Tying funding to school performance

The accountability movement that has focused on K-12 public education is moving into higher education, with greater calls for performance-based funding.

In Rhode Island, a year after its introduction, performance-based incentive funding was recently signed into law by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo.

The tracking of performance data begins this fiscal year. Affected institutions are state-supported institutions, specifically Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and University of Rhode Island.

More than 30 states do something similar, according to sponsors.

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The goal is to increase graduates in high-demand, high-wage fields, and to increase completion of degrees. Too many students in Rhode Island are taking too many years to complete their degrees, or not completing them at all, according to education leaders.

The bill sponsor, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, said the intention is not punitive, as the funding will be an extra supplement, designed to begin in fiscal 2018. Although the incentive amounts have yet to be determined, she expects the General Assembly will support the initiative.

“Degree completion is really the primary goal,” she said.

Although the goals for each school will be formed in consultation with the state’s council on postsecondary education, they will not be set by the college presidents. Faculty and students will get a chance to provide their opinions, but likewise, will not have a veto over performance measures.

If the colleges reach their goals, they get a reward. If they don’t, they get the same dollar amount, but it’s targeted to efforts at improving the specific area.

The focus areas have been set.

For CCRI, it’s the number and percentage of first-time students who receive an associate degree within two and three years, and the number of industry-recognized certificates earned by students within a specified time.

The certificates will be weighted to increase graduates in high-demand, high-wage fields. The community college also will be evaluated as to how many part-time students reach “incremental milestones” toward a degree or certificate.

For RIC and URI, the measures will include the number and percentage of first-time, full-time students who earn a bachelor’s degree within four years and six years, as well as the number of degrees awarded that are tied to high-demand, high-wage employment.

Raimondo, in a statement, said the law presents the state with an opportunity to align its investments in higher education with practices that improve student experiences and improve outcomes.

“By 2020, more than 70 percent of the jobs in Rhode Island will require a post-secondary degree, yet less than 45 percent of Rhode Islanders meet that benchmark today,” she said. •

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