ARCHIVED INFORMATION: Questions and Answers Regarding the 2005-06 SSS Annual Performance Report (APR)
Responses provided by Ms. Frances Bergeron, U.S. Department of Education, January 29, 2007
QUESTION: Field #15 (PartCD): What is the correct participant code for students served for the first time during the summer of the academic year being reported (i.e., summer 2006)?
RESPONSE: Use the guidance provided in the APR instructions under the section “Who should be included on the annual data file?” to determine if you should include these students on your 2005-06 APR or wait to report them on your 2006-07 APR. Based on a student’s enrollment status and the amount and type of services provided the student during the summer 2006, you will determine whether or not to include this participant on the 2005-06 APR as a “new participant” (PartCD =1); a “new participant, summer only” (PartCD =5); or if this participant should be included on the next year’s (2006-07) data file as a “new participant” (PartCD =1).
Three scenarios are discussed in the APR instructions to assist grantees in making these determinations. They are:
Scenario #1: The grantee institution’s fall term begins in August/September 2006 and the new participants for the 2006-07 academic year were enrolled during the summer of 2006, but significant project services began at the beginning of the fall term 2006. These SSS participants should not be included on the 2005-06 APR; they should be reported as “new” participants on the 2006-07 APR.
In general, for the purpose of the APR, if the services provided to the participant during the summer were primarily recruitment activities and some academic counseling and orientation activities, this participant would not be included on the 2005-06 APR but instead would be reported as a “new participant” (PartCD = 1) on the 2006-07 APR.
Scenario #2: The SSS student was enrolled at the grantee institution for the first time during the summer session preceding the participant’s first academic year at the grantee institution (i.e., served during summer 2006 prior to the 2006-07 academic year) and/or participated in a formal summer academic (“bridge”) program offered by the SSS project for new SSS participants. This student should be included on the 2005-06 APR and reported as a “new participant, summer only”.
A “bridge student” accepted for enrollment at the grantee institution for the next academic term should also be reported as a “new participant, summer only.”
The APR instructions provide the following guidance regarding what constitutes a summer bridge program:
Consistent with research findings regarding the benefits of summer bridge programs for students transitioning from high school to postsecondary education, many SSS projects offer a structured summer academic and enrichment program for entering students. These programs may be funded with the SSS grant funds, with non-federal funds, or a combination of both.
Scenario #3: The SSS student was accepted for enrollment at the grantee institution and received significant pre-enrollment services (i.e., academic advising, assistance with class selection and registration, orientation workshops, financial aid advising, developmental instruction) from the project during the summer prior to enrolling at the institution. This may include transfer students. This student should be included on the 2005-06 APR and reported as a “new participant, summer session only”; the student is part of the subsequent year’s cohort (i.e., 2006-07).
However, a student enrolled at the grantee institution prior to the summer session but who received services from the SSS project for the first time during the summer of 2006 would be considered a “new participant” (PartCD =1) for the 2005-06 reporting period.
QUESTION: Field #15 (PartCD): What are the correct responses for fields #11 - #14 and #16 - #31 if the participant status is “5 = “new participant, 2006 summer session only”?
RESPONSE: A new participant--summer session only is an individual served by the SSS project for the first time during the summer session preceding the participant’s first academic year at the grantee institution (i.e., served during summer 2006 prior to the 2006-07 academic year). This student is thus part of the subsequent year’s cohort (i.e., 2006-07-option “8”, field #16). This definition does not include a student enrolled at the grantee institution prior to the summer session but who received services from the SSS project for the first time during the summer 2006. This individual would meet the definition of “new participant” (field #15, option “1”, and would be in the 2005-06 cohort (field #16, option “7”). In addition, in order for a student to participate in the SSS program, the student must either be enrolled or be accepted for enrollment in the next academic term at the grantee institution. For those participants that meet this definition for “new participant, summer session only”, the correct responses for the fields listed above are as follows:
11 (FirstEnrollDT) If the student was officially enrolled at the grantee institution during the summer session, enter the enrollment date. For a participant accepted for enrollment in the next academic term, enter “00/00/0000”.
12 (FirstServiceDT) Enter the date the student first received services from the SSS project. For example, if the student first received services on June 14, 2006, then enter 06/14/2006.13 (NeedCD) Select the code based on the academic need of the student at initial selection into the project. In order to be selected and participate in the program, the grantee is required to identify the student’s academic need regardless of the student’s participant status.
14 (LastSerDT) Enter “88/88/8888” if the student was still enrolled in the project at the end of the academic year that includes the summer session. If the student was no longer participating in the project at the end of the summer session, enter the date of the student’s last project service.
16 (StudentCohortYr) Select option #8 “2006-07”.
17 (EnrollCD) Select 0, “no response”.
18. (EnterGradeLV) Select 1 for “1st yr., never attended”. If the student is a transfer student, then select the appropriate response.
