HEQCO - Performance Indicators for the Public Postsecondary System in Ontario - July 6, 2012

7/31/2019 HEQCO - Performance Indicators for the Public Postsecondary System in Ontario - July 6, 2012

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An agency of the government of Ontario

HEQCOPerformanceIndicatorsProject 1|P a g e

PERFORMANCEINDICATORSFORTHEPUBLICPOSTSECONDARY SYSTEMINONTARIOAConsultationPaperPreparedbythe

HigherEducationQualityCouncilofOntario(HEQCO)ThepurposeofthisConsultationPaperistoseekyourcomments,feedback,andadviceonaHEQCOled

projecttodevelopasetofperformanceindicatorstomonitor,evaluate,andimproveOntariospublic

postsecondarysystem.

Forclarity,thisprojectisdesignedtoallowHEQCOtobetterfulfillitslegislatedmandatetoprovidean

evaluationoftheoverallstateofOntariospostsecondarysystem.Thisprojectisnotdesignedto

evaluatetheperformanceof,orrank,individualinstitutions.Assuch,thisprojectisnotrelatedtoany

datacollectionexerciseHEQCOmaybeaskedtoinitiatebytheMinistryofTraining,Collegesand

UniversitiesinlightofitsrecentlyannouncedconsultationprocessaroundtransformationofOntarios

postsecondarysector.

Thethinkingofferedinthispaperisbaseduponadviceandguidancewehavealreadyreceivedfroma

diversegroupofexpertsinthefieldsofhighereducation,performancemeasurement,andpolicy

analysis,aswellasresearchwehaveconductedexaminingperformancemeasurementexercisesin

otherjurisdictions.

ThispaperprovidesthecontextforthePerformanceIndicatorsforthePublicPostsecondarySystemin

Ontarioproject,hereinknownasthePerformanceIndicatorsProjectandourpreliminarythinkingona

slateofindicatorstoassessOntariospostsecondarysystem.Thefirstsectionofthispaper(page2)

outlinesthe

purpose

of

this

project,

the

guiding

principles,

and

proposed

timelines

we

used

to

frame

the

initialdiscussion.Thesecondsection(page4)summarizesmanyofthepointsthatweremadeduring

ourpreliminaryconversationswithourgroupofexperts(seeAppendix1),andgivesasenseofthe

discussionsanddebatesthatledtothisdraftlistofindicators.Thethirdsection(page10)liststhedraft

setofindicatorsthatresultedfromthosediscussions.

WearesendingthispapertoallOntariocollegesanduniversities,studentandfacultygroups,

government,andotherswhocancontributetothedevelopmentofabettersetofsystemindicators

thanwehavemanagedtocontemplatetodate.Inaddition,weareusingourwebsitetosolicitinput

fromabroadaudienceknowledgeableabouthighereducationwhomaywishtocontributetothe

discussion.

Cerapportestactuellementencoursdetraduction.Nouslemettronsenlignedsquecestdisponible

le11juillet2012.

Thereareseveralwaystoprovideyourinput.Youcansendwrittensubmissionstousviaemailat:

[email protected](pleaseuseHEQCOPerformanceIndicatorsProjectasthesubjectline)orregular


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mailat:HEQCOPerformanceIndicatorsProject,1YongeStreet,Suite2402,Toronto,ONM5E1E5.In

addition,ifthereissufficientdemandfromasufficientcriticalmassinanarea,wearepreparedtotravel

toyouforaninpersonconversation.WewouldappreciateyourfeedbackbyAugust31,2012.

Wethankyouinadvanceforyourcontributiontothisimportantproject.


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SECTION1:PURPOSE,PRINCIPLES,ANDTIMELINESWhydidHEQCOinitiatethisproject?TwoofthelegislatedfunctionsofHEQCO1are:

tomakerecommendationstotheMinisteronperformancemeasurestobeusedtoevaluatethepostsecondaryeducationsector,and

toevaluatethepostsecondaryeducationsector,reporttotheMinisterontheresultsoftheevaluationandmakethereportavailabletothepublic.

Tohelpusimprovehowwefulfilltheserequiredmandates,weinitiatedaPerformanceIndicators

ProjecttogenerateasetofinformativeandusefulindicatorstoassesstheperformanceofOntario's

postsecondarysystem.TheprimarypurposesofthePerformanceIndicatorsProjectaretoinformpublic

debate,discussion,andunderstandingoftheOntariopostsecondarysystem,andtoproviderelevant

informationtogovernmentandinstitutionstoallowthemtobettermanageandhelpimprove

postsecondaryeducation

in

Ontario.

Toinformthisexercise,wereviewedhighereducationperformancemeasurementregimesinother

provincesandcountries.Inaddition,wesolicitedtheadviceofagroupofindividualswhoarenotonly

informedaboutissuesrelevanttopostsecondaryeducationandperformancemeasurementexercises

butwhoarealsopassionateaboutthepurposesandimportanceofeducation.Theseindividuals,listed

inAppendix1,haveprovidedtheirtimeandexpertiseonaprobonobasisandwethankthemfortheir

supportandadvice.Wetakethewillingnessofthisgrouptodevotetimeandattentiontothisprojectas

testamentoftheirsenseoftheimportanceofthisexercisetotheadvancementofpostsecondary

educationinOntario.

