Executive Summary
The Executive Summary reviews the impetus for the project and explains the recommended metric definitions.
Resources and Reports
Toward Convergence: A Technical Guide for the Postsecondary Metrics Framework
Over the last decade, the field has identified key metrics that measure postsecondary performance, efficiency, and equity. IHEP’s new report, Toward Convergence: A Technical Guide for the Postsecondary Metrics Framework, reflects the results of this progress and recommends definitions for 31 metrics. It also describes how the data can be used to advance student success. Also see the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s paper, Answering the Call: Institutions and States Lead the Way Toward Better Measures of Postsecondary Performance.
Postsecondary Metrics Chapters
Each of the chapters below covers one of the three main metric categories: Performance, Efficiency, and Equity. The Performance and Efficiency chapters cover metrics related to college access, progression, completion, cost, and post-college outcomes, and the Equity chapter describes student disaggregates. The full report is available here. A Crosswalk of all metrics and reviewed initiatives is available here. Read a statement on Toward Convergence by IHEP president, Michelle Asha Cooper.
Chapter 1: Overview and Background
This section synthesizes the need for better postsecondary data, summarizes the metrics framework, and presents the recommended metric definitions that are designed to measure all students at all institutions for all outcomes.
Chapter 2: Cross-cutting Data Parameters
This chapter details the cross-cutting definitions and cohort specifications that impact many of the performance metrics included in the framework.
Chapter 3: Performance
Performance metrics measure how well institutions serve students. Within the chapter, the metrics are grouped into categories: access, progression, completion, cost, and post-college outcomes metrics.
Chapter 4: Efficiency
Efficiency metrics measure how effectively resources are allocated to improve student outcomes, which is especially important in an era of scarce funds. Within the chapter, the metrics are grouped into categories: access, progression, completion, cost, and post-college outcomes metrics.
Chapter 5: Equity
Equity metrics define the disaggregates necessary to evaluate college access, progression, completion, cost, and post-college outcomes for non-traditional and underserved students.
Answering the Call: Institutions and States Lead the Way Toward Better Measures of Postsecondary Performance
This paper from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation outlines field convergence over the past ten years and why we need a common set of core metrics.