19. (CurrentGradeLV) Select 0, “no response”. If the student is a transfer student, then select the appropriate response.
20. (PersGradStatus) Select option #8, “still enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at grantee institution (no degree or certificate completed)”, if the student completed the summer session/program. Otherwise, select appropriate response.
21 (CurPerstStatus) Select the option that best describes the enrollment status of the student at the beginning of the 2006 fall semester. For example, if the student enrolled at the grantee institution in the fall of 2006, select option #1 “enrolled at grantee institution”.
22 (ReaforWith) Select option #8, “not applicable (student still enrolled, completed certificate program, graduated or transferred)”, if the student was still enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at the end of the summer session/program.
23 (Transfers) Select option #8, “not applicable, still enrolled or graduated (participant is still enrolled at the grantee institution, completed certificate/diploma, graduated with an associate’s degree but did not transfer, or graduated with a bachelor’s degree)” if the student was still enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at the end of the summer session/program. If the student transferred or was not enrolled (or accepted for enrollment), select appropriate response.
24 (GPAScale) Enter the GPA scale for the grantee institution.
25. (CumGPA) If the student did not earn any credits at the end of the summer session/program leave blank; otherwise, enter the student’s GPA.
26. (AcamStandCD) Select the correct academic standing at the end of the summer session/program. If the student did not have an academic standing because he/she was not enrolled in courses for credits during the summer session, select 0, “no response”.
27. (DegreeCD) Select option #8, “still enrolled at grantee institution but not yet completed degree/certificate”, if the student was still enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at the end of the summer session/program. If the student withdrew during the summer session and did not return to the grantee institution, select option #9, “withdrew from grantee institution prior to obtaining a degree/certificate or did not return to the grantee institution”.
28. (DOUD) Enter 88/88/8888 for no degree earned.
29 – 31 (Financial Aid) Leave these fields blank.
QUESTION: Field #17 (EnrollCD). How does a grantee code a student who registered for the fall 2005 semester and withdrew from all classes in November?
RESPONSE: The instructions state: “Do not count the credit or clock hours the student officially dropped during any of the terms in the calculation of enrollment status.” Therefore, if the student “officially” withdrew from all classes in the fall semester, no hours from the fall semester would be counted towards determining the enrollment status. In this situation you would select 0, “no response”, provided the student did not re-enroll in classes at the grantee institution anytime during the academic year
QUESTION: Field #25 (CumGPA). Is the grantee required to provide the cumulative GPA for students who have either graduated/transferred or withdrawn?
RESPONSE: Yes, for current year participants. For current year participants (new; continuing; new, summer only; and reentry, receiving services), provide the student’s GPA at the time the student graduated, transferred, or withdrew from the grantee institution.
No, for prior year participants and reentries not receiving project services, you may enter “9.999” - not applicable”.
QUESTION: Field #30 (FinAidOfferAMT). What should be reported in field #30, the amount offered or the amount awarded?
RESPONSE: The grantee should provide the amount of financial aid offered not the amount of financial aid awarded. For example, a student is offered a loan in the amount of $2,000 but decides to accept only $1,000. The amount offered is $2,000, and if the student was not offered any additional aid, then the amount reported in field #30 is $2,000.
QUESTION: Of the 32 fields on the APR which ones are considered the critical fields?
RESPONSE: The new SSS APR Web application includes data quality checks and reports designed to improved the quality and usefulness of the data collected. Once the participant data file for 2005-06 is uploaded or the participant information is entered online, several reports are generated. “Critical fields” is a term ED uses for one of these online reports. Although grantees are expected to provide complete and accurate data for all 32 fields, the “critical fields” report provides percentages of participant records with “unknown/no response” for eight data fields that ED has determined are critical for analyzing project and program outcomes. Since “unknowns” do not provide usable information for data analysis, this report prompts grantees to review fields for which 10% or more of the records have “unknowns” and either correct (or update) the data or provide an explanation as to why the data are not available. These “critical fields” are:
Field # Field Name
15. Participant Status
16. Student Cohort Year
17. Enrollment Status
20. Persistence/Graduation Status (at end of the 2005-06
academic year)
21. Persistence Status (at the beginning of the 2006-07
academic year)
23. Transfers
27. Undergraduate Degree/Certificate Completed at Grantee Institution
28. Date of Undergraduate Degree
QUESTION: What is the purpose for Section II of the APR?
RESPONSE: Section II was developed to ensure that ED and SSS grantees were in agreement on the number of students to be served and the project objectives for the new competition cycle (which for most SSS grantees began with the 2005-06 reporting year). For each SSS grantee that began their new grant/project period in 2005-06, this section is pre-populated with the approved number of participants to be served each year and the percentages for each of the prior experience objectives.
