Indicator: Gateway course completion
Definition
Completion of college-level introductory math and English courses, as defined by each postsecondary institution, during the first year of college.
RECOMMENDED METRIC(S)
Percentage of first-year college students who complete college-level introductory math and English courses within their first year
Type(s) of Data Needed
Administrative data; student transcriptsWhy it matters
Early completion of college-level math and English is positively associated with degree completion. Students who complete college-level math within their first two years of enrollment are nearly three times as likely to complete a certificate, degree, or transfer as students who did not, and those who complete college-level English are more than twice as likely to complete a certificate, degree, or transfer as those who do not. These courses are known as “gateway” courses because they are often a graduation requirement and can serve as a leading indicator of postsecondary success, yet some students do not pass these classes on their first try. Black students are 5 percentage points less likely to complete gateway courses than Latino or White students also enrolled in four-year institutions, and 10 percentage points less likely than Latino or White students also enrolled at two-year institutions.
What to know about measurement
Course taking and performance patterns of first-year students can be measured using student transcript data tracked in postsecondary institutions’ data systems, but these data typically are not publicly available and reported. Furthermore, no standard definition of a “gateway course” exists, leaving institutions to define which ones are considered gateway courses. They generally include “nonremedial entry-level or introductory courses in the subject area.” The National Student Clearinghouse’s (NSC) Postsecondary Data Partnership is contributing to standardization in this area by helping colleges track gateway course data and benchmarking their performance against other institutions.
E-W Case Studies
Source frameworks
This indicator appeared in nine source frameworks reviewed for this report. Our proposed measure aligns with work by the Institute for Higher Education Policy.
References
The framework's recommendations are based on syntheses of existing research. Please see the framework report for a list of works cited.