Presented at the December 6, 2016 Board of Higher Education Meeting at Mount Wachusett Community College.

1. Performance Measurement:
Ensuring Accuracy,
Transparency, and Relevance
Board of Higher Education Meeting | December 6, 2016

2. 2
Performance Measurement
Performance Measurement Review
A Fresh Look at Assessment, Accountability
Program
Approval
Strategic
Planning

3. 3
We need to:
 Affirm the Board’s intent with regard to theVision Project
 Recognize limitations of theVision Project metrics
 Enhance accountability efforts to fulfill specific
legislative mandates
 Convene a systemwideTask Force to:
 Review existing performance measurement and
accountability efforts
 Present a new proposal for performance measurement
for Board approval
Performance Measurement Review
A NewVision for Measuring Performance

4. 4
 Review past form, content, delivery
 Performance Measurement Reports & LinearTrends
 Vision Project Annual Reports
 Campus-LevelVision Project Data Dashboards
 Consider data usage by audience
 Campuses
 Legislators
 Non-profit stakeholders
 General public
 Degrees ofTransparency: What do we see?
 Narrative Framework: How do we use
findings to tell a story?
Performance Measurement Review
How We Report on Performance

5. 5
 Access to higher education
 Affordability and student financial assistance
 Student success and academic progression
 Learning outcomes and educational quality
 Efficiency and stewardship of fiscal resources
 Employment and post-baccalaureate experiences
 Achievement & opportunity gaps
Performance Measurement Review
Metrics & Goals: What Gets Measured

6. 6
Ideally, an accountability system
does the following:
• Aligns institutional priorities with
state goals;
• Allows students, legislators, leaders of
educational institutions, business leaders,
and others interested in higher education
to view progress toward those goals;
• Provides a basis for making
policy decisions.
Performance Measurement Review
What Else is Essential to Accountability?
—David E. Leveille, Ph.D.
Center for Studies in Higher Education, University of California, Berkeley

7. 7
Past
(2003–2009*)
+
Present
(2010–)
=
Future
New
Report
Performance
Measurement
Vision
Project
• Performance
Measurement
Report
• LinearTrends
* still published on
DHE website
• Vision Project
Annual Report
• Campus-LevelVision
Project Dashboards
• Public institution-
level reporting
• Institution-specific
“similarly-situated”
peer analyses,
benchmarks & goals
• Public state, system and
segment-level reporting
• Segmental
“Best in Nation” peers,
anonymous
segmental peers
Performance Measurement
Performance Reports: 2004–Future

8. 8
 Performance Measurement Report
2003 to 2009 (temporarily put “on hold”)
 Chapter 15A, Section 7a: Specific Requirements for the
Establishment of a Public Higher Education Performance
Measurement System in Massachusetts
• Establishment of the
Performance MeasurementTaskforce
• Specific metrics of interest to the Commonwealth
• Requirement for Institution specific peer analyses,
benchmarks and goals
• Provision of institution-level accountability to the public
Performance Measurement Review
Legislative Requirement

9. 9
 We need to:
 Improve utility of institutional reports, with enhanced
analyses and access to useful information
 Eliminate old performance metrics that are no longer
accurate or relevant
 Investigate newer national metrics and standards that
may enrich, expand analyses
 Explore better approaches to benchmarking the
performance of our public institutions
 Provide open, timely access to institution, segment &
state-level analyses
Performance Measurement Review
A CallTo Action:
Existing System Needs Review

10. 10
 Board Motion
 The Board of Higher Education (BHE) hereby charges the
Department of Higher Education to initiate a Systemwide
Performance Measurement Task Force and to work closely
with the campuses to examine the relevance and accuracy of
our Performance Measurement System and theVision Project
goals and metrics. Included in the review will be:
▪ Relevant legislation
▪ Performance metrics
▪ Benchmarks
▪ Institutional and segmental goals
▪ Peer comparisons
▪ Options for public reporting and sharing analyses
Performance Measurement Review
Next Steps: Review Of Existing System

11. Discussion
Performance Measurement:
EnsuringAccuracy,Transparency, and Relevance