPEC)

• California Student Aid Commission

• Public Policy Institute• UC/CSU• Legislature – Committees and

individual members• Community College

Organizations• Newspapers• Labor Unions

Data Matches

• Transfer to UC/CSU/NSC match

• Dept. of Social Services • EDD/UI Match/Wage Study

Accountability Reporting

Justification & Funding • Matriculation• EOPS• DSPS

Career Technical Education (CTE)

Perkins Core Indicator ReportsPerkins Allocations

BOGW Administrative Funding

Federal Integrated Postsecondary

Education Data System (IPEDS) Reporting

CCC Data Mart

Annual Staffing Report

How is the data used?

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The data, based upon the coding, can be used to

Justify funding increases or decreasesProvide a rationale for policiesProvide accountability for expenditures such

as Perkins and Basic Skills Initiative DollarsProgram reviewEducational improvement

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What happens when data errors occur?

Data Errors in Reporting

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The first data errors were CB 21 coding. meant to show student progression from the

lowest level C to level B to A to college level.only 3 levels, math, English and reading really

had 4 levels and ESL had 6 prior to transfer level. No colleges had a common beginning; college

level was different for every college – even colleges within a district.

There was no mechanism to see what other colleges did in defining levels, no levels were comparable.

CB 21 Coding problems

Some college coding had no progress – all courses were coded at the same level

Some courses were in the wrong order of progression

Some courses were incorrectly identified as transfer

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Coding Problems

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The next slides are real examples from various colleges.

Can you identify any errors?

Sample Coding – All are Credit Courses

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ElementaryGeometry DegApplicable Not Basic Skills AIntermediateAlgebra DegApplicable Not Basic Skills AElementaryAlgebra DegApplicable Not Basic Skills BPre Algebra ‐ NOT DegApplicable Basic Skills C

ElementaryAlgebra DegApplicable Not Basic Skills AArithmetic NOT DegApplicable Basic Skills B

ElementaryAlgebra DegApplicable Not Basic Skills AElementaryAlgebra 1st Half ‐ DegApplicable Not Basic Skills AElementaryAlgebra 2nd Half ‐ DegApplicable Not Basic Skills AIntermediate Algebra DegApplicable Not Basic Skills A

Sample Data – All are Credit Courses18

IntermediateAlgebra DegApplicable Not Basic Skills A

Basic Mathematics NOT DegApplicable Basic Skills C

Beginning Algebra NOT DegApplicable Basic Skills Y

Other Coding problems

CB 21 was incorrect HOWEVERSome courses were incorrectly identified as

transfer (CB 05)Some courses were incorrectly identified as

degree applicable – contrary to Title 5 (CB 08)

Some courses were NOT identified as Basic Skills when they were basic skills

Some courses were placed in the wrong TOP codes

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Sample Data – All are Credit Courses20

Course Id Title

Basic Skills Status

Transfer Status Level

ESLV33 Intermed Reading Comprehension B C BESLV01 Low-Beginning ESL B C CESLV40 Vocab&Communication: Nonnative B C CESLV34A Low-Begin Read Comprehension B C CESLV15 Inter ESL Listening & Speaking B C CESLV06 High-Advanced ESL B C CESLV05 Low-Advanced ESL B C CESLV03 Low-Intermediate ESL B C CESLV14 Begin ESL Listening & Speaking B C CESLV12 English Proficiency: Citizen B C CESLV02 High-Beginning ESL B C CESLV34B High-Begin Read Comprehension B C CESLV07 Reading Skills LEP B C CESLV04 High-Intermediate ESL B C CESLV08 Writing Skills LEP B C CESLV16 Adv ESL Listening & Speaking B C C

Sample Data21

TitleCredit Status

Basic Skills Status

Transfer Status Level

ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA D N C YELEMENTARY ALGEBRA II D N C YELEMENTARY ALGEBRA I D N C YINTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA D N C YMATH: OPERATIONS WITH WHOLE NUMBERS C B C YMATH: OPERATIONS WITH DECIMALS C B C YMATH: OPERATIONS WITH RATIONAL NUMBERS C B C YOPERATIONS WITH FRACTIONS, DECIMALS AND % C B C YPRE-ALGEBRA C B C YBASIC MATHEMATICS SKILLS C B C Y

What do we need to do to correct the problems?