PrinciplesguidingtheprojectandtheselectionofindicatorsThefollowingarealistofprinciples,strategies,andkeypointsthatframedthisexerciseandthathelped

guidetheselectionofappropriateperformanceindicators:

1. Ourtaskistodevelopindicatorstoevaluatetheperformanceoftheoverallsystem,nottheperformanceofindividualinstitutionswithinthesystem.2

2. Ausefulsystemwideperformancematrixisonethatcanserveasaframeworkwithinwhichindividualinstitutionscreateand/oraligntheirownperformanceassessments.However,given

1HEQCOAct,2005. http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/heqco_act_2005_EN.pdf

2Inconsultationstodate,somehavequestionedwhetherOntarioreallytreatsandmanagesits44publichigher

educationinstitutions(20universitiesand24colleges)asasystemorwhetheritreallyoperatesasacollectionof

distinctsectors,thelargesttwobeingthecollegeanduniversitysectors. Weunderstandthedistinction. We

preferthetermsystem,however,becauseourtask,totheextentpossible,istoassessthewholeOntariopublic

postsecondarysystem,bothcollegesanduniversitiesandbecausethereareimportantlinkagesbetweendifferent

sectorsinthesystem.
http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/heqco_act_2005_EN.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/heqco_act_2005_EN.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/heqco_act_2005_EN.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/heqco_act_2005_EN.pdf


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therealitiesofthedifferencesbetweenthecollegeanduniversitysectorsinOntario,itmay

makesensetoreportonthesetwosectorsseparately.

3. Thebestsystemperformanceregimescovertherangeofactivitiesandcontributionsexpectedofpostsecondaryinstitutions.InOntario,thismeansthatanidealslateofindicatorsshould

coverthe

broad

areas

of

education,

research

and

innovation,

and

community

support

and

impact.

4. Fourdomainsofperformanceindicatorsappeartocapturemostoftheinterestandrelevantinformationdesiredinpostsecondarysystemevaluations.Thesefourbroaddomainsinclude:

access,quality,socialandeconomicimpact,andsustainability/efficiency.Thedifficulttaskisto

populatethesefourdomainswithrelevantandusefulperformanceindicators.

5. Thebestindicatorsmeasureoutcomesorwhatactuallyhappenstostudentsinpostsecondaryinstitutions.Thatsaid,someperformancemeasurementofinputsmaybeunavoidable.

6. Ifsomethingcannotbemeasureditcannotbeanindicator.Whilesomemightsuggestthatthisprincipleisselfevident,wearestruckbyhowmuchtimeisspentconsideringfactorsthat

peoplebelieveareimportantbutforwhichnoonehasbeenabletogenerateanacceptable

measure.Theremaybeaspectsofpostsecondarysystemperformancethatarecriticalto

measureandforwhichwedonotnowhaveareadilyavailablemeasure.Insuchcasesit

behoovesustoarticulatewhatinformationmustbegatheredorwhatresearchmustbedoneto

makethesecriticalmeasurements.

7. Notallperformanceindicatorsarequantitative. Rather,somecanbeassimpleasayesnoansweronwhetheraparticularattributeorprocessispresentorabsent,orevenasummaryof

informationobtainedfromquestionsinasurveyinstrument.

8. Totheextentpossible,andbecausetheprimarypurposeofasystemwideperformancematrixisimprovement, indicatorsshouldfocusonthefuture,i.e.wherethepostsecondarysector

shouldbegoing,ratherthansimplycataloguingwhathashappenedinthepast.

9. ThesuiteofperformanceindicatorsnotonlyreportsonthecurrentstateofthesystembutalsopermitscomparisonsofOntariosperformancetootherrelevantjurisdictions.

10.Noteveryperformancemeasureisperfectandnoperformancematrixiseither,especiallyatitsintroduction.However,performancemeasurementiskeytoimprovementandtoadvancingthe

Ontariopostsecondarysystem.Thestrategythenistocomeupwiththebestsetof

performancemeasurementspossibleatthetime,toapplythisassessmentdeviceand,most

importantly,tocontinuallymonitor,assess,andrefinetheinstrument.


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ThepurposeofthePerformanceIndicatorsProjectistoassesstheoverallOntariopostsecondarysector.

Ideally,thisperformanceassessmentmatrixcanthenserveastheframeworkwithinwhichindividual

institutionsgeneratetheirownperformanceassessmentdevices.ThewaythatOntariomonitors

performanceofitshealthcaresectorprovidesausefulmodelandexemplarofthisapproach.Initially,

discussionsorganizedbytheOntarioHospitalAssociationsuggestedasetofsystemwideindicators.

Overthe

course

of

many

years,

these

were

developed

and

then

released

at

the

institutional

level.

