Meeting the Needs of Florida: The Role of the Florida College System David Tandberg, Ph.D. Toby Park, Ph.D. Craig Beebe Spencer Scruggs

The Florida College System Institutions

History of the FCS

Key points in the history of the FCS St. Petersburg Junior College founded as private, two-year college Legislature passes law allowing counties to petition for the establishment of public colleges Community College Council issues report to legislature which recommended state plan for 28 community/junior colleges Legislature approves measure allowing community colleges to be governed under local boards Legislature creates Community College Coordinating Board Legislature replaces Community College Coordinating Board with State Board of Community Colleges 1990s - Legislature adds economic development as primary mission of the colleges SB 1162 eliminates State Board of Community Colleges, establishes State Board of Education as the FCS state board, and creates local boards of trustees St. Petersburg, Edison, Miami Dade, and Chipola approved to offer baccalaureate degrees Legislation outlines process for community colleges to create baccalaureate degrees The Florida Community College System is renamed The Florida College System (FCS) 2015 – New performance funding program established for the FCS colleges

Missions of the FCS and the Colleges The historical development of the mission and vision of the Florida College System can be viewed as a series of timely responses to the state’s economic and social context. Early, at a time when few progressed beyond a high school education, a disparate assortment of unregulated institutions began to emerge in an organic process of communities responding to demand for opportunity. As the need to re-integrate and re-train returning soldiers after World War II exploded, Florida took steps to organize, with a mind toward increasing efficiency and reducing duplication of efforts. Today the FCS institutions attempt to: Provide access to higher education Provide traditional and adult education services Provide for economic development Meet local, regional, and statewide workforce and educational needs

Alignment Between Current Missions and Outcomes: Key Data Points

Florida and U.S. Economic and Demographic Data FloridaU.S % of Population % of Population % of Population % of Population White % of Population Hispanic % of Population Black % of Population American Indian or Alaska Native % of Population Asian American % of Population Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander % of Population Two or More Races % of Population Male Median Household Income $45,609$46,036$51,144$52,250 % of Population Living Below the Poverty Level

Degree Attainment 2013 Florida %U.S. % White Black Hispanic Asian Native American Total

Total community college enrollments,

Total FCS enrollment by credential,

Percentage of students receiving Pell awards,

Proportion of U.S. and Florida enrollments by race,

Percentage of part-time versus full-time FCS enrollments, 1980 and 2013

Total community college completers by race,

Total FCS completions (two year or less) by award type,

Total system-wide bachelor ’ s degree completion statistics,

Total system-wide program completion statistics, by program

Completion statistics, bachelor ’ s degrees by subject

Projected Percent Change in Employment by Industry ( ) and Actual Percent Change in Related Credential Completion from FCS Institutions (2010 to 2013) RankIndustry Title Employment 2014 Projected Employment 2022 Projected Percent Change in Employment Total Related Degrees and Certificates Awarded 2010 Total Related Degrees and Certificates Awarded 2013 Percent Change in Related Credentials Awarded 1 Construction of Buildings 76,674105, %1,0351, % 2 Specialty Trade Contractors 254,098340, % % 3 Ambulatory Health Care Services 431,173548, %4,1624, % 4 Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 49,62161, % % 5 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 184,004226, %7,0546, % 6 Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 18,11522, %00N/A 7 Educational Services 154,646185, %3,3593, % 8 Social Assistance 117,957140, %1,4711, % 9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 481,218571, %2,1793, % 10 Wood Product Manufacturing 11,16213, % % Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity; U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Projected Percent Change in Employment by Occupation ( ) and Actual Percent Change in Related Credential Completion from FCS Institutions (2010 to 2013) RankingOccupation Titles Employment 2014 Employment 2022 Projected Percent Change in Employment Total Related Degrees and Certificates Awarded 2010 Total Related Degrees and Certificates Awarded 2013 Percent Change in Related Credentials Awarded 1Home Health Aides29,60741, % % 2 Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers*11,60515, %00N/A 3Cost Estimators12,25116, % % 4 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers4,5946, % % 5 Heating, A.C., and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers27,12336, % % 6 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists17,27422, % % 8 Nonfarm Animal Caretakers*11,38114, %00N/A 9 Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers*6,6078, %00N/A 10 Physical Therapist Assistants4,7066, % % 85 Healthcare Support Occupations231,647282, %17832, % 127 Health Technologists and Technicians180,561216, %59785, % 131Registered Nurses167,360199, %48525, % 223 Primary, Secondary, and Special Education Teachers208,700242, %3951, % Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity; U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Total appropriations and tuition and fees per FTE Total

FCS degrees and certificates awarded in 2013, by age group

Policy Issues

The 2+2 Program Viewed as an important policy tool in allowing students to enroll in the lower cost and generally more accessible state colleges prior to transferring to the state universities. More than 30,000 students transferred into the FL State University System as a result of the 2+2 program in 2011 However, the success rates of 2+2 transfers do not meet those of third year university students who started within the State University System.