A reference = rubric to show levels and progress comparable across institutions

Correctly coded coursesA means of including noncredit such as

ABE and ASE in progress accountability

We need to identify linkages between credit and noncredit to get progress towards credit and transfer from noncredit

Establishing a Rubric

Is not standardizationDoes not drive curricular changesIs not common course numbering or

articulationIs not MIS wagging the dog

IS a mapping exercise designed to maximize our ability to show student progress AND your good work

What is “Course Prior to Transfer Level”?

The course “level”, in terms of number of levels prior to transferrable level – a bright line

Primarily for basic skills/remedial courses, not transferrable courses

Used for English, writing, ESL, reading, or mathematics in a sequence – NOT for non-sequential courses such as study skills or ESL Civics

Can be used for credit, noncredit; degree applicable and non-degree applicable

NOT used for transferable courses – they are college level

Changes

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TOP codes will changeThe 4930 TOP codes for basic skills will not exist,

math will be math 1700 and English will be English, reading is a new TOP code as are ESL This stops the same course from having two

different TOP codes This means the CB code will describe the course

as basic skills or not The TOP code changes will mean that MIS will

kick out any unchanged TOP codes allowing for an internal correction

Rubrics: ESL

Currently not defined at all in CB 21Work thus far suggests-Credit

WritingReadingSpeaking and Listening

NoncreditIntegrated

Things to Consider

If you code every basic skills class at 4+ levels below, you will have few improvements

It pays to have a full “ladder” using as many levels as possible to show differentiation

Noncredit = perfect solution for 30 unit limit on basic skills in Title 5…be cognizant of where the noncredit ladder “ties in” with creditProgression into credit levels also shows

progress

Things to Consider

Levels must mean the same thing across collegesStudent movement does not preclude

you from getting credit for success elsewhere…

…provided your neighbor is coding properly and uniformly as well

Things to Consider

If your “ladder” has more than 4 steps: Keep as many as you can, but some may have

to be compacted You may have 7 levels of ESL, your neighbor

has 3 If we allowed everyone to code their own

number of levels, colleges would be advantaged/disadvantaged based solely on their curricular segmentation—not good

Research indicates too many steps are a barrier to progress

There are TIPPING POINTS

Guidelines for the work

The rubrics describe coding for basic skills levels. They DO NOT prescribe or standardize curriculum.

• The level descriptions ARE NOT comprehensive. The rubrics DO NOT dictate anything

 The rubrics ARE NOT the final authority. They are a referential guide

• Each local college may code the basic skills courses appropriate to their curriculum and program descriptions.

• This is a local decision and local process

 

Making Changes

The results of your work will provide new clarity to this data element

System Office/ASCCC will promote workshops on the new meanings and how to use the rubric

Subsequent MIS submissions will be superiorSuccess Rates should reflect accurately and

uniformly

How will this recoding happen?

Who-discipline faculty, curriculum committee, classified tech, researcher, CIO – a group project

What - sequential basic skills courses in math, ESL, English and reading

When – Oct and Nov 2009 – Nov 30 deadline

Will correct everything into the past! Updating all historical data.

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Resources

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Data Element Dictionary http://www.cccco.edu/SystemOffice/Divisions/TechResearchInfo/MIS/DED/tabid/266/Default.aspx\

TOPs code manual - http://www.cccco.edu/ChancellorsOffice/Divisions/AcademicAffairs/CreditProgramandCourseApproval/ReferenceMaterials/tabid/412/Default.aspx

CB 21 coding - http://www.cccbsi.org/bsi-rubric-information