State-Level Participation
Why States Participate
The data and outcomes that the VFA provides are more accurate and reflective of community colleges because they count more of our students – through sufficient timeframes – in all areas of the community college mission from preparation for college-level work, to career training, to transfer and credential completion.
Join the VFA for better data and outcomes to:
- Advance local and state policy agendas
- Show stakeholders accurate and comprehensive student outcomes (transfer, completion, graduation rates)
- Eliminate duplicative reporting and relieve IR burden
- Have consistent and comparable data reports to do state-mandated reporting
- Be positioned to respond to calls for accountability
- Assist colleges with development of accreditation practices and reporting
- Give informed, self-directed responses to shape performance funding reporting
- Benchmark to colleges in and out of the state
- Tell the community college story
State Participation Includes...
- Access to the VFA data submitted for each college in the state (if permitted by the college)
- Colleges’ data aggregated to state reports and delivered as:
- State Outcomes Dashboard – dynamic graphic and tabular display of outcomes data
- VFA State Outcomes Reports in PDF graphically showing the state’s student outcomes in different areas
- An Excel download of the calculated results of all VFA data submitted by the colleges aggregated to the state-level
- Benchmarking Dashboard – ability to benchmark the colleges within the state to one another or to similar institutions outside the state
- A specialized report comparing the state’s IPEDS graduation rate to VFA Outcomes
- The state’s VFA web profile and inclusion in the VFA Participation list
How To Paticipate
States should contact VFA@aacc.nche.edu now to get ready for participation.
Every state is different and participation in the VFA can be tailored to your state’s needs but here are the basic steps for activating your participation in the VFA.
Step 1: Email AACC now to establish a point of contact for the state-level entity: VFA@aacc.nche.edu.
Step 2: AACC will arrange a time to talk with the state contact to determine how to set-up participation (type and level of access) and whether a data sharing agreement is needed between the state entity and its colleges.
Step 3: Once the participation account is set-up and any required data sharing agreements are finalized, AACC will demonstrate and train the state-level entity on accessing and navigating the VFA Data Tool. If the state entity determines that it will submit data on behalf of its colleges, then demonstrations and training also will include how to report data to the VFA.
