This is the third paper on the topic of outcomes-based funding written by Dennis Jones for Complete College America. The first paper, "Performance Funding: From Idea to Action" (ED535356), proposed a set of design and implementation principles to help states develop and implement their own outcomes-based funding models. The second paper,…

Background/Context: Community colleges are central to the United States' college completion goals. A popular strategy pushed by a number of influential policy organizations and foundations is a policy of tying state funding to community college completions, otherwise known simply as performance funding. This is happening despite little to no…

This mixed-methods study illustrates the implementation of Malcolm Knowles's 1986 model of learning contracts in a current Italian University context. The study attempted to improve and adapt the tool to a master's degree course at the University of Padua. Three professors conducted the integrated course, making extensive efforts to share the aims…

During the spring of 2004, the State of Colorado enacted legislation that fundamentally changed the mechanisms through which it financed its public higher education system, beginning with the 2005-06 academic year. Rather than appropriating funds directly to institutions, the legislation created the College Opportunity Fund (COF), the principal…

This report for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) covers the first two fiscal years of the COF program, FY05-06, FY06-07. It describes the implementation efforts of COF program stakeholders, the statistics of participation in the program, and concerns of the program. COF enables qualifying resident students to use higher education tuition…

The results of a study to determine whether health behavior contracting was effective in changing health styles among 190 college freshmen are reported. Methodology is described. (JL)

A study was conducted at a large midwestern university to assess effectiveness of health behavior contracts for students enrolled in a personal health course. Results showed that health behavior contracts, as utilized in this study, appeared to have no significant impact on participant health behavior. (JMK)

Ways in which the Program Effectiveness and Related Cost evaluation strategy at Empire State College is contributing to informed decisions about educational outcomes are discussed. (Editor/LBH)

While self-pacing may appear to be an ideal solution to problems stemming from individual differences in academic skill levels among college students, students in Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) courses may tend to procrastinate. Three course contingencies were studied for their effectiveness in reducing student procrastination and…

Tutors and tutor-counselors assist individual students in the Open University. The effects on student's tutors of providing resources to tutor-counselors to offer extra sessions for first-year students who appear to need additional help are reported. (JMF)

Opinions of contract grading were received from 51 undergraduate education majors and 28 graduate students majoring in education in Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada). Students at both educational levels reacted to contract grading in a clear and decisivly positive manner. They agreed that the grading system and assignments were made clear…

Some of the reasons for adopting contract learning and some strategies used at Empire State College, the University of South Carolina, and Wilmington College, are useful in aiding the adoption of new ways of teaching and learning. Several useful strategies are: (1) launch a committee to study local goals and needs; (2) connect the group and…

This report describes the best practices described by national experts, some of the actions that are currently being taken by Colorado institutions of higher education and recommendations for improving programs to retain and graduate minority and low-income students. Over the course of the taskforce's meetings, it became clear that Colorado's…

Describes a one-semester conversational language course based on specific proficiency goals. The oral proficiency pre- and posttests, goal contracts outlining performance objectives for each chapter of the text, specific instructional and grading techniques, and class activities are detailed. (MSE)

In the University of California (Davis) Program in College Teaching, graduate teaching assistants develop and fulfill contractual agreements for faculty-guided investigations into their disciplines, with supporting individualized activities about practices and issues of college teaching. Aspects of the program's development and effectiveness are…