More

recently,usingtheseindicatorsasaframework,andmotivatedbytheExcellentCareforAllAct,all

hospitalsintheprovince havedevelopedqualityimprovementplansbasedonperformance

measurementstailoredtotheirhospital,takingintoaccounttheirprioritiesandsituation.Onanannual

basis,theOntarioHealthQualityCouncilassessestheseplansandreportsonanoverallassessmentof

healthcareinOntario.

OurhopeisthatthePerformanceIndicatorsProjectwillprovidethefirststepinthisprocess,i.e.

identificationofasensibleandrelevantsetofindicatorstomonitorandassesstheperformanceofthe

overallpostsecondarysystem.Then,ideally,institutionswouldusethisframeworktodevelopa

performancemeasurement

device

consistent

with

their

mission,

circumstances,

and

aspirations.

For

completeness,thismeansthataftertheslateofsystemindicatorsisdeveloped,eachcollegeand

universityshouldconsidercarefullywhetherasystemperformancemeasureisapplicabletoitandto

whatdegree.Similarly,governmentshouldnotinsistthatallofthesystemindicatorsareapplicablefor

everyinstitutioninthesystemandevenifrelevant,thateachinstitutiondemonstratethesamelevelof

performanceonthatindicator.Inthismanner,theexistenceofasetofsystemwideperformance

indicatorscansupportdiscussionsofamoredifferentiatedOntariopostsecondarysysteminwhichthe

achievementofthesystemisoptimizedbecauseeachinstitutioncontributesmore,andisrewarded,for

whatitaspirestodoanddoesbest.

Timelines

OurintentionistofinalizetheslateofperformanceindicatorsinearlySeptemberandtoreleasean

evaluationoftheOntariopostsecondarysectorusingtheseindicatorsinFall2012. Therefore,wewould

appreciateyourinputbyAugust31,2012.

SECTION2:DISCUSSIONOFINDICATORSAsnotedabove,examinationofsystemperformanceregimesinotherjurisdictionsandthe

consultationswehaveheldtodatesuggestthatfourdomainsofindicatorslikelycapturemostofwhat

appearstobeofgreatestinterestinexerciseslikethis. Thesedomainsare: access,quality,socialand

economicimpact,

and

sustainability/efficiency.

AccessAccessensuringthatthereareenoughspotsforallqualifiedstudentsseekingapostsecondary

educationisapredominantconcernofstudents,public,andgovernments.InOntario,inparticular,

increasingcapacityhasbeenthedominantpolicyobjectiveoverthelastdecadeorsoandtheevidence
http://heqco.ca/en-CA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspxhttp://heqco.ca/en-CA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspx


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suggeststhattheOntariopostsecondarysystemhasaccommodatedsignificantgrowth.3The

governmenthassetapolicyobjectiveofachievinga70%postsecondaryattainmentrate4andhas

establishedfundingincentivestopromotehigherenrolments.ItisdifficulttoimagineanOntario

systemwideperformancematrixthatdidnotincludemeasurementsofaccess.

Accessto

postsecondary

education

is

measured

in

different

ways.

Postsecondaryparticipationmeasuresthepercentageofapopulationwithinadefinedagecohortwho

attendpostsecondaryeducation.Thenumeratorinparticipationmeasuresisthenumberofstudentsin

thatagegroupwhoareinpostsecondarystudiesandthedenominatoristhetotalnumberofpeoplein

thatagecohort.Althoughanyagecohortcouldbeselectedtodetermineaparticipationrate,theone

thatreceivesthegreatestattentionisthatofthosecompleting,orwithinseveralyearsofcompleting,

highschoolusually1824yearoldssincethisisthemajorfeederofpostsecondarystudents.These

measuresdonotnecessarilycaptureolderstudentsorotherlifelonglearnerswhomayenter

postsecondarystudiesatanolderageorthroughnontraditionalpathways.Itisalsoimportanttonote

thatparticipationmeasuresjustthatthoseenrolledandnotnecessarilywhethertheygraduated.

Postsecondaryattainmentmeasuresthepercentageofthoseofadefinedagocohortinthepopulationwhoholdapostsecondarycredential.ThepostsecondaryattainmentinOntarioforthosebetweenthe

agesof2564in2011was64%accordingtotheLabourForceSurvey,meaningthatthispercentageof

Ontariansinthatagerangeheldsomepostsecondarycredential.5However,thisdoesnotnecessarily

reflecttheeffortsoftheOntariopostsecondarysystemasattainmentcaptureseducationalachievement

regardlessofwherethateducationwasreceived.ItisclearthatthehighattainmentrateinOntariois

assistedbythehighnumbersofOntarianswhoreceivedtheirpostsecondarycredentialinother

provincesorcountries;howeveritisalsodiminishedbythosewhoattainedacredentialinOntarioand

thenmovedoutofprovince.