The Community College Baccalaureate. FL an early adopter Our most recent data indicates that in 2014 around 6,000 FSC students graduated with a Bachelor’s Critics worry that the State Colleges are programs outside local workforce needs and encroaching on existing university programs Proponents of the CCB in Florida argue that the program aligns with the colleges’ mission of providing access to degrees and meeting local workforce needs.

Bright Futures The Bright Futures Scholarship has done a good job keeping our best and brightest from leaving the state for college However, the state financial aid system does not appear conducive to encouraging FCS institution enrollment as the bulk of spending is isolated among the public four-year universities. Only 17% of Bright Futures awards go to FCS students Nationally 48% of state grant dollars are distributed based on need alone; in FL only 25% of our grant dollars are based on need alone. Nationally, states distribute $509 of need aid per FTE student, on average; in FL we distribute $191 of need aid per FTE student One option would be that the state could significantly increase its investment in need-based financial aid.

Performance Funding For the state colleges the performance funding program includes four metrics: job placement/continuing education; completion; retention; and starting salaries. These indicators, however, fail to recognize the colleges’ traditional access mission. One solution would be to include a metric for enrollment of underrepresented groups (often measured as low-income student enrollments).

State Colleges’ Performance Funding Points Performance CategoryCollege Job Placement/ Continuing Education (0-7.5) Completion Rates (0-10) Retention Rates (0-10) Entry Level Wages (0-3) Total Points (0-30.5) Gold Santa Fe College Valencia College Tallahassee Community College Lake-Sumter State College Gulf Coast State College State College of Florida, Manatee- Sarasota Florida South Western State College Silver Chipola College Broward College Florida Gateway College Seminole State College of Florida Hillsborough Community College Miami Dade College Eastern Florida State College Palm Beach State College Polk State College St. Johns River State College Florida Keys Community College South Florida State College Florida State College at Jacksonville North Florida Community College St. Petersburg College Indian River State College Bronze Pasco-Hernando State College College of Central Florida Daytona State College Northwest Florida State College Pensacola State College Average Standard Deviation

Performance Funding Results Eight colleges will receive their existing funding back and a higher share of the new money: Santa Fe College; Valencia College; Tallahassee Community College; Lake-Sumter State College; Gulf Coast State College; State College of Florida; Manatee-Sarasota; and Florida SouthWestern State College. Five schools will not receive new funding and will have some of their existing funding held back until they show improvement: Pasco-Hernando State College; the College of Central Florida; Daytona State College; Northwest Florida State College; and Pensacola State College The other 16 colleges will receive their existing funding and some performance funding, though not as much as the seven highest-scoring schools.

The $10,000 Degree Idea that students should be able to spend no more than $10,000 for a bachelor’s degree (tuition, fees, and books). To date 23 FCS institutions have students enrolled in what they are calling $10,000 four-year degree programs. The programs only apply to specific majors In some cases, students must enter the programs with accelerated learning credits The $10,000 price only includes tuition. Critics argue that: quality may suffer under such a program; that while the price to the student might be reduced, the cost to the institution may not; and natural inflation will make sustaining the $10,000 price impossible, especially if quality is to be maintained.

Average Costs to FCS Students for a Four-year Degree (Fall ) Tuition Only Tuition and Fees Tuition, Fees, and Books Average Costs $10,285$13,418$18,218 Source: FCS Fact Book (2014)

Governance Florida is the only state that has a state governing board for its universities (The Board of Governors) and that utilizes the state board of education as the policy and coordination board for the community/state colleges. A number of individuals interviewed for this report indicated that the FCS may benefit from having its own state board, arguing that such a board could: provide stronger advocacy for the FCS, develop specific expertise in the issues related to the FCS, and devote its sole attention to the needs of the FCS institutions. In each case the individuals advocating for an independent state board for the FCS also argued that the colleges ought to retain their local boards of trustees and that the traditional role of local governance and should be protected and enhanced.

