Measurement for Mobility, a recent report by American Student Assistance® (ASA) and the Education Strategy Group (ESG), describes which metrics states are tracking for K-12 and higher education and how they are being used in public reporting, accountability, and incentives systems to measure and influence student success.
In this third and final blog on the report, we’ll share recommendations for state leaders to consider as they design the next generation of measurement and accountability systems.
K-12 Recommendations
The report found that all states publicly report College and Career Success Metrics and nearly all states do the same for Postsecondary Outcomes, the two best predictors of long-term postsecondary student success. The vast majority of states also include College and Career Success Metrics in their accountability systems, but only eight states incorporate Postsecondary Outcomes. And only a few states use metrics-based funding incentives to focus district and school attention and behavior.
To better monitor outcomes and improve success for all students, the report recommends state leaders:
- Make Long-Term Success Metrics a Priority
While states are doing a great job of including College and Career Readiness Metrics in their public reporting and accountability systems, they should also incorporate Postsecondary Outcomes (including enrollment and persistence, job placement rates, and wages) into K-12 accountability. Public reporting of Postsecondary Outcomes is a good first step, but since there are no formal consequences, it does little to move the needle on student success.
For states that use funding incentive models or are considering them in the future, include both College and Career Readiness Metrics and Postsecondary Outcomes in their funding formulas. These measures are the most predictive of a student’s long-term postsecondary success.
When calculating college and career readiness indicators for accountability, states should use rigorous measures that reflect high expectations, like requiring college credit or industry certifications for advanced coursework in high school rather than just rewarding participation.
And when incorporating College and Career Readiness Metrics and Postsecondary Outcomes in accountability and funding incentive models, states should give greater weight (20% or more) to long-term predictors of success.
- Drive Fairness, Equity, and Action
To ensure that systems consider the characteristics of their entire student body, state systems should determine ratings based partly on improvement and set targets that account for incoming student characteristics.
They should also incorporate features that promote equity into metric-based systems. For example, disaggregating data across student characteristics (demographic and geographic) with additional weight given to priority groups to focus attention where it is most needed.
In addition, states should make funding incentives a significant share of overall funding (20% or more) and include long-term outcomes in the funding formulas.
- Improve Systems Over Time
To track and use the most appropriate metrics, states need to acknowledge and address data limitations. Data challenges should not preclude the inclusion of important metrics in state measurement and incentive systems, and states need to invest in systems that enable them to collect more accurate data over time, especially around Postsecondary Outcomes.
In addition, state leaders need to enable and expect measurement systems to evolve. Improving long-term student outcomes takes time, so states may consider scheduling periodic, ongoing meetings to review and refine systems.
Higher Education Recommendations
When it comes to public colleges and universities, the report found that almost all institutions publicly report College Success Outcomes and two-thirds report Workforce Outcomes. In addition, almost half of states use funding incentives based on a variety of metrics to influence institutional focus and behavior.
Report recommendations for higher education that follow the same broad categories as K-12, but with unique suggestions applicable to the postsecondary landscape. State leaders should:
- Make Long-Term Success Metrics a Priority
In response to increasing interest in the ROI of a college degree, states should focus more effort and resources on measuring and reporting the value of postsecondary education, including its impact on economic mobility.
In addition, states ought to incorporate both College Success Outcomes and Workforce Outcomes into their public reports. And for states with funding initiatives, they should weight College Success Outcomes associated with high-wage, high-growth, and/or high-demand industries more heavily to encourage institutions and students to focus on these areas.
- Drive Fairness, Equity, and Action
If states align and appropriately differentiate accountability and performance metrics across different types of public higher education institutions, they can better track and influence long term student success. For example, both two-and four- year institutions should track degree attainment and Workforce Outcomes, but the former would benefit from monitoring successful transfer rates to four-year institutions while the latter would gain more from tracking metrics based on research produced.
States should determine ratings based partly on improvement and set targets that account for incoming student characteristics. This would help avoid situations where an institution might inadvertently deprioritize admissions for underserved populations because they are rewarded for high completion metrics.
Incorporate features that promote equity into all metric-based systems, including disaggregating data and giving additional weight to priority groups in funding incentives.
Link funding incentives to overall funding levels and make funding incentives a significant share (20%+) of overall funding. And where possible, use “new” money for new incentive systems.
- Improve Systems Over Time
State leaders need to acknowledge and address data limitations over time. Key metrics need to be included in measurement and incentive systems, and states should make accurate data collection, especially around Workforce Outcomes, a priority.
Enable and expect measurement systems to evolve. Developing sound data and reporting systems takes time so states should plan for incremental, continuous improvement.
What gets measured gets valued
If we truly value economic prosperity and mobility, then our reporting, accountability, and incentive systems for education must evolve to reflect that. Based on the report’s findings, state leaders should make long-term success metrics including College and Career Readiness Metrics, Postsecondary Outcomes, College Success Outcomes, and Workforce Outcomes a priority; use data to drive fairness, equity, and action; and improve systems over time as they begin designing next generation K-12 and higher education measurement systems. This transformation will take time and resources, but it is an economic and social investment that is both worthwhile and attainable.
Download the full Measurement for Mobility report.
