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Accountability System

California has long had a commitment to providing access to high quality educational opportunities at low cost to students in its public colleges and universities. Inherent in any accountability system should be a mechanism by which to measure institutional efficiency in using public resources. Equally important, California needs an accountability system centered on whether its students are achieving their educational objectives and are able to apply their knowledge in the workplace. Without clear educational goals and the means to measure student achievement, scarce public resources could be wasted and the potential of each student to develop his or her abilities and skills could be compromised.

The California Postsecondary Education Commission is developing measures in the following areas to help policy makers and consumers understand and be able to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of California's colleges and universities.

It is important to note that the goal areas are broad in scope, and that California must further define its goals and establish specific performance measures by which progress toward the goals can be assessed. Only through specific, measurable indicators can the State hold itself and its institutions accountable. View the supporting data used to generate the various accountability publications.

Accountability Framework

In June, 2006, an Accountability Framework -- On the Path to Higher Education Accountability: Recommendations from the Accountability Advisory Committee, Report 06-07 was presented to the Commission. In this publication, Commission staff identified four goal areas for which measures would be added during the upcoming months:
  1. Student Preparation
    Does California foster reasonable and equitable opportunities for individuals to enter college prepared to succeed in higher education?

  2. Accessibility and Affordability
    Is California higher education affordable and accessible to all Californians?

  3. Student Success
    Are students succeeding in getting through college?

  4. Public Benefit
    Is California higher education making significant and lasting contributions to the State's economic, civic, and social development?

Related Legislation

  • SB 325 - Postsecondary education: Educational and Economic Goals for California Higher Education.
  • AB 1417 (Pacheco, Stat. 2004, Ch. 581) - Postsecondary education: performance measurement system for the California Community Colleges (CCC)

E-Mail Research_Staff@cpec.ca.gov Any comments, questions, or suggestions are welcome; send to Research_Staff@cpec.ca.gov or fill out the Comments form.