Free Community College Two states, Tennessee and Oregon, have passed “free community college” legislation President Obama has proposed a federal program for making two years of community college free nationwide The Tennessee Promise has impacted enrollments: The Tennessee Promise has enrolled 22,534 college freshmen as of the last August deadline to remain in the program. This well above the 13,000 students projected for the program a year ago. In 2013 about 11,400 incoming freshmen entered the community colleges straight after high school. Therefore the recent participation numbers represent a considerable increase (nearly double) of students entering the community colleges directly from high school, indicating that the Tennessee promise has had a significant impact on these students. What is not known is: How many of the Tennessee Promise students would have attended college regardless of the initiative; and how many of these student were diverted away from another sector (e.g., the public universities or the private colleges and universities).

Free Community College Such universal programs tend to be inefficient, because some of the benefits will flow to those who would enroll in college even without the benefit and who could afford to pay without such aid. Critics argue that such programs should instead be targeted at those who are less likely to attend without financial assistance (make such program need-based). Likewise, critics argue that such programs should also be targeted at students who enroll in four-year universities as well as community colleges, because of the much larger pay-off to bachelor’s degrees relative to associate’s degrees

Developmental Education Reform Coursework completed post-high school that is not yet college-level (generally non-credit bearing) In Florida alone, upwards of 78% of community college students are enrolled in at least one developmental course with a cost of $129.8 million during the year (Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability, 2007). Further, national figures demonstrate that only 28 percent of community college students who take a developmental education course will go on to earn a degree within eight years (Jaggars & Stacey, 2014), compared to 43 percent for non-developmental students (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, &Levey, 2006).

Developmental Education Reform The new legislation provided students with several developmental education options, and some students (recent high school graduates), who previously would have tested into developmental education, will be able to skip it altogether. The methods for offering developmental education also changed. These methods, including modularized, compressed, contextualized, and co- requisite courses, will offer students the ability to enter college-level courses much more quickly. Colleges have also received additional flexibility with the placement of students as college placement testing is no longer required for most Florida public high school graduates. Finally, admission counseling or advising is mandated for all incoming students regarding their placement options.

Developmental Education Reform Preliminary data analysis indicates that: Developmental education course enrollments have gone down Developmental education course passing rates have gone up College gateway course (first college level courses) enrollments have gone up College gateway course passing rates have gone down However, the total number of students passing gateway courses has gone up Some students who would have been placed into developmental education are not only skipping developmental education but also the associated gateway course. Institutions report: Implementing more personalized advising practices which consider an array of factors when advising students whether to take developmental education Challenges regarding course restructuring and staffing Difficulty in delivering the gateway courses with more unprepared students

Recommendations

1. The FCS should receive public funding at at-least the national average per student level. The FCS is underfunded relative to the rest of the nation. If we desire more from the FCS institutions, we should fund them accordingly. A wealth of research shows that public institution performance (measured a number of different ways) is directly impacted by the level of state fiscal support provided to the institutions. Increased state appropriations are associated with increased performance. With the introduction of performance funding, the state ought to ensure that the colleges have the resources necessary to meet performance expectations.

2. The current performance funding system should reward colleges that serve large portions of low-income students. Florida’s current performance funding program may not do enough to encourage the enrollment of low income students. Florida will only increase its education attainment rates by doing a better job of educating underrepresented populations such as lower income individuals. Therefore colleges which do a good job of enrolling these populations should be rewarded. Furthermore, low-income students also tend to be those are more difficult to graduate and who require more resources from the colleges. Therefore the current performance funding program penalizes institutions which serve low income students. From a technical perspective this is an easy fix. The state could a metric regarding the enrollment of Pell Grant eligible students or by weighting the retention and completion metrics by Pell Grant eligible student, in effect providing a bonus for each Pell Grant student who is moved to completion.

3. The state ought to significantly increase its investment in need-based financial aid. While the Bright Futures Scholarship has done an excellent job keeping our best and brightest from leaving the state for college, FL has not done enough from a financial aid perspective to encourage the enrollment of underserved populations, those populations most likely to attend an FCS institution. Expanding the current need-based financial aid programs would help address this issue and help us raise our educational attainment rates.

4. The FCS ought to be have its own state board Given the amount and complexity of the K-12 education issues facing the state board of education and the important and complex needs of the FCS, allowing the FCS to be overseen by its own board may make some sense. This would allow a single state board for the FCS to gain expertise in the issues facing the system and to become informed advocates on behalf of the FCS Even with the development of a new state board for the FCS, the traditional role of local governance should be protected and enhanced.