Support the Student Achievement Measure (SAM) in Federal Reporting

APLU institutions are invited and encouraged to add their institution’s name to a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan in support of including an institution’s Student Achievement Measure (SAM) as a supplemental link within the forthcoming consumer tools the Department is developing in lieu a postsecondary institution rating system

To view and sign onto the letter please click here. The deadline for signing onto the letter has been extended to August 10.

For consumer reporting tools to be effective and meaningful, they must include the most accurate data available. SAM is able to track the progress and completion of transfer students, part-time students, full-time students, and the outcomes of students who enroll in multiple institutions by using data from the National Student Clearinghouse. The current federal graduation rate is based on tracking full-time college students who start and finish at their first institution. This has led to a grossly incomplete reporting on institutional performance as over half of bachelor’s degree recipients attended more than one institution on their way to their degree.

The Department previously indicated it is interested in using SAM and this letter will serve as strong reinforcement. Having a broad coalition of presidents and chancellors sign the letter will demonstrate deep-rooted support for including SAM within the new transparency tools.

If your institution is not one of the nearly 570 colleges and universities participating in SAM, it takes only a few minutes to join using this online form and to add your institution’s name to the letter of support. Please contact Christine Keller at ckeller@aplu.org with any questions.