The SAM metrics are an improved way to report on the progress and success of Community College students. SAM differs from the federal IPEDS graduation rate by a.) including all students new to your college, not just students who are new to higher ed, b.) including students who attend part-time c.) inferring degree-seeking intent by a student's course-taking pattern rather than by their declared major and d.) reporting outcomes at the end of 6 years rather than 3 years. For more information on SAM metrics methodology, visit the Student Achievement Measure website.
Note: The filters available in the IR dashboards can cause the n of cases to become exceedingly small. Extrapolations from such outcome data should be undertaken carefully.