In this report, we examined five kinds of equity-focused metrics in state OBF policies to determine the extent to which states prioritize the enrollment and success of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds:
- Enrollment metrics for students of color
- Success metrics for students of color
- Enrollment metrics for students from low-income backgrounds
- Success metrics for students from low-income backgrounds
- Metrics related to campus racial climate
While the inclusion of these metrics in policies is essential, how they are deployed is equally as important. Therefore, we also considered whether the metrics were mandatory, optional, or weighted. Weighted metrics are the most ideal. These are mandatory and are given additional value, so strong institutional performance on a weighted metric would garner greater advantage or funding.
Two-Year Institutions
Florida adopted outcomes-based funding in 2016. It is allocated as base funding annually.
The metrics include:
- Retention Rate
- Captures the percentage of first-time, full-time, and first-time, part-time students who are enrolled in two consecutive fall terms.
- Completion Rate
- Captures the percentage of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% and 200% of expected time (based on the award earned).
- Completers who received a Pell Grant are weighted at 1.25.
- Job Placement/Continuing Education
- Captures the percentage of graduates who are employed or continuing their education within one year after graduation.
- Entry-Level Wages
- Captures the average wage of full-time employed graduates within one year after graduation.
The policy does not have a campus climate metric.
The policy is overseen by the Florida State Board of Education. To learn more, visit http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/18505/urlt/performance.pdf
Two-Year Institutions |
|
| Enrollment of Students of Color | None |
| Success of Students of Color | None |
| Enrollment of Students from Low-Income Backgrounds | None |
| Success of Students from Low-Income Backgrounds | Weight |
| Measure Related to Campus Climate | None |
Four-Year Institutions
Florida adopted outcomes-based funding in 2012. It is allocated as base funding annually.
The performance funding model includes 10 metrics that evaluate the institutions on a range of issues. Two of the 10 metrics are choice metrics; one picked by the board and one by the university boards of trustees. These metrics were chosen after reviewing over 40 metrics identified in the university work plans.
The model has four guiding principles: 1) use metrics that align with state university system strategic plan goals, 2) reward excellence or improvement, 3) have a few clear, simple metrics, and 4) acknowledge the unique mission of the different institutions.
Key components of the model:
- Institutions will be evaluated on either excellence or improvement for each metric.
- Scores are based on one-year data.
- The benchmarks for excellence were based on the Florida Board of Governors 2025 System Strategic Plan goals and analysis of relevant data trends, whereas the benchmarks for improvement were determined after reviewing data trends for each metric.
- The Florida Legislature and governor determine the amount of new state funding and the amount of institutional funding that would come from each university’s recurring state base appropriation.
Four-Year Institutions |
|
| Enrollment of Students of Color | None |
| Success of Students of Color | Optional |
| Enrollment of Students From Low-Income Backgrounds | Mandatory |
| Success of Students From Low-Income Backgrounds | Optional |
| Measure Related to Campus Climate | None |
Metrics Common to all Institutions:
- Percentage of bachelor’s graduates who are employed (earning $25,000+) or continuing their education
- Median wages of bachelor’s graduates who are employed full time
- Average cost to the student (net tuition per 120 credit hours)
- Four-year graduation rate (for full-time first time in college students)
- Academic progress rate (second-year retention with GPA above 2.0)
- Bachelor’s degrees awarded in areas of strategic emphasis
- University access rate (percentage of undergraduates with a Pell Grant)
- Graduate degrees awarded in areas of strategic emphasis
- Freshmen in the top 10% of graduating high school class (New College of Florida only)
- Board of Governors’ choice
- Each year, the Florida Board of Governors chooses the ninth metric. In recent years, this has been the percentage of degrees awarded without excess credit hours.
- Board of Trustees
- Each board of trustees chooses a metric from the remaining metrics in the university work plans that is applicable to the mission of that university and has not been previously chosen for the model. Some institutions choose to focus on the success of students of color.
Florida recently dropped its “bottom three” policy, which denied funding to the three institutions with the lowest annual performance, even if their scores had improved from the previous year. This policy disproportionately affected Florida’s public historically Black college and university and those institutions serving higher numbers of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. The policy does not include a campus climate metric.
The policy is overseen by the Florida Board of Governors. To learn more, visit https://www.flbog.edu/finance/performance-based-funding/.
