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The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (OSA) was established July 1, 2000 by the state law known as the A Plus Education Act.  The mission of OSA is to provide accountability for all of Georgia’s education system from prekindergarten through post-secondary levels that will result in:

      Improving student achievement and
      Improving school completion.

As part of this mission, OSA is proud to present its third 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.

2003-2004 Report Card:

OSA's third annual report card on DTAE focuses on two indicators:

• Retention rates of first-time, full-time award-seeking students,
• Graduation rates.

Data are reported as provided to OSA by DTAE. The data reflect the 2002-2003 academic year. The above indicators are reported for the DTAE system and for each technical college. When data are available, OSA 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 technical college are presented in OSA'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. OSA'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.