Funding & Metrics
INTRODUCING
The New "Funding Formula"
Under the current model, California Community Colleges receive their general apportionment through a combination of state funds, local property taxes, and enrollment fees. Districts receive a total amount of funds based on:
- Full-time equivalent students (FTES) enrolled, with rates for credit, noncredit, and career development and Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) noncredit courses
- Number of colleges and approved centers
- Some other district characteristics (e.g., whether district is rural)
- In addition, the state allocates General Fund through categorical programs
Under the current approach, all of the state’s roughly $6.7 billion
in general funding for community colleges is based on
enrollment numbers.
Beginning in fiscal year 2021, in an attempt to make good on the
system’s goals for increasing degree and certificate production, boosting transfers to the state’s public universities, and curbing achievement gaps among underrepresented students, the funding formula would tie 40 percent — or almost $2.5 billion — of state support to measures of student success and enrollment numbers of low-income students (see Vision for Success and Strong Workforce Metrics). It also would increase overall funding to $7.4 billion.
Metrics
OUR GOALS
Strong Workforce Metrics
All metrics are disaggregated by race, gender, and age grouping, and are available in the LaunchBoard.
- Number of course enrollments: The number of registrations in courses (may include duplicated students)
- Number of students who got a degree or certificate: Unique individuals who completed a credit or noncredit local certificate, credit or non credit Chancellor’’s Office approved certificate, associate degree, or applied bachelor’s degree
- Number of students who transferred: Unique individuals who transferred to a four-year institution
- Employed in the second fiscal quarter after exit: Employment rate for exiting students in the second fiscal quarter after leaving the community college system (Based on a match to the state unemployment insurance wage file)
- Job closely related to field of study: The proportion of students who reported that their current job is close or very close to their field of study (based on responses in the CTE Outcomes Survey)
- Median earnings in the second fiscal quarter after exit: Earnings for exiting students in the second fiscal quarter after leaving the community college system (based on a match to the state unemployment insurance wage file)
- Median change in earnings: Percentage change in earnings for exiting students, one year before and one year after exiting the California community college system (based on a match to the state unemployment insurance wage file)
- Attained a living wage: Proportion of exiting completing and skills-builder students who attained the living wage for a single individual in the college’s Doing What Matters region (based on a match to the state unemployment insurance wage file and Insight Center for Community Economic Development data)
How to track your work
Suggested Best Practices for Achieving SWF Metrics
Metrics
- FTES enrollment
- Equity (‘per funding formula’)
- Progress/Success (certificates, certifications and degrees)
- Transfer/alt articulation to other 4-year institutions
Sample Activities
- Faculty professional development
- Curriculum enhancement
- Educational Technology
- Marketing and student awareness
Suggested Strategic Approaches
- Effective outreach to high schools to build a funnel of students for CCCs
- Persistence or retention of existing student base
- Effective and relevant transfer/alt articulation to other 4-year institutions
- Attract adults needing an upskilling program for career enhancement
- Attract stranded workers for re-skilling
- Facilitation of 3rd party certification testing and tracking
- Faculty training and professional development
- Effective outreach and engagement with business and community
- Effective marketing of relevant career guided pathways
- Effective implementation of program with readymade LMI and previous approvals
- Project plan and support materials
- Statewide assistance and budget support
- Contractor criteria and availability to implement