Date of Award

Summer 2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Foundations & Leadership

Program/Concentration

Community College Leadership

Committee Director

Mitchell R. Williams

Committee Member

Shana L. Pribesh

Committee Member

David F. Ayers

Abstract

Historically, state funding of higher education institutions has been allocated through enrollment, but there has been a recent trend towards a different model, performance funding. Performance funding is a model based on the attainment of designated metrics with the intent on improving student outcomes. The metrics used for these programs have often not aligned with the mission and characteristics of different institutions, especially that of community colleges. Although, several past performance funding models failed to improve student outcomes, much has been learned regarding program improvement. Texas implemented a performance funding model in 2013 which included a focus on community colleges and metrics specifically related to their institutional mission.

Using a difference-in-differences approach, the impact Texas’ performance funding model had on associate degree completion, certificate completion, and transfer-out rates was evaluated. The study utilized IPEDS data from 2010 to 2017 and compared the pre- to post- differences in Texas to California. The results of the study found performance funding had no statistically significant impact on associate degree completion, certificate completion, or transfer-out rates, even after controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, age, enrollment, degree of urbanization, tuition and fees, and financial aid.

The study recommends further research on programs with 50% or more of appropriations based on performance. If this research confirms that performance funding does not improve student outcomes, state legislatures need to consider the evidence from the results of this study and previous research and no longer pursue performance funding models.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/z1j2-q937

ISBN

9781085690195

ORCID

0000-0002-7659-4648

Download

Share

COinS