PAR Framework

  • The Predictive Analytics Reporting (PAR) Framework is a national research collaborative built to advance student success and inform educational policy through the use of predictive analytics, outcomes benchmarks, intervention measurement and evaluation. Since 2011, PAR has been developing and validating a nationally-viable approach to gathering, visualizing and analyzing student level-data from heterogeneous institutional profiles – as well as a behavior matrix for categorizing interventions.
  • PAR members include two-year, four-year, public, proprietary, traditional and progressive institutions. PAR members contribute their anonymized student data and expertise to identify common factors contributing to student loss and find effective practices that measurably improve student momentum and progression in U.S. higher education. As part of the larger Hobsons organization, PAR has the validated approach, reach, tools, experts and technologies to address the challenges inherent in quantifying activity and efficacy of student success efforts.
  • To learn more about PAR membership or how your organization can use PAR data and tools, please reach out to us! http://www.parframework.org/contact/
  • The PAR Framework data definitions are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
http://parframework.org

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Beth Davis


Functional Areas for Shared Content

Functional Areas are groupings this organization uses for its shared content. These typically represent different areas within the organization.

Functional Area Description Sharing
Institution Institution elements describe the participating institutions in various ways that aid in cross-institutional analyses, enabling groups of like institutions and comparisons across multiple dimensions. 6 Definitions
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Student General Student General data elements describe the student as of the PAR Student Start Date and remain static throughout the student’s life time in the PAR data set. Although it is understood that some of these elements may change over a student’s academic care 27 Definitions
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Student Course Student Course data elements are student-level information that describes the courses in which the student is enrolled and the student’s course outcomes (grades). 16 Definitions
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Student Academic Career The Student Academic Career data elements capture information that can and often does change during the course of a student life cycle in the institution, such as changes in program of study, financial aid information, earned credentials and updates to tr 17 Definitions
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Course Catalog The Course Catalog elements provide further detail about all courses taken by PAR Qualifying students and will enable cross institutional analyses on the ways subject matter and course content might impact student progress. 8 Definitions
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Overarching The overarching elements represent the fundamental concepts upon which all other PAR data models and definitions are built. PAR institutions do not submit data for these definitions, but utilize them to frame the data that they provide. 9 Definitions
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Student Success Matrix The Student Success Matrix (SSMX) provides a powerful means of inventorying, organizing and conceptualizing supports aimed at improving student outcomes. 18 Definitions
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Student Success Matrix-Overarching Definitions The overarching definitions represent the fundamental concepts that provide a context for the general organizational structure upon which all other Student Success Matrix definitions are built. 5 Definitions
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Student Success Matrix-Predictor Categories Predictor categories represent each row of the matrix. The predictor categories are based on existing literature, current PAR Framework data, and local predictors supplied by PAR member contributing institutions. 8 Definitions
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Student Success Matrix-Academic Cycle Academic cycle pertains to each column of the matrix and represents the time period during which the support is directed or takes place. Academic cycle can apply to student’s entire experience at an institution or within a program, or a single course. 5 Definitions
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Student Success Matrix-Support Focus The intended focus or audience for student supports. 3 Definitions
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Shared Definitions

View this organizations' terminology and definitions, both business (functional) definitions. Technical definitions may be available in some communities.

Name Functional Definition Affiliation

Academic Cycle


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The stages of course or program completion along the horizontal/top dimension of the Student Success Matrix which indicates at what part of the academic cycle – connection, entry, progress, completion – the support occurs or is directed. The academic cycle can apply to a single course, a student...
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Academic Integration


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A predictor category in the Student Success Matrix. Degree to which a student feels integrated into the academic culture of the institution – often largely from classroom participation but also from participation in or opportunities for participation in academic activities that relate to a...
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Active Military/Reservist


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Students identified as having a Military Status of Active Duty, National Guard or Reservist, if known.

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AutoCredential


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Indicates if earned credential was awarded automatically by the institution.

