Running head: COLLEGE ADMIN ANALYSIS PERFORMANCE-BASED SPENDING 1

College Admin. Analysis Performance-Based Spending

Ray Crawford

Liberty University
 Journal Analysis on College Administration Performance-Spending

Discussion

Performance-based spending consists of thirty states that provide for performance

funding for higher education. Under current performance-spending rules, the government's

stipulation is tied into higher education performance based on "Student retention, credit accrual,

degree completion, and job placement" (Inside Higher ED, 2016, p. 1). State funding indicators

affixed to less than I percent in the state of Illinois in comparison to as much as 80 to 90 percent

in the states of Ohio and Tennessee (Inside higher ED, 2016, p. 1)

According to Higher ED, elected officials, along with influential public policy groups,

have highly encouraged the utilization of performance spend. For instance, "The U.S Department

of Education has urged states to embrace performance-based funding of higher education

administration based on progress toward completion and other quality goals" (Inside Higher ED,

2016, p. 1).

However, higher education administrators argue if performance-based spending works.

For instance, more senior education administrators made changes to policies and programs

aiming to improve student outcomes by closing developmental education as well as altering

advising and counseling services (Higher ED, 2016, p. 1).

Making those administrative changes affecting developmental education and the altering

of advising and counseling. Also, the changes have forced institutions to "Gather data on their

performance and to change their institutional practices in response (Higher ED, 2016, p. 1).
Despite the changes in policy, college administrators still cannot conclude if performance

spending is driving those changes (Higher ED, 2016, p. 1).

Also, college administrators are faced with obstacles that are impeding the efficiency of

performance-based funding. These impediments include “Inappropriate indicators and measures

embedded in the funding policy” (Mohammad, 2016, p. 1). For example, " The instability of

measures and indicators, the short-living of many performance funding policies, and the

insufficiency and irregularity of state funding of performance funding" (Mohammad, 2016, p. 1).

Other factors involve the lack of awareness in the context of institutional boundaries,

inequality of institutional capacity. Also, on the lists is deceptive stipulations that come with

funding policies. There is also the lack of “genuine and effective participants of the institutional

officials.” (Alshehri, 2016, p. 1).

College administrators are faced with governments confusing performance-based policies

of mix match financial allocation. For example, governments grant money to colleges based on

graduation outputs. Now, this sets up inferiority within the college system. The government's

argument for giving more money to schools with higher graduation rates is based on economic

reasons and potential more top wage earners. However, it would be much better to provide

finances equally to schools, which would result in higher quality education (Lang, 2016, p. 1).

Black college administrators are faced with problems relating to performance-based fiscal

policies. Yes, performance-based systems were designed to improve college's performances as it

relates to colleges' effectiveness, quality, and efficiency but the performance-based strategies fail
to account the realities of community colleges and historically black colleges (Griffin, 2013, p.

4).

The performance-based policymakers fail to take into account that many community

colleges and black colleges are existing from a lower economic advantage. Many black colleges

and community colleges and black colleges suffer from lower admission rates and therefore,

cannot meets the standards of the performance-based policy criteria. What these colleges need is

more wise financial allocations (Grifin, 2013, p. 4).

Black college administrators have long noted to serve low-income students who needed

additional resources to complete their academic studies. However, the United States spends less

on the least prepared students. Because of this unequal distribution of finances to black colleges

and community colleges, this inequity as putting these institutions at a disadvantage concerning

their white counterparts (Grifffin, 2013, p. 4).

In his article, Efficiency for Whom? Varying Impact of Performance-Based Funding on

Community Colleges in Louisiana Hu X says, "More than two-thirds of states continue to

embrace this policy as the primary approach to hold community colleges accountable" (X, 2019,

p. 1). Hu says historically, community colleges cater to nontraditional students that are from

underprivileged backgrounds. And therefore, this lack of privilege is factored into the retention

and completion rates(X, 2019, p. 1).

The author continues to say that community colleges “Serves large numbers of

disadvantage students that stand the chance of financial penalization under PBF measurements of

institutional retention and completion rates(X, 2019, p. 1). The author says more studies are
needed to address the disparity of students who attend community college and other disparate

students(X, 2019, p. 1).

Biblical Worldview

The bible speaks of governments' role in monitoring those who they rule over, and

college administration is no exception. For instance, the college performance –spending though

it may not be perfect still serves a purpose in helping college administrations to be better about

colleges establishing quality educational standards. Romans 13: 1-7 says, "Let every person be

subject to governing authorities. For there is no authority except God, and God has instituted

those that exist. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and

those who resist will incur judgment" (Romans 13: 1-7, King James Version).

Now this passage may not precisely address the government's college administration

funding. Still, the passage sure does address the government's oversight over those it governs, as

I stated earlier, the government's performance spending that seeks to utilize graduation rates and

retention rates as means for giving colleges money. May not be appropriate policies for

community colleges and historically black institutions because of the low-income students that

mostly attend community college.

However, are we to throw the baby out with the bathwater by not adhering to the

government's responsibility for performance spending? Finally, we expect governments to be

fair, but we also hope the government to have a say in higher education performance-based

expenses.
 References

Alshehri, Y. M. (2016). Performance-based funding: History, origins, outcomes, and

obstacles.  Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 16(4), 33-42. Retrieved

from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1860981967?accountid=12085

Griffin, C. L. (2013). The impact of performance-based funding on the mission of a small,

historically black university (Order No. 3573425). Available from proquest central;

ProQuest central; proQuest dissertations & theses global; social science premium

Collection. (1443899120). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?

url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1443899120?

accountid=12085
Hu, X. (2019). Efficiency for whom? Varying impact of performance-based funding on

Community colleges in Louisiana. Community College Review, 47(4), 323–359.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/0091552119864409

Lang, D. W. (2016). Incentive funding meets incentive-based budgeting: Can they coexist? The

Canadian Journal of Higher Education,  46(4), 1-22. Retrieved from

http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1873007728?accountid=12085

Six research scholars. (2016). Does performance funding work? Retrieved 6 April, 2020, from

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2016/10/06/evaluation-whether-performance-

funding-higher-education-works-essay

Li. (2019). Lessons learned: A case study of performance funding in higher education. Retrieved

5 April, 2020, from https://www.thirdway.org/report/lessons-learned-a-case-study-of-

performance-funding-in-higher-educat