Measuring Value in Higher Education

Event Description

As Republicans and Democrats on the Hill and in state legislatures nationwide seek to address the rising debt burden facing college graduates, new focus has been placed on institutions of higher learning and how well they prepare graduates for entering the workforce and paying off accrued debt. This event explores the prospect of using value-added measures to evaluate institutions and degree programs according to their graduates’ likely economic outcomes.

During the event, participants will hear from economists, policy experts, and practitioners who will provide insight into the math behind these measures and the political feasibility of implementing them.

This event is cosponsored by the Postsecondary Commission, an aspiring accreditor focused on economic mobility.

Agenda

11:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Introduction:
Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

11:30 a.m.
Panel I: How Important and Feasible Are Value-Added Measures?

Panelists:
Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity
David Troutman, Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Sarah Turner, University Professor of Economics, Education, and Public Policy, University of Virginia

Moderator:
Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

12:15 p.m.
Q&A

12:30 p.m.
Conversation and Lunch

Panelists:

Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Scott Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University

1:30 p.m.
Panel II: Implementing Value-Added Measures in the Real World

Panelists:
Rajeev Darolia, Senior Adviser, Office of the Chief Economist, US Department of Education
Stig Leschly, President, Postsecondary Commission
Chance Russell, Economist and Policy Adviser, US House of Representatives

Moderator:
Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

2:15 p.m.
Q&A

2:45 p.m.
Adjournment

Event Description

Agenda

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