The Voluntary Framework of Accountability

for community colleges, by community colleges

A VFA Overview• Presentation

• How the VFA was developed• High-level review of the VFA’s measures/cohorts • VFA membership / web site• Leveraging the VFA

• Q&A

• Post slides online

• Questions? Feedback. VFA@aacc.nche.edu

The Voluntary Framework of Accountability is the

first national system of accountability specifically

for community collegesby community colleges.

Measures Overview• Student Progress and Outcomes

• Developmental Progress Education Measures

• Two-Year Progress and Outcomes Measures

• Six-Year Outcomes Measures

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

• Adult Basic Education (ABE) 

Cohorts Overview• VFA will report outcomes for two cohort years: 

• Six-Year Cohort: students who entered the institution six years ago• Two-Year Cohort: students who entered the institution two years ago

 

• Each of these cohort years are broken into three cohort types: 

• Main VFA Cohort• Credential-Seeking Cohort• First Time In College Cohort• Cohorts are disaggregated

• ABE and CTE are separate cohorts

http://vfa.aacc.nche.edu

VFA Year One Schedule

• October 2013: Y1 Sign-up Opens 

• Nov. 1 2013 to Oct. 31, 2014: Y1 VFA Membership

– Nov. 18, 2013: Data entry opens– Feb. 28, 2014: Primary sign-up period closes – Mar. 14, 2014 Deadline for data submission – Mar.15 to June 2, 2014: Data review, use, publishing– July 1, 2014: Data entry system closes

Community college leadership discuss the importance of the VFA and how it

can be leveraged by our colleges.

Additional Resources http://vfa.aacc.nche.edu

» Outreach Tools

» VFA logos, letterhead, and press release template» VFA Video» VFA Snapshot : brief overview of the initiative and list of measures» VFA FAQs» VFA: How Colleges are Using the VFA» VFA Brochure

» Data Resources» VFA Metrics Manual» VFA Bulk Upload Data File» VFA User Community

Why VFA?; Why Join?» VFA Membership

» Strength in numbers and ability to advocate for better practice, policy, and data

The more colleges that join, the greater our voice will be.

» VFA Measures» Reflective of mission: better; more appropriate; more useful» Used for responding to internal and external stakeholders» Potential to streamline reporting requirements

» VFA Data Tool» Defined methodology and process for IR professionals to follow» User-friendly, web-based data tool to collect, store, and visualize data» Auto-generating data dashboards to view and share outcomes» Ability to upload or enter data; and package or print data dashboards» Benchmarking tool / dashboard to compare your college outcomes to similar colleges» IR User Community to provide support services and build IR capacity» Build ways to report, visualize, USE data

Questions and Answers

• FAQs

• VFA@aac.nche.edu