A new proposal from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board would tie part of funding for the stateâs four-year universities to certain performance criteria, such as graduation rates. The incentives would only be a small portion of each institution’s overall state funding, and it would be similar to a model already used by Texas technical schools and community colleges. The legislature could take up the measure in the just-begun legislative session.
However, several Houston lawmakers and universities are opposing the idea, saying it would be unfair to the cityâs institutions that serve many first-generation, under-served and non-traditional-aged students.
To explain the program and why he supports it, we hear from Raymund Paredes, Commissioner of Higher Education at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Then, we hear from Dr. Lyle McKinney, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Houston, who’s studied the effects of performance-based funding on community colleges so far.
