The study published Wednesday in the journal Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis may disappoint more than a dozen states that reward colleges for performance and the others currently considering such a program.
Lead researcher Nicholas W. Hillman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison cautioned against over-interpretation of his study that compares Washington state college outcomes to similar states without performance funding systems for community colleges.
“This study can’t tell you exactly what is working and why; it can only point to broad trends,” said Hillman, an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy analysis, who focuses his research on how policies affect education access and success. “There may be innovative practices on some campuses that hold a lot of promise.”
The Student Achievement Initiative was started in Washington in 2007 to help improve student success. In the past, colleges were funded based on student enrollment numbers.
Officials at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges point out that the period studied was mostly during the recession and degree production has gone up since 2012, which was the last year of data used in the study.
Between 2013 and 2014, the system reported growth in workforce-related degrees such as in applied bachelors, which went from 192 to 244 degrees, and in applied associate’s degrees, which increased from 10,298 to 10,403. Other degrees and certificates went down during that period.