Asidefrommeasuringoverallparticipationorattainment,thereisconsiderableinterestin

understandingthepostsecondaryachievementsandengagementofspecifictargetedgroups.Thisfocus

hasbeenshapedbytherecognitionthatsomesegmentsofthepopulationareunderrepresentedin

accesstopostsecondaryeducationinspiteofthegenerallyhighoverallparticipationandattainment

scoresinOntario(andCanada)relativetootherOECDcountries.6Sinceapostsecondarycredentialis

recognizedasbeingimportanttofutureeconomicandsocialsuccess,recentattentionhasbeen

focussedontheparticipationofthesecurrentlyunderrepresentedgroups(e.g.,Aboriginals,students

fromeconomicallydisadvantagedfamilies).Therefore,animportantmeasureofaccesscouldcapture

theengagementoftheseunderrepresentedgroupsinpostsecondaryeducation.

3HEQCOQuickStats:http://heqco.ca/enCA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspx

4OntarioThroneSpeech.(2010).http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/news/event.php?ItemID=11282&Lang=EN

5Norrie,K.andLin,S.(2009). PostsecondaryEducationalAttainmentandParticipationinOntario. Toronto:

HigherEducationQualityCouncilofOntario.http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdf6Norrie,K.andZhao,H.(2011).AnOverviewofPSEAccessibilityinOntario.Toronto:HigherEducationQuality

CouncilofOntariohttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AtIssue8AccessibilityENG.pdf
http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/en-CA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspxhttp://heqco.ca/en-CA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspxhttp://heqco.ca/en-CA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspxhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/At-Issue-8-Accessibility-ENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AttainmentENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/en-CA/Research/quickstats/Pages/default.aspx


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Aswehavearguedinotherpapers,7itisimpossibletospeakaboutaccesswithoutalsobringinginthe

issueofstudentfinancialaidandstudentdebtload.Therearesomewhoarguethatanassessmentofa

postsecondarysystemmustincorporateameasureofthefinancialburdenonthestudent,intermsof

eithertuitionlevelsordebtload.Evenifonearguesthatstudentdebtisanimportantmeasure,the

capacityofstudentsinthesystemtorepaytheirloans,measuredperhapsbydefaultrates,mightbethe

morerelevant

measure

than

debt

accrued.

We

do

not

minimize

the

importance

of

these

variables.

But,

ultimately,thesevariablesshouldbereflectedinaccessmeasures.Iftuitionsareunaffordable,orifthe

financialaidsystemisinadequatetomitigatethesetuitionlevels,thenonewouldexpecttosee

decreasedpostsecondaryparticipation.

Quality

Thequalityofeducationstudentsreceiveisthecurrencybywhichpostsecondarysystemsare

evaluated;andifitisnot,itshouldbe.

Thedifficultyisthatwhilequalityisacknowledgedbymanytobeamongthemostimportant

performanceindicators,

it

generates

much

controversy

and

has

been

the

most

difficult

to

measure.

Part

oftheconceptualdifficultyhasbeenthelackofagreementoverwhatconstitutesaqualitymeasure.

Thisproblemisexacerbatedbythefactthatweexpectourcollegesanduniversitiestoperformina

numberofdomainssoqualitymeasuresforeducation,forexample,areobviouslygoingtodifferfrom

ameasureofresearchquality.

Wewillnotrehearseherethesubstantialliteratureonqualitymeasuresinhighereducation.

However,ourreviewofthisliteratureandourconsultationstodatehaveledustothefollowing

conclusionsaboutqualitymeasuresinaprovincialpostsecondaryperformancematrix.

First,

it

is

inconceivable

to

have

a

postsecondary

performance

report

card

that

does

not

attempt

to

assessthequalityofpostsecondaryeducationintheOntariosystem.Wecantakecomfortfromthe

observationthatthehighereducationworldhascometopeacewithqualityassessmentsinother

areasrelevanttohighereducationeventhoughsimilarconcernsandcontroversiesexistaboutthe

validityandadequacyofthespecificmeasuresselected.Forexample,weroutinelyandrepeatedlymake

judgementsaboutthequalityofaprofessorsorinstitutionsresearcheventhoughwehaveconcerns

aboutthevalidity,relevance,andmeaningofsomeofthespecificmeasuresusedsuchaspublication

counts,sponsored researchfunding,citationcounts,oreventhepeerreviewsystemitself.

Second,goingbacktotheprinciplesidentifiedabove,measurementsofqualityoftheOntario

postsecondarysystemmustcover,asaminimum,qualityconsiderationsinthedomainsofboththe

educationweprovidetothestudentsinthesystemandtheresearch/innovationcontributionsofthe

system.And,betterindicatorsarethosethatpermitrelevantcomparisonofOntariotoother

jurisdictions,andhopefullyovertimetoallowjudgmentofthesuccessofmacropolicymeasures.

