Parker speaks at State Board of Education meeting
Palm Beach State College President Ava L. Parker, J.D., spoke at the State Board of Education meeting at the Palm Beach Gardens campus today, updating the seven member-panel on the status of proposed changes to the metrics used for performance-based funding and other matters concerning the Florida College System. 
Speaking on behalf of the Council of Presidents for the 28 institutions, she provided updates on the funding formula for the system and the “2+ 2” statewide articulation that guarantees FCS Associate in Arts degree graduates and selected Associate in Science degree graduates admission into one of the state’s 12 public universities. She noted that the Florida College system leads the nation in the number of students selected to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
Performance based funding, which was implemented for the FCS last year as a one-year rule, was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott in April and becomes effective July 1. However, the initial metrics used to determine how the $60 million in performance funding will be distributed to the 28 colleges was revamped this year, and the proposed new changes will be presented July 20 to the State Board of Education for a “vote on the interpretation of the law/implementation of the law,’’ according to Florida College System officials.
Performance funding makes up about 2 percent of an institution’s budget. Last year, colleges were placed into three categories based on how they performed: gold, silver and bronze. Now there will be four thresholds: gold, silver, bronze and purple. Institutions in the purple category, could lose their portion of the $60 million in performance, which includes $30 million in new funds, but regain it with the implementation of a restoration plan. Job placement and/or continuing education; retention rate; completion rate and earnings will continue to be the areas in which colleges are judged, but under the proposed changes to the metrics, more emphasis is placed on retention rate and completion rates and institutions can be judged on either their individual successes from year to year or their successes compared to their counterparts in the system.
“The Council of Presidents is committed to continuing to focus on the Performance Funding measures. The four measures: retention, completion, job placement and wages are key areas that impact our students’ success,” Parker said.
For more details on the FSC Council of Presidents Update, visit http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/15236/urlt/fcs.pdf.
