The Office of Education Accountability (OEA) was established July 1, 2000, with a mandate to:

     Improve student achievement
     Improve school completion

To achieve these goals, OEA's major purpose is the establishment of performance-based accountability standards for all of Georgia's education system, from prekindergarten through postsecondary grades (P-16). OEA also has responsibility for development of reports centering on education workforce issues.

As part of this mission, OEA is proud to present its first annual report on the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE). DTAE provides a unified system of technical education, customized business and industry training and adult education. To learn more about technical education in Georgia, visit DTAE's website: http://www.dtae.org/.

2001-2002 Report Card:

OEA's first annual report card on DTAE focuses on three indicators:

• Retention rates of first-time, full-time award-seeking students,
• Graduation rates,
• Pass rates on licensure/certification exams.

Data are reported as provided to OEA by DTAE. The data reflect the 2000-2001 academic year. The above indicators are reported for the DTAE system and each of the 33 technical institutions. When data are available, OEA reports these indicators for all students as well as by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. The race/ethnicity categories included for DTAE are Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, White, and Multiracial. Results for male and female students are also presented. Socioeconomic status is based on whether the student has applied for and been deemed eligible for a Pell Grant. If a student is deemed eligible for a Pell Grant, then that student is counted as an economically disadvantaged student.

Retention Rates

Retention for an institution of higher education is an indicator of the school's success in keeping students enrolled from their first year to their second year. Retention rates reflect the percentage of fall quarter first-time, full-time students that continue enrollment the following fall quarter. This report presents both institution-specific retention rates and system retention rates. Institution-specific retention rates show the percentage of fall quarter first-time students that remain enrolled at the same school the next fall quarter. System retention rates show the percentage of fall quarter first-time students that are not in the same institution the next fall but are enrolled in some other DTAE institution. Retention rates for the system as a whole and for each of the 33 DTAE institutions are presented in OEA's web report. Results based on disaggregation by race/ethnicity and gender are also reported.

Graduation Rates

DTAE institutions offer a variety of degrees, diplomas, and certificates. OEA's web report on DTAE presents information on (1) graduation rates for associate degree and diploma programs and (2) rates for students who earn a professional certificate. The data provided by DTAE show graduation rates assessed at 1.5 times the nominal program duration (i.e., "time-and-a-half" graduation rates). The nominal length of an associate degree program or diploma typically ranges from one to two years. This report presents both institution-specific graduation rates and systemwide graduation rates. Institution-specific graduation rates show the percentage of students who entered as a freshman into an institution and graduated from that same institution. Systemwide graduation rates reflect those students who entered as a freshman into an institution and graduated from another institution within the DTAE system. The graduation rates provided by DTAE show the percent of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students that earn an associate's degree or diploma within 3 years. The nominal duration for students earning a professional certificate typically ranges from 6 months to 1 year. The "time-and-a-half" rates provided by DTAE show the percentage of students completing a certificate program within 1.5 years. The graduation rates are also shown disaggregated by race/ethnicity and by gender.

Licensure/Certification Exams' Pass Rates

The final indicator for DTAE reflects how well students from the technical colleges do on licensure or certification exams. The 33 technical colleges offer different combinations of degrees and programs. Therefore, the list of licensure exams for which OEA reports a passing rate varies for each institution. As with all other data, OEA reports for the DTAE system as a whole as well as by each college.