7Norrie,K.andLennon,M.C.(2011).TuitionFeePolicyOptionsforOntario.Toronto:HigherEducationQuality

CouncilofOntariohttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AtIssueTuitionENG.pdf
http://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AtIssueTuitionENG.pdfhttp://heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/AtIssueTuitionENG.pdf


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So,howisqualityofpostsecondaryeducationmeasured?Intheareaofeducation,somepromotethe

importanceofstudentsatisfactionscores.Manyjurisdictionsassessstudentsatisfactionbutitis

understoodandoftenarguedthattherearemanyvariablesthatinfluencestudentsatisfaction,only

someofwhichmayrelatetohowmuchorhowwellstudentshavelearnedduringtheirpostsecondary

education.8

Othersarguethatthebestmeasuresofeducationalqualityarederivedfromstandardizedtests.Oneof

thegreatadvantagesofstandardizedtestsisthattheypermitapplestoapplescomparisonsacross

jurisdictions,aswellasalongitudinalassessmentofthesystemovertime.Thetrickhere,ofcourse,isto

developconsensusaroundwhichthingsshouldbemeasuredandthenagreementastowhichmeasures

shouldbestandardized.So,forexample,fewwouldarguethattheacquisitionofbettercriticalthinking

skillsisaqualitygoalofapostsecondaryeducation.But,evenwiththisconsensus,thereissome

questionoverhowtomeasurecriticalthinkingability.Forexample,thereisconsiderablecontroversy

whethertheCollegiateLearningAssessment,aninstrumentsometoutasthecurrentgoldstandardfor

measuringcriticalthinking,isavalidmeasureofthisdesiredqualityoutcome.9

Withinthedomainofqualitymeasures,somepointoutthatthedominantreasonstudentsofferfor

seekingapostsecondarycredential,andadominantreasongovernmentssupportapublichigher

educationsystem,istograduatestudentswiththeskillsandeducationtofillorcreatejobsina

knowledgebasedeconomy.Thisobservationleadssometopromotethenecessityofqualitymeasures

thatcapturehowwellapostsecondarysystemgraduatesstudentswiththerightskillsetstosucceedin

currentlabourmarkets.Itisunclearhowthisassessmentwouldbemade,althoughtheuseofsurvey

instrumentsthataskemployersaboutthepreparednessofstudentsforworkareused.10Somehave

arguedforextendingthesemeasuresbyaskingemployers(usingasimplesurveyinstrument)ofthe

qualityandpreparednessoftheirnewemployeeswhoholdpostsecondarycredentials.11

Inour

discussions,

some

have

noted

the

possibility

that

no

consensus

will

emerge

around

specific

indicatorstoexaminequality.Thissuggestionleadssometorecommendthatinlieuofpresumedquality

measures,aproxyistoinquirewhetherthepostsecondarysystemhasembeddedprocessesand

practicesthatwouldallowforqualitymeasurementsandassurance.Thiswasthephilosophybehindthe

8Somewillarguethatstudentsatisfactionwiththeireducationalexperiences,byitself,isanimportantmeasure

regardlessofitscorrelationwiththequalityamountordepthoflearning.Othersarguethatacombinationof

employmentandeducationalsatisfactioninfluencesoverallgraduatesatisfaction.SeeMcCloy,U.andLiu,S.

(2010).WhataretheInfluencersofGraduateSatisfactionandLabourMarketOutcomesofOntarioCollege

Graduates?An

Analysis

of

Ontarios

College

Graduate

Satisfaction

Survey

Results.

Toronto:

Higher

Education

QualityCouncilofOntario.9Arum,R.andRoksa,J.(2011).AcademicallyAdrift:LimitedLearningonCollegeCampuses.UniversityofChicago

Press.USA10

TheMinistryofTraining,CollegesandUniversitiescapturesannualemployersatisfactionratesofrecentOntario

collegegraduatesasacomponentoftheiroverallemploymentprofile.Forthemostcurrentreportsee:

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/serials/eprofile0910/profile10.pdf11

Usher,A.(2012).MeasuringGraduateQuality.HigherEducationStrategyAssociates.

http://higheredstrategy.com/measuringgraduatequality/
http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/serials/eprofile09-10/profile10.pdfhttp://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/serials/eprofile09-10/profile10.pdfhttp://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/serials/eprofile09-10/profile10.pdfhttp://higheredstrategy.com/measuring-graduate-quality/http://higheredstrategy.com/measuring-graduate-quality/http://higheredstrategy.com/measuring-graduate-quality/http://higheredstrategy.com/measuring-graduate-quality/http://higheredstrategy.com/measuring-graduate-quality/http://higheredstrategy.com/measuring-graduate-quality/http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/serials/eprofile09-10/profile10.pdf


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originalUPRACprocessusedbytheCouncilofOntarioUniversitiesforqualitymeasurementinthe

Ontariouniversitysectorandthemanylearningoutcomemappingexercisesintheprovince.12

Givensocietalexpectationsofpostsecondaryeducation,however,onealsowantstomeasurethe

quality,oratleastthecompetitiveness,ofasectorinresearchandinnovation.Theresearch

competitivenessof

individual

institutions

is

often

measured

and

it

is

not

difficult

to

think

how

one

could

aggregatethesedatatocomeupwithsomesystemmeasure.Measurementsofinnovation,andhow

muchapostsecondarysystemcontributestotheinnovationofajurisdiction,aremorecontroversial.13

Theseattemptshavetendedtorelyonmeasurementssuchasspinoffcompaniesorlicensing/royalty

revenuefrompostsecondaryinstitutions,althoughthelimitationsoftheseindicesarealso

acknowledged.

