2016 Fall Dental Assistant Data Summary
Data and Evidence Analysis Summary – 2016 Dental Assistant Conducted by Doreen Olson, Adjunct Faculty and Program Development Coordinator, 7-27-2016 WTCS Comparative Data: https://facultyresources.westerntc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015-31-5081-Dental-AssistantQRP-1-Year-Tech-Diploma-Evidence-Analysis-Report.pdf Course Completion Western’s C or Better for Dental Assistant program ranged from 83.8% (2014) to 73.5% (2015). When compared to the other college selected as a comparison group, Western ranks 2nd out of two. Western’s average is 78% for the reporting years 2011-2015. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College consistently outranked Western with high completion rates ranging from 97.7 (2011) to 88.2% (2014), the average being 94.2%. Western number of students dropped from 80 (2011) to 34 (2015). Northeast Wisconsin Technical College fluctuated between 35 students (2012) to 51 in 2014. A decline as noted in 2015 to 41 students at Northeast. Fall to Spring Retention Western’s average is 77.5% over the five year span (2010-2015). Spring 2010 had the highest retention of 82.5 with the lowest retention noted in 2013 at 63.2%. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has experienced 100% fall to spring retention twice during this time span. Northeast retention has notable retention average of 95.8% over the course of six years. Second Year Graduation Western’s second year graduation rate ranges between 36% (2013) to 44.7% (2014). In comparison to Northeast Wisconsin, Western ranks 2nd. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has an average second year graduation rate of 82.4%. Labor Market Analysis October 2015 https://facultyresources.westerntc.edu/program-planning-resources/health-human-services/dentalassistant/ In an analysis of the Western District and occupations associated with the field of Dental Assistant, the following points are noted: From 2016-2020, these occupations are expected to grow 2.3%. The district are anticipated to grow at a slower rate than both the state (5.1%) and the nation (6.3%). Job projection for 2020 show a high concentration in La Crosse County (140) with Monroe County showing a concentration with 50 jobs. The Crawford, Vernon and Jackson Counties jobs are 19, 18 and 15 respectfully. 1|Page This program appears to have a solid age distribution between the ages of 25-54. The distribution of ages in the field are as follows: 25-34 – 32.1%; 35-44 – 27.4%; 45-54% - 18.2%. The 19-24 year-old population may be a target for recruitment with only 11.16% of occupations filled by that age group in 2015. An analysis of the 2014 district’s Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) shows that there is one educational program tagged to deliver graduates into the field with 21 completers compared to 9 openings. The majority of jobs in 2015 were housed within dental offices (87.2%) followed by federal government of 4.2%. Median hourly wages are in Western’s district is $17.75 which is above the national average of $17.02. Student Satisfaction Trends The Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory was conducted in the fall of 2015. The instrument asks students to rate the importance AND the satisfaction with 95 items (1-7 with 7 as highest) related to the following “scales”: Instructional effectiveness Academic advising/counseling Concern for the individual Registration effectiveness Admissions and financial aid Student centeredness Campus climate Academic services Service excellence Safety and security Campus support services and responsiveness to diverse populations In the program self-study process (data and evidence analysis work), programs are asked to identify gaps between importance and satisfaction. Gaps are calculated as the difference between the importance of an item and the satisfaction level. Gaps that are close to a “1” should be discussed and explored – particularly if they are tied to items that are rated as high in importance for students. Three students completed the survey. A cursory glance at the “scale” level reveals a gap in the safety and security area (0.93). The overall satisfaction with the experience at Western for Dental Assistant was 5.87 as compared to 5.68 for all students responding to the survey. Dental Assistant students indicated that the experience thus far was better than expected (5.00), whereas all students responding to this survey scored this at an average of 4.93. A more detailed analysis was conducted at the “item” level. Items are associated with one or more “scales” and provide additional insight into specific areas. Items rated highest in importance for Dental Assistant students include (scale of 1-7 with 7 as very important): 2|Page Item #22 – people on this campus respect and are supportive of each other. 6.33 Item #29 – Faculty are fair and unbiased in their treatment of individual students. 6.33 Item #42 – The equipment in the lab facilities is kept up to date. 6.33 Item # 64 – Nearly all of the classes deal with practical experiences and application. 6.33 Item # 65 – Students are notified early in the term if they are doing poorly in a class. 6.50 Item #58 – Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their fields. 6.33 Item #66 – Program requirements are clear and reasonable. 6.33 Item #70 – I am able to experience intellectual growth here. 6.33 Item #87 – Cost as a factor to enroll. 6.33 Note that the students in this program seemed to associate a higher level of importance to many items as compared to students in other programs. This resulted in several items with larger gaps between importance and satisfaction. Items that may be topics of discussion for this program include: Item #1 – Most students feel a sense of belonging here. (1.00 gap) Item #4 – Security staff are helpful. (1.00 gap) Item #6 – My academic advisor is approachable. (1.67 gap) Item #14 – Library resources and services are adequate. (1.00 gap) Item #37 – Faculty take into consideration student differences as they teach a course. (1.33 gap) Item #39 – Amount of student parking space on campus is adequate. (3.33 gap) Item #42 – The equipment in the lab facilities is kept up to date. (2.33 gap) Item #44 - I generally know what’s happening on campus. (1.33 gap) Item #56 – The business office is open during hours which are convenient. (1.00 gap) Item #65 – Students are notified early in the term if they are doing poorly in a class (1.50 gap) Item #76 – The college helps me identify resources to finance my education (1.00 gap) Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Trends There were 7 responses to this survey. 100% of responses like the hands-on experience. Multiple comments that students would like at least 2 instructors in labs. Students either agreed or strongly agreed they learned each program outcome except for one. Graduate Follow-Up Trends Year Types of jobs obtained Companies hiring Western graduates 2012-13 Dental Assistant Dental Implant Coordinator/Dental Assistant Office Manager Patient Services Specialist Apple Tree Dental, Rochester, MN Endodontics Specialists of La Crosse, Onalaska, WI Jacobson Dental, West Salem, WI 3|Page La Crosse Community Dental, La Crosse, WI Moore Smiles, La Crosse, WI Scenic Bluffs Community Health, Cashton, WI Dr. David Ludington/Oral Surgery Clinic of La Crosse, Onalaska, WI Smile Dental Care, La Crosse, WI Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI Year Types of jobs obtained Companies hiring Western graduates 2013-14 Dental Assistant Aspen Dental, Onalaska, WI Deer Creek Dental Clinic, Tomah, WI Dingman Dental Office, La Crosse, WI Dr. Lehrke’s Dental Office, La Crosse, WI Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI Lopez Family Dental, Sparta, WI Maplewood Dental, Onalaska, WI Midwest Dental, Wisconsin Dells, WI Pediatric Dentistry, Onalaska, WI Valley Dental, Onalaska, WI Year Types of jobs obtained 2014-15 Dental Assistant Orthodontic Assistant Arcadia Dental, Arcadia, WI Kujak Orthodontist, Onalaska, WI Welter Family Dentistry, Prairie du Chien, WI HG Orthodontics, La Crosse, WI Companies hiring Western graduates Career Pathways Assessment Your program had 4 responses to the survey. Two were full-time faculty. You also had two deans or associate deans complete. Items that may be topics of discussion for this program include: o The area of course sequencing shows disagreement and may be an area that you want to discuss. o There appears to be an opportunity to discuss student options such as Credit for Prior Learning, articulation agreements with high school students or credit transfer options. o Lastly, there appears to be an opportunity to discuss faculty responsibilities in credit agreements, collaboration with high school teachers to maintain college level standards, and extending Credit for Prior Learning to incoming students. 4|Page
