The Vision Project A Public Agenda for Higher Education in the Commonwealth

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The Vision ProjectA Public Agenda for Higher
Education in the Commonwealth

• Report to the Board of Higher Education March
  16, 2010

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The Vision Project

• Goals

• The Vision Project seeks to
• Articulate the most important contributions of
  public higher education to the Commonwealth
• Engage all public campuses in achieving these
  contributions
• Hold public higher education accountable for a
  high level of achievement in this work
• Generate greater appreciation of and support for
  public higher education
• In sum, the goal of the Vision Project is to
  demonstrate that public higher education can act
  in a unified and focused way to ensure the future
  well-being of the Commonwealth and that we are
  ready to hold ourselves accountable for results
  to the people of the state.

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The Vision Project

• Background Why the Vision Project?

• State Context
• Weak public perceptions of importance/contribution
  s of public higher education
• History of modest financial support for our
  public campuses
• National Context
• Concern that US is losing ground in
  competitiveness
• Calls for more accountability Opportunities for
  support
• Responsibility of BHE to set overall directions
  for public higher education

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The Vision Project

• Background History of Vision Project

• Secretarys Retreat August 2009
• BHE Retreat September 2009
• Initial BHE Meeting Discussion October 2009
• Purpose of Todays Presentation

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The Vision Project

• Structure of Presentation

• Progress Since OctoberRichard Freeland,
  Commissioner
• The MetricsJonathan Keller, Associate
  Commissioner for Research, Planning, and
  Information Systems
• Strategic DirectionsAundrea Kelley, Deputy
  Commissioner for P-16 Policy and Collaborative
  InitiativesFrancesca Purcell, Associate
  Commissioner for Academic and P-16 PolicyDavid
  McCauley, Deputy Commissioner for Workforce
  Development Patricia Crosson, Senior Policy
  Advisor
• Institutional Perspectives
• John Sbrega, on behalf of Community
  CollegesRichard Gurnon, on behalf of State
  CollegesMarcellette Williams, on behalf of
  University of Massachusetts
• Wrap-up and Next StepsRichard Freeland,
  Commissioner

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The Vision Project

• Activities Since October 2009

• Work with college presidents to shape/refine
  project
• Forging a partnership with UMass
• Outreach to other stakeholders
• Campus leaders Faculty union leaders,
  institutional research professionals
• Government leaders Executive branch,
  Legislature, U.S. DOE
• Civic leaders Massachusetts Business Alliance
  for Education, Boston Chamber, MassINC
• Private higher education AICUM
• Organizing DHE to support project
• Fundraising activities

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Current Status of Vision Project
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The Vision Project

• The Vision

• We will produce the best-educated citizenry and
  workforce in the nation.
• We will be a national leader in research that
  drives economic development.

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The Vision Project

• Key Outcomes

• National Leadership in Education
• College-going rates of high school graduates
• Graduation and student success rates
• Alignment of degree production with key areas of
  workforce need
• Academic achievements on campus-level and
  national assessments of learning
• Comparable learning outcomes among different
  ethnic/racial, economic and gender groups
• National Leadership in Research
• Level of research expenditures
• Level of licensing income

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The Vision Project

• Other Elements of Vision Project

• Metrics
• Annual report to the Commonwealth

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Outcome Metrics

• Jonathan Keller

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The Vision Project Outcome 1 Metrics

• College-Going Rates of HS Graduates

• Percent of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in
  college by race, with multi-state comparisons
• Source National Center for Higher Education
  Management Systems
• Ratio of MA residents attending college out of
  state to non-residents attending college in MA
  (net migration), with multi-state comparisons
• Source Integrated Postsecondary Data System
• College enrollment of MA public high school
  graduates by race, gender, income level, in
  state/out-of-state and public/private college
• Source MA Department of Elementary and Secondary
  Education
• College-level assessment scores of recent high
  school graduates enrolling in public higher
  education
• Source DHE

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The Vision Project Outcome 2 Metrics

• Graduation and Student Success Rates

• State Colleges/University
• Six-year state college/university graduation
  rates from initial institution by race and
  gender, with multi-state comparisons
• Source Integrated Postsecondary Data System
• Six-year state college/university graduation
  rates from any institution in the system, state
  or anywhere in the United States
• Source DHE
• Community Colleges
• Current national standard measure of 150 time
  completion rates for degrees/certificates for
  community colleges by race and gender, with
  multi-state comparisons
• Source Integrated Postsecondary Data System
• More inclusive student success rates using
  Maryland Model and Achieving the Dream, both
  of which include transfer and still-enrolled
  data, with some multi-state comparisons
• Source DHE and Jobs for the Future

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The Vision Project Outcome 3 Metrics

• Production of Graduates in Key Areas of Workforce
  Need

• Number/share of degrees produced in business,
  education, health, STEM and other key
  occupational areas with national comparisons
• Source IPEDS, Donahue Institute
• Number/share of degrees conferred in key
  occupational areas compared to forecasted growth
  in Massachusetts
• Source IPEDS/ Commonwealth Corporation
• Student persistence and degree completion in
  business, education, health and STEM fields, by
  race and gender
• Source DHE
• Number and percent of graduates employed, and/or
  continuing their educations in Massachusetts
• Source A system-wide measure is not currently
  available, but the DHE is endeavoring to
  collaborate with the Department of Revenue to
  merge relevant data in fulfillment of this
  important indicator.

