In 1998, the General Assembly directed the State Board to review past performance measures and define standards to ensure programs and services offered by community colleges in North Carolina were of sufficient quality. In 2010, a review process was established to ensure the measures and methods for evaluating colleges were current and remained focused on improving student success. Every three years, a committee that is inclusive of college leaders; subject matter experts; and research and assessment professionals is appointed to review the measures and recommend deletions, revisions, and additions.

Currently, the following seven measures are used: