Nuances of Completion: Improving Student Outcomes by Unpacking the Numbers

This publication examines the hidden complexity of completion outcome data and offers an approach to teasing out the complex factors that affect student completion in order to boost student success. Measuring completion outcomes is an important part of understanding how well community colleges are serving their students; however, the way in which these numbers are typically understood and used does little to help colleges meaningfully increase the success of its students. This guide explores a more nuanced understanding of what completion means for the wide range of students who are each seeking their own versions of “success” and offers colleges an opportunity to use this broader interpretation of completion to take specific action around boosting student success.