SocialandeconomicimpactManyhighereducationinstitutionsspeakeloquentlyandforcefullyabouthowtheysupportand

underpinthesocialandeconomicwellbeingoftheircommunitiesandregions.Itisclearthatthe

willingnessof

governments

and

the

public

to

support

apublic

higher

education

system

is

motivated

by

itsunderstoodcontributiontoabetterqualityoflifeandhealthiereconomy.Itseemssensible,

therefore,totrytoincorporatesomemeasuresofsocialandeconomicimpactinanassessmentofthe

contributionofapostsecondarysystem.

Wehavereceivedmanyanecdotesofhowpostsecondaryinstitutionsupliftthesocialfabricofa

jurisdiction.Forexample,wehavebeendirectedtoindicesthatpurporttomeasurethequalityoflifeor

liveabilityofcitiesorregions,14butitisunclearhowmuchofthismeasurecanbeattributedtothe

contributionofthepostsecondarysystem.Thereissomeresearchthatfindslinksbetweencertaintypes

ofpoliticalactivityandyearsofeducation.15

Monitoringeconomicimpactappearseasierbecausesomuchofthediscussionabouttheeconomic

impactofpostsecondarysystemshastodowithjobsandjobcreation.Wearealsoawarethatstudents,

12Seeforexample,OntarioUniversitiesCouncilonQualityAssurance.(2012).QualityAssuranceFramework

http://www.cou.on.ca/relatedsites/theontariouniversitiescouncilonqualityassura/pdfs(1)/qualityassurance

frameworkguidemay201213

Seeforexample,GovernmentofCanada.(2010).StateoftheNation2010CanadasScience,Technologyand

InnovationSystem:ImaginationtoInnovationBuildingCanadianPathstoProsperityhttp://www.stic

csti.ca/eic/site/sticcsti.nsf/vwapj/10059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVEgood.pdf/$FILE/10

059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVEgood.pdf14

See

for

example,

The

Economist

Intelligence

Units

Livability

Index

http://www.eiu.com/site_info.asp?info_name=The_Global_Liveability_Report,andMercerQualityofLifeSurvey

http://www.mercer.com/qualityoflivingpr#cityrankings15

SeeRiddell,C.(2006).TheImpactofEducationonEconomicandSocialOutcomes:AnOverviewofRecent

AdvancesinEconomics.CPRN'sSkillsandKnowledgeforCanada'sFuture:SevenPerspectives Towardsan

IntegratedApproachtoHumanCapitalDevelopmentproject.http://www.cprn.org/doc.cfm?doc=1490&l=en ;and

Curtis,J.,Grabb,E.,Perks,E.,andChui,T.(2004)."PoliticalInvolvement,CivicEngagement,andSocialinequality."

InSocialInequalityinCanada:Patterns,Problems,andPolicies,4thed.,eds.J.Curtis,N.Guppy,andE.Grabb.

Toronto:PearsonEducationCanada.
http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.cou.on.ca/related-sites/the-ontario-universities-council-on-quality-assura/pdfs-(1)/quality-assurance-framework---guide-may-2012http://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdf/$FILE/10-059_IC_SotN_Rapport_EN_WEB_INTERACTIVE.pdfhttp://www.stic-csti.ca/eic/site/stic-csti.nsf/vwapj/10-05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whenaskedtoidentifythesinglemostimportantreasonforpursuingpostsecondaryeducation,

invariablyidentifythedesiretogetagoodjobasthedominantmotivator.

Sustainability/efficiency

Manypostsecondaryperformanceregimesincludeassessmentsofthefinancialstateoftheinstitutions

thatconstitutethesystem.Thereasonsforthisareobviousfinanciallysustainableandappropriately

resourcedinstitutionsareconsideredprerequisitetoasustainablerobustsystem.Currently,Ontarios

allocationtopostsecondaryeducation,$7.3Bin201213,16isamongthehighestofministry

expenditures,toppedbyhealthandK12education.TuitionsinOntariouniversitiesareamongthe

highestinCanada.17

Asidefromtheissueofhowmuchmoneyinstitutionsreceivetooperate,therearenowgreatercallsby

thepublicandgovernmenttoholdthepublicsectoraccountableforhowitdeploysthefundsitreceives

andwhethertheyarebeingallocatedinanefficientmannertoachievedesiredoutcomes.These

efficiencyconsiderationsaremotivatedbythedesireofmanygovernmentstosupportaneducational

systemthat

delivers

ahigh

quality

education

to

more

students

with

no

more,

or

even

less,

money.

The

recentDrummondReport18focussestheattentionoftheOntariogovernmentandOntariansonthe

amountofmoneyapublicsectorhastodeliveritsservicesandwhatstructuralorprocessreformsmay

increaseitsabilitytoofferserviceswithintightfinancialconstraints.

