Report on Policy Audit

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Report on Policy Audit
Aims McGuinness NCHEMS December 2, 2009
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Approach to Policy Audit

• Data Analysis
• Analysis of Policy Documents and Reports
• IHL
• SBCJC
• MDE

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Approach to Policy Audit (Continued)

• Interviews
• IHL
• Commissioner
• Presidents
• CAOs and CFOs
• CJCs
• Executive Director
• Presidents
• SBCJC staff
• Governors Education Policy Advisor
• Deputy Superintendent, MDE

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Observations and Findings

• Long-Term Goals for Education Attainment
• Alignment of K-12 and Expectations for
  College-Level Learning
• Teacher Preparation
• Admissions and Developmental Education
• Transfer and Articulation
• Data for Longitudinal Analysis
• Finance Policy

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Observations and Findings (Continued)

• Finance Policy
• Institutional Finance
• Student Finance Aid Policy
• Policy Leadership

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Overarching Recommendations
Establish Overall Goal Increase Education
Attainment and Skill Levels of the States
Working Age Population Benchmarked to the
National Average by 2025
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(No Transcript)
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US Average by 2025

• Mississippi would need to produce an additional
  147,144 additional degrees by 2025 or an average
  of an additional 962 degrees per year.
• Projected 25-64 Year Olds in 2025
  1,500,207
• 46.5 with College Degrees (Associate and
  Higher) 697,596
• 25-47 Year Olds with College Degrees
  261,282 (Who will Still be in the Cohort in
  2025)
• Maintaining Recent (2005-2007) Annual Net
  Migration (62,305)
• of College Degree Holders
• Degrees Produced at Current Annual Rate by
  2025 351,475
• (20,675 per Year)
• Gap Additional Degrees (Associate and
• Bachelor's) Needed by 2025
  147,144

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Overarching Recommendations (Continued)

• Establish Education Achievement Council
• Charge
• Sustain Attention to Agenda
• Set Accountability Standards
• Monitor and Report on Progress
• Membership Build on Current Membership of the
  Graduation Rate Task Force
• Link Accountability and Finance Policy to
  Achieving Long-Term Goals

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Other Recommendations

• Implement Expectations for College Ready
• Clarify Institutional Missions
• Make Developmental Education a Statewide Priority
• Implement Transfer and Articulation Policy
• Establish Longitudinal Data System
• Incentives for Regional Collaboration

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Other Recommendations (Continued)

• Finance Policy
• Student Financial Aid
• Institutional Finance
• System Leadership
• IHL Board
• SB CJC

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Noel-Levitz Recommendations

• Establish retention and graduation goals
• Collect additional data on retention and
  graduation trends
• Use this data to establish persistence and
  completion goals for each institution and sector
• Institution goals reviewed by the Education
  Achievement Council
• Develop institutional plans to support these
  goals
• Identify state-wide strategies to increase
  completion rates
• Specific strategies support/duplicate Policy
  Audit findings

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Student Services Survey Findings

• Varied from institution to institution
• Gaps were identified in both student and mental
  health services
• Findings should be considered as retention and
  completion strategies are developed
• Further investigation and data compilation is
  needed
• Appropriate Best Practices should be identified
  and implemented
• Impact of these services on retention and
  completion needs to be determined

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Student Services Survey Findings (Continued)

• Select Student Services Findings
• First Year Experience programs implemented (24)
• New students receive academic skills training
  during the first semester (50)
• Orientation for non-traditional students (24)
• Formal early intervention program for academic
  at-risk students (75)
• Job placement and employment counseling (88)

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Student Services Survey Findings (Continued)

• Select Mental Health Services Findings
• Mental health counseling available on campus
  (64)
• Psychological services available on campus (21)
• Medication consultation (43)
• Informed of services through advising (75)
• Mental health services integrated into primary
  care services (31)
• Note 50 responding do not provide
  primary care services
• Mental health services provided through
  partnerships, interagency agreements with off
  campus providers
• Mental health counseling (73)
• Psychological services (47)

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Student Services Survey Findings (Continued)

• Select Mental Health Services Findings
• Formal/informal policies in place for responding
  to needs of students
• Formal (62)
• Informal (38)
• How informed on mental health services
• Through advisement (75)
• Need to know (38)
• Separate mailings (25)
• Included with application (6)
• No information provided (12)

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Student Services Survey Findings (Continued)

• Crisis response services are available on our
  campus, include
• Police Station (94)
• Other (38)
• Physician's office/Mental health facility (19)
• Health Department (9)
• Hospital (6)
• Select Mental Health Services Findings
• How are students at risk to hurt themselves or
  others identified?
• Self-identification (100)
• Faculty/Advisor referral (94)
• Residence hall staff (88)

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Student Services Survey Findings (Continued)

• Crisis response services are available off campus
• Hospital (94)
• Mental health facility (88)
• Police/Health Department (75)
• Physicians office (69)
• Behavioral Intervention Teams (trained)
• Yes (56)
• No (44)
• Faculty/Staff trained to identify at-risk
  students
• Yes (75)
• No (25)

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Conclusion
Most Important Message Focus on the Long-Term
Goals and Align Finance and Accountability with
Step-by-Step Progress Toward Goals