Accountability in Higher Education: Where California Is (or Isn’t)

1. Accountability in Higher Education:Where California Is (or Isn’t) • Nancy Shulock, Director • Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy • nshulock@csus.edu • www.csus.edu/ihe • Community College League of California • Annual Legislative Conference • Sacramento, CA., January 30, 2005 California State University, Sacramento

2. Outline of Presentation • Accountability: the national context • California context and SB 1331 • Current Problem: need for a statewide agenda and accountability structure California State University, Sacramento

3. The National Context: • Many pressures for higher ed accountability • Huge growth and diversification • State budget constraints • Tuition and fee increases • Concerns about performance gaps • Building on K-12 • Few, if any, successful models (despite years of efforts) • Policymakers lack information to guide policy and budgets, assess investments California State University, Sacramento

4. Accountability in Practice • Confusion over purpose and audience • Too much focus on institutional comparisons • Problems of comparability • For embarrassment, punishment • No focus on state needs and policy • Data dumps (not useful information) • Micro-management (e.g., student learning) • Formulas instead of discretion • No workable mechanisms to influence budgets California State University, Sacramento

5. A Typical Situation • “A performance measurement system was designed and partially implemented in 2001. While work on improving the system continued over the next two years, significant problems with the comparability of the data across the campuses prevented the publication of performance results and agreement was never reached between the campuses and the Board on a list of performance indicators.” California State University, Sacramento

6. Effective Institutions Do Not Always Add Up to Meeting the State’s Needs • Good graduation rates at all institutions • But too few people getting educated • Community colleges preparing transfers and transfers doing well at universities • But no room for all transfer-ready students • High pass rates on teacher certification • But serious state teacher shortages California State University, Sacramento

7. Two Worrisome National Trends • High-stakes focus on graduation rates - can lead to: • Creaming in admissions • Pressure for completion over quality • Performance contracts • Abdication of state leadership • License for market-driven policies which reduce educational opportunity California State University, Sacramento

8. The California Context for Higher Education Accountability California State University, Sacramento

9. Senate Study and Subsequent Steps • Senate commissioned a study “…over-arching accountability system…that measures progress made in addressing clear and definable state policy goals.” • “An Accountability Framework for California Higher Education” November, 2002 • www.csus.edu/ihe/ • Subsequent steps • Senator Alpert formed advisory group • Final report submitted November, 2003 • Legislation passed but vetoed: SB 1331 California State University, Sacramento

10. Study Conclusions • California lacks “accountability” structures • No statewide focus • UC/CSU partnerships: intended for budget stability • No legislative buy-in • Little usable data • Not designed to have consequences • CCC PFE: intended to increase funding • Predictable fights over goals, funding levels • CPEC Performance Indicator report lacks context • No involvement of independents • Learn from mistakes of other states California State University, Sacramento

11. Proposed Principles • Purpose of state-level accountability • To help policymakers design, maintain, and fund an education system that meets state goals and guides segments toward maintaining effective institutions consistent with state goals • Collective accountability • “Tiered” accountability • Honor existing governance roles • Limit data to what’s useful to policy/budget California State University, Sacramento

12. Tiered Accountability State Policy Goals State Reporting System Statewide Indicators Regional Indicators Segment Indicators Annual Report Annual Report Annual Report Annual Report CCC Reporting System CSU Reporting System UC Reporting System Independents Reporting System California State University, Sacramento

13. Annual State-level Report • Organized by state goals and key questions • A few policy-relevant indicators per question • 30 indicators in total • State/regional/system aggregate data • Breakdowns: race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic and Cal Grant status where possible • National comparisons • Develop new indicators where necessary California State University, Sacramento

14. Each Segment is Responsible for: • Aligning internal priorities with state goals • Ensuring institutional effectiveness • Submitting annual report: • Main priorities for each state goal area • Main activities to address priorities • Performance indicators used to track progress (not actual data) • Highlights relevant to state policy • Description of learning goals, assessment process and progress California State University, Sacramento

15. Accountability Defined • “The public presentation and communication of evidence about performance in relation to goals” • Source: Business Higher Education Forum California State University, Sacramento

16. The California Problem: No Time for Complacency California State University, Sacramento

17. “Facing Reality: California Needs a Statewide Agenda to Improve Higher Education Outcomes” • http://www.csus.edu/ihe/Pages/Publications.html • Conclusions: • California is under-performing in key areas • CA lacks sense of urgency found elsewhere • Diagnosis and data analysis is not occurring • No emerging leadership California State University, Sacramento

18. Biggest Performance Problems • High school preparation • Math proficiency: 39th • Reading proficiency: 45th • Science proficiency: tied for last • College participation • College going rate from HS: 44th • 9th chance of college by age 19: 43rd California State University, Sacramento

19. Biggest Performance Problems – cont. • Completion rates • Degrees awarded per 1,000 enrolled in four-year institutions: 47th • Certificates and degrees awarded per 1,000 enrolled in two-year institutions: 47th • Gaps across populations • African American and Latino representation among college completers compared to among 18-year olds: 50th California State University, Sacramento

20. Current Status • SB 1331 vetoed • No apparent role by Governor/Secretary • Policy agenda dominated by K-12 • CPEC moving ahead without support • Huge battles over sharing student-level data • Governor continuing separate partnerships • New district-level mandate for CCC • Where is the state agenda??? California State University, Sacramento