Onemightthinkiteasytoidentifysomenumberfromtheextensivefinancialstatementsofinstitutions

thatwouldattesttothefinancialhealthandsustainabilityoftheinstitutionandbyaggregation,

therefore,ofthesector.Ifthereissuchanobviousnumber,wearenotsurewhatitis.Postsecondary

institutionsarecomplexcreatures,withmultiplesourcesofrevenuethathavecomplexrelationships

withoneanotherandnontrivialconstraintsontheiruse(e.g.,capitalversusoperating;researchfunds

versusgeneral

operating;

all

the

restricted

trust

funds,

etc.).

Furthermore,

the

audited

financial

statementsofpostsecondaryinstitutionsareconstructedtoconformtoaccountingrulesand

regulationsthatoftenmakeitdifficulttointerprettherelevanceormeaningofthenumberscontained

inthem.Institutionsalsocarrysomeseriousfinancialliabilitiesaffectingsustainabilitythatarenoteasily

observableintheirfinancialstatements,suchastheirongoingpensionliabilitiesandthefuturecostsof

salariesandbenefitsofthetenuredfacultycomplement.

Considerationsofsustainabilitycangobeyondthemoneyavailabletosupportthefaculty,staff,and

studentswithinthesystem.Postsecondarysystemsalsorequireasubstantialandexpensivephysical

planttosupportextensiveteachingandresearchprograms.Someargue,therefore,forexaminationof

the

sustainability

of

a

systems

capital

infrastructure

and

assets.

16MinistryofFinance.(2012).OntarioBudget. Toronto:Queen'sPrinterforOntario,p.174.

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2012/papers_all.pdf17

NorrieandLennon,2011,p.518

Drummond,D.(2012).CommissionontheReformofOntariosPublicServices:PublicServicesforOntarians:A

PathtoSustainabilityandExcellence.Toronto:QueensPrinterforOntario.

www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/reformcommission/


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Inourdiscussiontodate,somehavesuggestedthattheseconsiderationswillmakeitdifficulttoidentify

quantitativelythefinancialhealthoforganizations.Rather,theyargue,abetterapproachistosee

whetherinstitutionsengageinpracticesthatarethefoundationofsustainabilitythinkingorthatallow

themtoplanproperlyforthelongterm.Inthiscontext,thesuggestionthathascomeupmostoftenis

toinquirewhetherinstitutionsengageinmultiyearbudgeting.

Finally,forthereasonsidentifiedabove,manygovernmentsareexaminingtheefficiencyorproductivity

oftheirpostsecondarysystems.Thistypicallyinvolvesanexaminationoftheamountofoutputofthe

systemrelativetotheresourcesmadeavailabletothem.19Theoutputscouldbethenumberof

graduatesrelativetofundinglevelortheteachingloadperfacultymember.

SECTION3:RECOMMENDEDINDICATORSAccess

1. PercentageofOntariostudentswithinan1824(orso)agerangethatattendpostsecondary.

Aquintessentialparticipationmeasureofthedominantandleadingcohortpursuingpostsecondary

studies.

Possibledatasource(s):StatisticsCanadaLabourForceSurvey:thepercentageof2024yearoldswho

haveattended(currentlyorpreviously)college,trades,oruniversity.Allowsforcomparisonstoother

provincesandpossiblyothercountries.

2. Differentialparticipationrateof1824yearold(orso)studentsfromfamilieswithinthehighest

incomequartileandlowestfamilyincomequartile.

To

identify

the

degree

to

which

a

postsecondary

system

is

capturing

currently

under

represented

students.Familyincomedoesnotcorrelateperfectlywithallunderrepresentedgroupsofinterestbutit

isprobablythevariablethatcapturesthemajorityofthem.

Possibledatasource(s):StatisticsCanadaSurveyofLabourandIncomeDynamics.Allowsfor

comparisonstootherregionsinCanada.

3. Percentageofstudentsenteringpostsecondaryeducationwhograduateinadefinedand

reasonableperiodoftimegiventhelengthoftheirprograms.

Afundamentalmeasurementthatgetsbeyondenrolmentandassesseswhetherstudentsactually

graduate.

Possibledatasource(s):MinistryofTraining,CollegesandUniversitiesKeyPerformanceIndicators(KPI)

forgraduationrate.AllowsforcomparisontotheUnitedStates.

19Seeforexample,LuminaFoundation.(2011).StrategicPlanGoal2025.

http://www.luminafoundation.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/02/Lumina_Strategic_Plan.pdf
http://www.luminafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Lumina_Strategic_Plan.pdfhttp://www.luminafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Lumina_Strategic_Plan.pdfhttp://www.luminafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Lumina_Strategic_Plan.pdfhttp://www.luminafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Lumina_Strategic_Plan.pdf


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Quality4. NumberofOntarioinstitutionsadjustedforpopulationintheTop100ofworldrankings.

Anassessmentofglobalcompetitivenessofthesystem.

Possibledata

source(s):

Times

Higher

Education

World

Rankings

of

Universities;

Shanghai

Jiao

Tong

rankings.Allowsforcomparisontootherprovinces,states,andcountries.

5. LiteracyandnumeracylevelsofstudentsintheOntariopostsecondarysystem.

Literacyandnumeracyarefundamentalskillsexpectedofpostsecondarystudents. Manywell

developedinternationallyrecognizedmeasurementdevices.