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The Vision Project Outcome 4 Metrics

• Academic Achievements on Assessments of Learning

• Pass rates on a broad range of professional
  licensure tests, i.e., MTEL, CPA, NCLEX and
  other allied health licensures, with multi-state
  comparisons
• Source Appropriate licensure and testing
  agencies
• Pass rates on a broad range of graduate school
  entrance examinations, i.e., GRE, MAT, MCAT and
  LSAT, with multi-state comparisons
• Source Appropriate licensure and testing
  agencies
• A working group on student learning outcomes and
  assessments is examining potential assessments of
  student learning that allow for comparability
  with peers in other states. Where possible,
  assessment results will be presented by race,
  gender and major.

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Strategic Directions

• Aundrea Kelley, Francesca Purcell, David
  McCauley, Patricia Crosson

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• College-Going Rates of HS Graduates

• Goal College Participation
• Increase the proportion of recent high school
  graduates enrolling in college with comparable
  rates among different groups
• Current Status
• Determination of metrics
• Future Activity
• Review data with study group
• Prioritize issues that emerge from data analysis
• Recommend strategies to address priorities
• Share best practices

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• College-Going Rates of HS Graduates

• Goal College Readiness
• Increase the proportion of students who begin
  college coursework without the need for
  remediation and with comparable rates among
  different groups
• Current Status
• Cross-agency workgroup priority recommendations
• Future Activity
• Revive school-to-college data reporting
• Refine and communicate college readiness
  definition and agenda
• Advance school to college curricular alignment
• Incentivize rigorous course taking in high school
• Expand early college opportunities

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Graduation and Student Success Rates

• Goal
• More students graduating more efficiently while
  also closing attainment gaps for traditionally
  underserved populations, without compromising
  academic standards.
• Current Status
• Campus efforts
• Statewide policy and practices
• Future Activity
• Support effective campus and statewide work
• Reform existing or identify new state-level
  policies and practices
• Review annual graduation and student success
  goals
• Leverage participation in national initiatives
  for direction and support

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Production of Graduates in Key Areas of Workforce
  Need

• Goal
• Increase production of graduates in high-demand
  fields such as STEM and allied health
• Current Status
• Expand higher education/employer statewide
  partnerships in STEM and health that incorporate
  best practices and national trends
• Promote higher education and workforce/economic
  development regional collaborations
• Engage with state agencies and workforce/employer
  stakeholders to align policies, resources and
  data
• Develop shared risk approaches for workforce
  partnerships

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Production of Graduates in Key Areas of Workforce
  Need

• Future Activity
• Form a state-level permanent structure of higher
  education/employer/ government stakeholders to
  clarify core, stable workforce needs
• Identify number and fields of degrees needed to
  meet historical and projected shortages
• Implement tested, scaled-up strategies to
  increase the participation of minority and
  under-represented groups in high-growth
  professions

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Academic Achievements on Assessments of Learning

• Goal Work with campuses to
• Support strong campus-based, faculty-led programs
  of learning outcomes assessment that result in
  program improvement
• Review, modify, or reaffirm DHE policies and
  practices that ensure the continued excellence
  of campus programs and effective accreditation
  relationships with NEASC
• Examine approaches that result in comparable
  learning achievements among students of
  different race/ethnicity, gender, and
  socio-economic status
• Identify and implement metrics that allow
  colleges and the DHE to compare student learning,
  by segment, with peer institutions and other
  states
• Identify and implement metrics that allow for
  public accountability

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Academic Achievements on Assessments of Learning

• Current Status
• Two metrics identified
• Pass rates on a broad range of professional
  licensure tests
• Pass rates on a broad range of graduate school
  entrance examinations
• The challenges of evidence-based learning
  assessment in higher education
• Lack of agreement about best measures
• No one size fits all solutions
• Tension between assessment for improvement and
  assessment for accountability
• Early stage of national effort to build
  comparability across campuses, states and nations
• Different approaches to public accountability

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Academic Achievements on Assessments of Learning

• Current Status
• Working Group on Student Learning Outcomes and
  Assessment
• Phase 1 Focus on campus-based programs
• Review literature and national best practice on
  learning outcomes, assessment measures,
  organizational arrangements
• Survey and review of campus programs
• Review of CAGUE Report and Presidents Comments
  on CAGUE
• Report to Commissioner by end of May 2010
• Phase 2 Focus on state-level policy and
  practices
• Review literature and best practice for state
  system activity
• Review assessment approaches and metrics that
  allow for comparability and public accountability
• Report to Commissioner by end of December 2010

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The Vision Project Strategic Directions

• Academic Achievements on Assessments of Learning

• Future Activity
• Will be planned as result of reports from Working
  Group on Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment
  but will probably include
• Ongoing mechanisms for DHE/campus/NEASC
  collaborations
• Ongoing implementation activities including
  efforts to find financial support for best
  practice initiatives

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Institutional Perspectives

• John Sbrega, Richard Gurnon, Marcellette Williams

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Wrap-Up and Next Steps