In Section II the grantee is only asked to verify the pre-populated information, not to report on project accomplishments. With these standardized objectives, ED will use the participant level APR data submitted this year (2005-06) along with APR data submitted in previous years to determine whether or not a grantee has met each of these objectives.
The 2005-06 participant-level data will be used to determine whether the grantee has met its funded number and its persistence and good academic standing objectives for the 2005-06 reporting year. Prior year’s APR data along with the 2005-06 data will be used to determine whether the grantee achieved its graduation or graduation/transfer objectives. A grantee funded for the first time in 2005-06 will not receive prior experience points for its graduation or graduation/transfer objectives in 2005-06 since three years of data (for two-year institutions) and six years of data (for four-year institutions) are needed to determine whether the grantee has met its objective.
QUESTION: What is the process for reporting project objectives (Section II) when the grantee’s objectives, as outlined in the application proposal, are not in line with the new objectives in Section II?
RESPONSE: Although the standardized objectives are, for the most part, consistent with the guidance provided applicants during the FY 2005 competition for new grants, there still may be some differences between these standardized objectives and the objectives included in the grantee’s approved application. Section II of the APR provides grantees with the opportunity to review each of the objectives and the proposed percentages that ED staff found in the approved applications. In those situations where the grantee’s objectives, as outlined in the funded application, may not be in line with the new standardized objectives, the grantee should do the following: Click the “no” button following the objective and then enter the new proposed percentage (achievement rate) in the box provided. The assigned program specialist will then review the responses to each of the items in Section II and will either approve the new percentages and/or contact the grantee for more information. The program specialist will review changes to the project objectives this spring/summer. Grantees should receive notification regarding the objectives by mid to late summer 2007.
QUESTION: During the FY 2005 competition for new grants, ED instructed applicants to develop persistence objectives based on cohorts of new participants. Why then is the standardized objective for persistence in Section II not based on these same cohorts? How should a grantee report the persistence rate if it was calculated on cohorts of new students?
RESPONSE: First, a grantee is not asked to report on its calculated persistence rate (accomplishments) in Section II. Section II is provided so that grantees can verify that the information is correct. Section II also gives a grantee the opportunity to propose revisions to the percentages if those percentages (rates) included in the application were based on differences between the grantee’s objectives and ED’s standardized objectives.
ED recognizes that the new standardized persistence objective is different from the guidance provided applicants during the FY 2005 competition. The guidance provided during the FY 2005 competition required a grantee to track the persistence of each cohort of new project participants for multiple years until graduation. ED changed the persistence objective to simplify the assessment of this objective by limiting the period of measurement to one reporting period and to one group of participants. For example, for 2005-06, this objective measures the number of participants served in 2005-06 who continued at the grantee institution into the 2006-07 academic year or who graduated and/or transferred from a 2-year to a 4-year institution during the 2005-06 academic year.
The changes in this standardized persistence objective and the addition of field #21 (persistence status at the beginning of the next academic year) provide all grantees (even those funded for the first-time in 2005-06) the opportunity to earn prior experience points for 2005-06.
QUESTION: How does a new grantee (funded for the first time in 2005-06) respond to the graduation/transfer rate (for two-year institutions) or graduation rate (for four-year institutions) objectives since these objectives reference cohorts of new participants served prior to 2005-06 (i.e., 2003-04 new participants for two-year institutions and 2000-01 new participants for four-year institutions).
RESPONSE: ED recognizes that SSS grantees funded for the first-time in 2005-06 will not have cohorts of new participants from prior funding cycles (2003-04 or 2000-01). These cohort years we included in the objectives as examples only. ED apologizes for the confusion and asks first-time grantees to ignore the cohort years cited when verifying the percentages in the objective(s). The grantee should check “yes” if the percentage is consistent with the percentage provided in the approved application and check “no” if the percentage is not correct or the grantee is proposing a revised percentage because of differences between the standardized objective and the objective in the approved application.
QUESTION: Which grantees are required to complete Section IV?
RESPONSE: All SSS projects whose 2005-06-budget year is part of a grant/project period that began prior to 2005 must complete Section IV of the APR. However, if any of these projects notified the Department they would be using their new objectives, they must complete Section II.
Unlike Section II that only ask the grantee to verify the information, Section IV provides space for the grantee to report on its accomplishments for the 2005-06 reporting period. However, there is no text box in Section IV that would permit a grantee to expand or elaborate on accomplishments. The Section IV information will be used to assess prior experience points for grantees until they begin their new grant/project period either in 2006-07 or 2007-08. At that time, a grantee will use the new standardized objectives and the participant-level APR data will be used to assess whether the grantee met its approved objectives.
QUESTION: If a grantee’s grant/project period began prior to 2005 and the grantee did not notify the Department that it would be using the new objectives, must the grantee modify/rewrite the objectives in Section IV?
RESPONSE: No.