Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Iowa Roi And Credentials topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Iowa plans ROI framework for CTE, a tiered credentials-of-value list and cautious policy rollout
Summary
Iowa Department of Education officials said they will publish a postsecondary ROI framework this spring, begin applying it to community-college CTE programs, expand a credentials-of-value list to postsecondary levels and consider incorporating ROI into program approval and accreditation after building trust in the data.
Iowa education officials told a Midwestern Higher Education Compact webinar that the state will publish a postsecondary return-on-investment framework in collaboration with the Iowa Board of Regents and begin applying the methodology to community-college career and technical education (CTE) programs.
"We are hoping to roll out this spring both an ROI framework... and then also a credentials of value list at the post secondary level," said Dr. Amy Giske, bureau chief for community colleges at the Iowa Department of Education.
Giske said Iowa will use publicly available data sources—examples cited include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, state workforce agency wage records and the American Community Survey—to calculate a breakeven threshold: how many years a student would need after program completion to earn more than a high-school graduate plus cover program costs. She cited the state median high-school graduate earnings figure of $34,000 and a board-of-regents illustrative breakeven amount of $43,000 for a bachelor’s example.
Iowa is starting with CTE programs because community-college program reviews already ask about costs; the state amended administrative rule last year to ask programs to consider student ROI as part of CTE program review. Giske said the state will publish tables and methodology adapted from Board of Regents work (which itself borrows elements from the University of Texas system) to help campus reviewers and the public replicate results.
On credentials, Iowa maintains an industry-recognized credentials (IRC) list at the secondary level and plans to tier and expand it into a postsecondary credentials-of-value list that emphasizes alignment with high-wage, high-skill, high-demand occupations while finding ways to account for public-good programs that may not offer high immediate wages.
Giske said Iowa will initially use incentive funding tied to the IRC list to encourage enrollment rather than as a punitive measure, and that any move to incorporate ROI into formal program-approval decisions will be gradual and dependent on stakeholder trust in the data. "We're not saying we're gonna cut your program... It's really supposed to be a useful tool for our institutions," she said.
The state invited feedback through interagency collaboration and a community-of-practice approach. No formal vote or rule change was enacted during the webinar; presenters described planned next steps and publication timelines.
