Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Performance-Based Funding On Graduation Rates At Texas State Technical College, Adam Hutchison

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

As states legislatures seek improved results and increased accountability from higher education institutions, performance-based funding is frequently used as fiscal policy to determine state appropriations. Performance-based funding (PBF) determines an institution’s appropriation by its attainment of metrics, usually student outcomes. Early versions of PBF provided incentive funding for institutions that exceeded outcome goals, but later formulas included more intermediate metrics and required institutions meet targets to receive baseline funding. Prior studies examined the impact of PBF on retention and graduation rates at institutions through state-to-state comparisons and explored the political implications of PBF policies. Researchers found states using PBF did …

Relationship Between Virginia's Fiscal Effort And Public School Graduation Rates, Bryce Ryan Johnson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Prior education finance studies have measured the effect of funding on various student achievement variables. These studies demonstrate the need for resources in education, but this need requires further exploration. Previous literature shows several limitations regarding study length, scope and fiscal resources analyzed. This study further investigates school funding by analyzing the relationship between school funding and high school graduation rates over a nine-year time frame.

This research examines what role Virginia's school districts' division fiscal effort (the proportion of its wealth invested in K-12 public education) plays in determining several identified measurable student outcomes from 2003 to 2012. The …

Adult Learner Graduation Rates At Four U.S. Community Colleges By Prior Learning Assessment Status And Method, Milan S. Hayward

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The college completion agenda demands improved graduation rates among adult learners and prior learning assessment (PLA) is a promising solution. PLA permits students to earn college credit for knowledge acquired outside of higher education and is associated with improved student outcomes. The current study expanded the literature regarding adult PLA learners in the community college by examining the graduation rates of adult learners in four U.S. community colleges by PLA status and method. Results confirmed significant difference in graduation rates between adult PLA learners and adult non-PLA learners, uncovered significant difference in the graduation rates of adult PLA learners by …

The Relationship Between State Fiscal Effort And State Graduation Rates: A Longitudinal Study, Melissa Christine Morris

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

In recent decades, the United States has been criticized for failing to produce citizens who can compete in a global society. Legislation, such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, has been implemented with the intention of improving the U.S. education system. Under the guidelines of NCLB, states are tasked with meeting Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) objectives in order to receive federal monies. In addition to testing requirements, one AYP indicator used to measure academic proficiency for high school students is graduation rates. The fiscal and societal impact of students not graduating from high school can be …