Data Tools

The use of data in institutional decision-making is fundamental to Achieving the Dream. Participating colleges use data on student outcomes to drive strategies, monitor progress, and evaluate outcomes. Similarly, Achieving the Dream states are seeking opportunities to collect and analyze data in ways that can drive colleges to improve student success while maintaining access.

Achieving the Dream colleges examine a wide range of quantitative and qualitative data to assess their performance and diagnose problem areas, including achievement gaps among student groups. A hallmark of data analysis in Achieving the Dream is the use of longitudinal data to track the experience of student cohorts over several years. The initiative is creating a national longitudinal database that will be used for evaluation and analysis across all participating colleges.  

Achieving the Dream database
Achieving the Dream's national longitudinal database tracks cohorts of first-time students (full-time and part-time) who seek degrees or certificates. Each year, participating colleges provide student record data (with unique, non-Social-Security Number identifiers) on new cohorts of entering students as well as data on prior year cohorts.

How to use datasets and databeacon tools
This area of the Achieving the Dream website is designed to help community colleges better use data. Colleges participating in Achieving the Dream will be able to view their own college data in a password protected area of eSTATS.

Data submission information for Achieving the Dream Colleges
Instructions for Data Submission for Dreamkeeper Colleges and all other Achieving the Dream Colleges.