Possibledatasource(s):CanadaparticipatesintheAdultLiteracyandLifeSkillsSurvey(ALL)andthe

ProgrammeforInternationalAssessmentofAdultCompetencies(PIACC),bothofwhichallowfor

comparisontootherprovincesandcountries.

6. Employersatisfactionwithpostsecondaryhires.

Possibledatasource(s):TheresultsfromtheEmployerSatisfactionSurveyarepublishedbytheMinistry

ofTraining,CollegesandUniversities.Theannualsurveycapturesemployersatisfactionofrecent

Ontariocollegegraduatesacrossskillsetssuchascommunication,numeracy,andjobpreparation.

CurrentlytheseresultsonlyexistforOntariocolleges.

7. OntariosshareofTriCouncil(NSERC,SSHRC,CIHR)funding.

MeasurescompetitivenessoftheOntariopostsecondarysysteminresearch.

Possibledatasource(s): Federalgrantingcouncils.

Socialandeconomicimpact8. Percentageofindividualswithapostsecondarycredentialwhovoterelativetothevotingrateof

thosewithoutapostsecondarycredential.

Thereisastrongviewthatapostsecondaryeducationshouldproduceengagedcitizens.Ifso,they

shouldhaveahighervotingratethanthepopulationwithoutapostsecondaryexperience.Thisisalso

oneofthefewsocialimpactsforwhichwehopewecangetreliableandreasonabledatatoassesssome

contributionofpostsecondaryeducation.

9. Employmentrateofholdersofapostsecondarycredentialrelativetoemploymentrateofthose

withoutapostsecondarycredential.

Ausualmeasureofpostsecondarycontributiontotheeconomybutonethatcontrolsforeconomic

cycleswheretheoverallrateofemploymentmaychangeduetofiscalandeconomiccircumstances.

Allowsforcomparisonstootherprovincesandcountries.


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Possibledatasource(s):StatisticsCanadaGeneralSocialSurveyorLabourForceSurvey,Ministryof

Training,CollegesandUniversitiesannualsurveyofgraduatesforKPIsrelatingtoemploymentrateand

relevanceofprogramtoemployment.

10.Numberofnewjobscreatedinthepastyearrelativetothetotalnumberofjobsintheprovinceat

thebeginning

of

the

year.

Ifthepostsecondarysystemissupposedtofueltheknowledgebasedeconomy,thenproportionally

morejobsshouldbecreatedinjurisdictionswithbetterpostsecondarysystems. Allowsforprovincial

andinternationalcomparisons.

Sustainability/efficiency11.Grant+tuitionasa%ofprovincialGDP.

Measuresdegreeofoperatingresourcesprovidedtothesystemadjustedforsizeoftheeconomy.

Institutionsrequirereasonablefundingiftheyaretodeliveronthepublicgoalsexpectedofthem.Itis

alsoimportanttobeabletocomparetheoperatingresourcesavailabletoOntariosysteminstitutions

relativetotheircompetitorinstitutionsinotherjurisdictions.Grant+tuitionrepresentthegreat

majorityofoperatingrevenuestopublicinstitutionsinthesystem.

Possibledatasource(s):Datausedtomeasurepublicandprivateexpendituresoneducational

institutionsasapercentageofGDPwithinCanadaarecombinedforthePanCanadianEducation

IndicatorsProgram(PCEIP)andarepublishedinthereport,EducationIndicatorsinCanada:An

InternationalPerspective.ThesedatacanbeusedtomakecomparisonsbetweenCanadianprovinces

andothercountries.

12.Numberof

institutions

where

annual

operating

revenue

exceeds

annual

operating

expenses.

Measureswhetherinstitutionshavetherevenuetheyneedtomeettheirongoingannualexpenses.

13.Annualgrant+tuitionpercredentialawarded.

Providesonemeasureofproductivitybycalculatingtherelationshipbetweentheongoingoperating

resourcesprovidedtothesystemandthemostsignificantoutputofthesystemgraduates.


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APPENDIX1:EXPERTADVISORYGROUPDavidTrick,DavidTrick&Associates

KevinLynch,ViceChair,BMOFinancialGroup

KenSnowdon,KenSnowdon&Associates

RobMacIsaac,President,MohawkCollege

VivekGoel,President&CEO,PublicHealthOntario

MinistryofTraining,CollegesandUniversities

AlexUsher,HigherEducationStrategyAssociates

SamAndrey,formerExecutiveDirector,OntarioUndergraduateStudentAlliance

PeterGooch,SeniorDirector,Policy&Analysis,CouncilofOntarioUniversities

ChavivaHosek,PresidentEmeritus,CanadianInstituteforAdvancedResearch(CIFAR)

MichaelFullan,ProfessorEmeritus,OntarioInstituteforStudiesinEducation,UniversityofToronto

HowardAlper,Chair,Science,TechnologyandInnovationCouncil(STIC)ofCanada

HEQCO - Performance Indicators for the Public Postsecondary System in Ontario - July 6, 2012

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