Measuring Student Outcomes and College Performance in the New Millennium Thomas Bailey Community College Research Center Third International Congress on Upper-Secondary and Higher Education Mexico City November 15, 2010

Two Developments in the New Millennium “Rise” of the community college Two year, low cost, open access institutions with several missions Growing importance in national policy discussion Shift from focus on access to focus on student success New and growing criticism of US higher education Given these shifts, student performance measures are inadequate

Growing Criticism of US Higher Education—Why? International comparisons Rising skill demands Growing availability of data showing low completion rates Continued significant differences by income and race Rising costs Deteriorating fiscal situation with calls for greater efficiency

Measures of Higher Education Performance International rankings Areas of progress from the student point of view –Progression measures –Employment measures –Learning measures

Progression Graduation rates available for most institutions in the US—limited use for CCs Need to adjust for student characteristics Account for varied missions Occupational degrees and certificates Transfer Non-credit Students must be tracked across institutions Need to assure quality

Employment National data suggest strong employment benefits We know much less about outcomes for students in states and institutions Growing availability of longitudinal data— for profits controversy Problems Influenced by labor market conditions Short term measures not accurate

Student Learning Surprisingly little consistent and reliable information Three areas of progress –Measures of general skills –Standardization of large introductory and basic courses, especially new technology –Occupational licensure and certification

Beyond Performance Measures Emphasize diagnosis, analysis, and improvement, not just static measures of performance

Committee on Measures of Student Success US. Department of Education For more information ss.html

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