Higher education, College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act established, bonus funding for eligible institutions authorized based on achievement of performance goals and objectives
Impact
The bill will significantly reshape how Alabama appropriates funding for higher education. By implementing an outcomes-based funding model, the CHEER Act compels institutions to collect and report data that proves their effectiveness in fostering student success. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) will administer the fund and ensure compliance with the performance metrics outlined in the legislation. Critics may argue that this model could inadvertently pressure institutions to prioritize metrics over holistic education quality, sparking debate over the balance between accountability and educational values.
Summary
SB344, known as the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act, aims to enhance funding mechanisms for Alabama's higher education institutions. It establishes a program to offer bonus funding contingent upon meeting specific student and institutional performance goals. The legislation introduces the CHEER Fund, which will provide financial incentives to institutions that successfully demonstrate improvements in areas such as student retention, completion rates, and postgraduate employment. Importantly, the bill seeks to support both traditional and adult learners, emphasizing the importance of access and success for a diverse student population.
Contention
Notably, there are concerns regarding the potential implications of an outcomes-based funding framework. Critics, particularly from community colleges and institutions serving higher-need students, worry that reliance on such metrics could marginalize those who may not achieve standardized outcomes due to varied circumstances. Additionally, the ability to manipulate data for bonus funding presents a real risk that could compromise the integrity of accountability measures. Nevertheless, the CHEER Act aims to align educational outcomes more closely with workforce demands, thus fostering stronger connections between education and economic growth.
Public Education, to require the State Department of Education for public K-12 schools, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education for public four-year institutions of higher education, and the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System for public two-year institutions of higher education to summarize and report break/fix rates on school technology devices to Legislature
Alabama Renewing Alabama's Investment in Student Excellence (RAISE) Act created, additional funding for public schools authorized based on the individual needs of students
Alabama Renewing Alabama's Investment in Student Excellence (RAISE) Act created, additional funding for public schools authorized based on the individual needs of students
Alabama Commission on Higher Education; authorized to award loan assistance to athletic trainers under Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program
Hunger-Free Campus Act administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, provides for the designation of qualified public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education as hunger free campuses
Alabama Commission on Higher Education; authorized to award loan assistance to athletic trainers under Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program
Alabama Renewing Alabama's Investment in Student Excellence (RAISE) Act created, additional funding for public schools authorized based on the individual needs of students
Alabama Commission on Higher Education and ReEngage Alabama Grant Program, minimum age of an adult learner decreased from 25 to 22; definition of eligible student expanded
Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of funds to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System and removing that system and its campuses from the annual appropriation of certain constitutionally dedicated funding for public institutions of higher education.
Relating to the governance of public institutions of higher education, including the establishment of a faculty council or senate and the decision-making authority of public institutions of higher education.