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CIP


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Student's declared program of study per standardized Classification of Instructional Program Code/CIP (created by the U.S. Dept. of Education's National Center for Education Statistics), for up to 5 concurrent CIPs during a given reporting time period.

PAR assigns a code for Undeclared.
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Campus Location


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Institution-provided ID for the location at which the course is taught, including a designation for online or distance learning. Institutions with more than one location provide their designated location IDs and associated descriptions.
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Completion


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One of the Academic Cycle phases in the Student Success Matrix.

At the Program Level, Completion is the fulfillment of the last program requirements and the completion of a course of study with a credential of market value.

At the Course Level, Completion is the end of a class with a passing grade....
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Connection


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One of the Academic Cycle phases in the Student Success Matrix.

At the Program Level, Connection is the time period from application to enrollment at the institution.

At the Course Level, Connection is the time period from advising to enrollment in a course.

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Course


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All courses, including those with 0 credit value that a PAR Qualifying Student takes at the institution during the PAR Data Collection Period irrespective of mode of delivery and for which the student remains enrolled past the penalty-free drop period. Penalty free means the drop is not included...
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Course Credit


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Number of credits that the course carries at the point of course registration.

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Course Description


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Describes the course in greater detail than Course Title. May include prerequisites, topics covered, and objectives.

Example - Course description from an African American Studies Course:

An interdisciplinary study of significant aspects of African American history and culture, emphasizing the...
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Course Enrollment (Census)


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Number of students in the unique course section taken at census (for institutions that are able to provide it). Includes students who are auditing the class.

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Course Enrollment (End of Course)


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Number of students in the unique course section as of the course end date (for those that are able to provide it); excluding extensions. Includes students who are auditing the class.

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Course Enrollment (Other)


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Number of students in the unique course section as of a point in time other than census and end of term; excluding extensions. Includes students who are auditing the class.

Used by institutions that count enrollment at times other than census or end of course; institutions provide information...
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Course Enrollment Period or Term


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Time periods with a concrete start and end date, during which courses are offered, and during which a student can start and complete one or more courses.

Usually called a term, semester or quarter in traditional institutional models, progressive/alternative programs often have variety in their...
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Course Number


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Course number associated with the subject abbreviation of the class. Also appears in the Course Catalog elements list. May be numeric or alphanumeric; varies by institution.

Example:

• For ENGL 101, 101 is the Course Number.
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Course Title


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Short description of a course, usually 5 to 6 words in length, that conveys general course content.

Examples:

• Introduction to Psychology

• First Year Composition

• Principles of Accounting

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Course/Program Characteristics


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A predictor category in the Student Success Matrix. Course design, course level and subject domain. Also includes course sequencing, relevant materials and assignments, organization of course materials.
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Credential


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Any undergraduate credential including certificates, associates degrees and bachelors degrees.

Includes credentials that may be "nontraditional" but that have clear completion criteria.

Exclusions: Post Baccalaureate Certificates, Graduate Degrees

Note: Detailed institutional credential types are...
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Credential Earned


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Credential earned by student, for up to 5 credentials earned during the reporting time period. May be different or in addition to credentials sought.

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Shared Specifications

View this organizations' specifications for reports and other reporting components.

This organization has not shared any specifications.

Shared Files

View this organizations' files they have made available for sharing.

File name Description Size
PAR_Framework_Data_Model_All_2016.pdf The expanded data definitions in this document can be used as building blocks in various strategic combinations to craft meaningful outcome measures and actionable predictors of student risk. Common data definitions are essential to ensure that comparisons and aggregations are valid, reliable and repeatable. 1.5 MB
PAR_Framework_Definitions_SSMX_2016.pdf The Student Success Matrix (SSMx) provides a common structure to categorize and quantify the effects of student supports in order to truly understand, measure, and scale the highest impact tools for improving student outcomes. 1.4 MB