In the United States, efforts to use
performance accountability as a way to drive improvement in public
higher education institutions and systems have yielded mixed results. A
more encouraging story has unfolded in England. There, a nationwide
accountability system for further education colleges—England’s
community-college counterparts—has led to impressive increases in
student outcomes since it was implemented in 1992. Students from
disadvantaged backgrounds have made particularly large gains. Making
Performance Accountability Work takes a detailed look at the policy
innovations in England. For U.S. policymakers, they provide both reason
for caution and guidance for designing and implementing better
performance measurement and funding systems.
