Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

CPE Data Guidelines - Technical Guide Operational Definitions

This portion of the Technical Guide only includes definitions for metrics that are validated in KPEDS.

Outcome on Annual Degree Eligibility Review

Definition: This objective is designed to align statewide diversity planning and evaluation with the broader strategic agenda. Institutions track and report on a number of performance metrics through the diversity planning process to maintain eligibility to offer new degree programs. Performance on Objective 1 would be indicated by the positive or negative outcome on an institution’s degree eligibility review.

The Diversity Policy, adopted by the CPE in September 2016, calls for campuses to meet annual performance goals in the following areas:

Level: Institution

Data Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Database System (KPEDS), Integrated Postsecondary Education Database System (IPEDS)

Operationalization: Performance goals for the metrics above will be established as part of the Strategic Agenda target setting process. Metrics will be reviewed and validated through the Strategic

Agenda reporting process. Underrepresented minority (URM) includes Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races.

Three-year Graduation Rate of First-time, Full-time Associate Degree or Credential-seeking Under- graduate Students (KCTCS only)

Definition: First-time, full-time, associate or credential-seeking students entering in the fall semester (or entering in the summer and continuing in the fall), who graduate with an associate degree or credential within three years from their institution of entry, total and disaggregated by low-income and URM status.

Levels: KCTCS

Data Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Database System (KPEDS)

Operationalization: Students included in the IPEDS GRS cohort are identified in data submitted to CPE at their time of entry. At the end of three years, members of the cohort are matched against degree or credential completions to determine which students graduated within three years. At the end of the period, students meeting federal standards for exclusion from the entering cohort are removed from the cohort in consultation with institutional staff. Underrepresented minority includes Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races. Low-income is defined as Pell recipient during year of entry.

Performance Funding Metric: No

Six-year Graduation Rate of First-time, Full-time Baccalaureate Degree-seeking Undergraduate Students

Definition: First-time, full-time bachelor’s degree-seeking students entering in the fall semester (or entering in the summer and continuing in the fall), who graduate with a bachelor’s degree within six years from their institution of entry, total and disaggregated by low-income and URM status.

Levels: State and Institution

Data Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Database System (KPEDS)

Operationalization: Students included in the IPEDS GRS cohort are identified in data submitted to CPE at their time of entry. At the end of six years, members of the cohort are matched against degree

completions to determine which students graduated within six years. At the end of the period, students meeting federal standards for exclusion from the entering cohort are removed from the cohort in consultation with institutional staff. Underrepresented minority includes Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races. Low-income is defined as Pell recipient during year of entry.

Performance Funding Metric: No

Time-to-Degree

First-to Second-year Retention

Definition: This metric captures the percentage of first-time, degreeor credential-seeking students enrolled in the previous summer or fall who are still enrolled the following fall or, in the case of KCTCS students, have successfully completed a credential. The total percentage can be disaggregated by lowincome and URM status.

Level: State and Institution

Data Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Database System (KPEDS)

Operationalization: Retention rate is the measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions, this rate is the percentage of first-time, full-time bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous summer/fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. For KCTCS institutions, this rate is the percentage of first-time degreeor credential-seeking students from the previous summer/fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed a credential by the current fall. At the end of the period, students meeting federal standards for exclusion from the entering cohort are removed from the cohort in consultation with institutional staff. Underrepresented minority includes Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races. Low-income is defined as Pell recipient during year of entry.

Performance Funding Metric: No

Student Progression (Funding Model Metric Only)

Definition: For four-year Institutions, student progression is the number of fulland part-time undergraduate students reaching or surpassing 30, 60, or 90 cumulative earned credit hours in a given academic year as defined by student classification. For KCTCS, student progression is the number of fulland part-time undergraduate students reaching or surpassing 15, 30, or 45 cumulative earned credit hours in a given academic year.

Levels: State and Institution

Data Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Database System (KPEDS)

Operationalization: For four-year institutions, distinct count consists of undergraduate degree seeking students (classification: 01, 02, 03, 04), whose classification increases throughout the year (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall) or who receives a baccalaureate degree by the trailing summer. Students count once at the highest progression threshold. For KCTCS, distinct count consists of undergraduate degree and credential-seeking students reaching the credit hour thresholds of 15, 30, and 45 credit hours earned as defined as receiving a standard letter grade of A,B,C,D,P in a credit bearing course. Students count once at the highest progression threshold.

Degrees and Credentials Awarded

Definition: For Four-Year Institutions, degrees and credentials awarded is the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded during an academic year (July 1 through June30), disaggregated by lowincome, URM, and the number of graduate and professional degrees combined. For KCTCS institutions, degrees and credentials awarded is the total number of credentials awarded during an academic year (July 1 through June 30), disaggregated by low-income, URM, underprepared, targeted industry, and high wage high demand.

Levels: State and Institution

Data Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS)

Operationalization: Counts are generated from student-level degree records. Multiple awards received by the same student during the period are all included, such as students receiving more than one shortterm certificate, or students graduating with two bachelor’s degrees (as with some double majors).

Graduate and profession degrees include Master’s, Specialist, Doctoral-Research/Scholarship, Doctoral-Professional Practice, and Doctoral-Other. Undergraduate and graduate certificates are not included in this metric for four-year institutions. Underrepresented minority includes Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races.

Low-income is defined as Pell recipient at any time from 2005-06 and forward at the graduating institution for four-year institutions and at any KCTCS institution for KCTCS campuses.

Performance Funding Metric: Yes

Unmet Financial Need

Undergraduate Enrollment

Last Updated: 7/3/2023