Implementation
Under the leadership of Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado General Assembly, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE), and the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), the state of Colorado has begun work to reimagine the ways in which data are used to elevate student experiences and show the value of higher education.
HB22-1349 directs CCHE and CDHE to accomplish a variety of tasks related to better use of data to support student postsecondary and workforce success. HB24-1210 extended the timeline for completion of these tasks until December 2026. These tasks (and the latest updates) are summarized below.
For more information on the bill and implementation, please contact Michael Vente at Michael.Vente@dhe.state.co.us.
Background
Aligned to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) strategic plan, HB22-1349 directs CCHE (with CDHE) to develop new student success measures that measure the progression of students through postsecondary education and the impact of postsecondary pathways on a student's career opportunities and success.
To support implementation of this strategic plan and legislation, CCHE convened a Technical Working Group of local stakeholders and national experts to determine and define:
- Colorado-specific measures of postsecondary value, including a “minimum economic viability threshold” focused on ensuring that Colorado learners, at a minimum, are able to count on their investment in postsecondary education enabling an increase in their lifetime earnings (over what they would have made had they not pursued postsecondary education) to exceed their cost of attendance (inclusive of the opportunity cost of foregone wages). (CCHE Strategic Plan)
- “Student success measures that measure the progression of students through postsecondary education and the impact of postsecondary pathways on a student's career opportunities and success. The student success measures must include postsecondary success measures and workforce success measures.” (HB 22-1349)
Minimum Value Threshold (MVT): The Working Group advised CCHE on the most appropriate empirical model to estimate a Minimum Value Threshold (MVT) of postsecondary credentials in Colorado, and the best data elements to support this model. While focusing on the metrics and outcomes most relevant to Colorado, the Working Group members reviewed prior research and analysis of postsecondary education’s financial value and return on investment, particularly the work of the Gates Foundation Postsecondary Value Commission, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), and the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP.) Building on the research conducted by the Postsecondary Value Commission and FREOPP, the Working Group proposes the following model to estimate the minimum value threshold of a postsecondary credential in Colorado:
Minimum Value Threshold = (Incremental Earnings – Costs Specific to Higher Education)
A summary of this work along with technical documentation and frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found in the documents below:
< Colorado Minimum Value Threshold (MVT) analysis & State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) discussions - Project Summary>
< Colorado Minimum Value Threshold (MVT) Technical Documentation and Data FAQs>
CDHE continues to collaborate with CCHE on the findings from the MVT output at the postsecondary program level (both statewide and institution-specific data). These analyses will inform collaborative conversations between CDHE, CCHE, and Colorado institutions of higher education on how best to enhance value of programs and bolster postsecondary student success.
Technical Working Group members
- Sarah Hughes, Chair - Colorado Commission on Higher Education
- Josh Scott, Vice Chair - Colorado Commission on Higher Education
- Britta Blodgett, Assistant Director of Communications and Collaboration - Colorado Workforce Development Council
- Marcia Bohannan, Chief Information Officer - Colorado Department of Education
- Dr. Sonia Brandon, Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness - University of Northern Colorado
- Dr. Joyce Brooks, Former Chairwoman - Colorado NAACP
- Mario Carrera, President - Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy and Research Organization
- Diane Cheng, Vice President of Research and Policy - Institute for Higher Education Policy
- Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow - Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity
- Dr. Nate Easley, Secretary - Colorado State University Board of Governors
- Dr. Landon Pirius, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs - Colorado Community College System
- Michelle Quinn, Vice President of Finance and Administration -Colorado Mesa University
- Michael Vente, Chief Performance Officer - Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Maggie Yang, Senior Director of Data Systems - Colorado Department of Higher Education
Technical Working Group Meeting Schedule
The Technical Working Group will meet monthly through 2023 to discuss these topics and provide CCHE with recommendations on new measures of postsecondary and workforce success.
- June 29, 2023 Agenda
2:00pm-3:30pm - July 21, 2023 Agenda
11:00am-12:30pm
July 21, 2023 Slides - August 25, 2023 Agenda
1:00pm-2:30pm
August 25, 2023 Slides - September 29, 2023 Agenda
1:00pm-2:30pm
September 29, 2023 Slides - November 9, 2023
11:00am-12:30pm
Agenda - December 8, 2023
10:00am-11:30am
Agenda - January 29, 2024 Agenda
1:00pm-2:30pm
January 29, 2024 Slides - February 26, 2024
2:00pm-3:30pm
Agenda - April 1, 2024
12:00pm-1:30pm
Agenda - April 30, 2024
11:00am-12:30pm
Agenda - June 20, 2024
11:00am-12:30pm
Agenda - Sep. 10, 2024
12:30pm-2:00pm
Agenda
HB22-1349 directs CDHE to develop a statewide data system of student success information and measures to enhance data-based decision-making by institutions and the public. Data included in the system will examine educational and workforce success disparities among various student populations.
To facilitate the better collection of student data from Colorado institutions of higher education, CDHE shall update and modernize its data collection systems, including its Student Unit Record Data System (SURDS). CDHE is currently working to develop and deploy these upgrades and will launch the modernized SURDS in 2025.
CDHE continues to identify new measures of postsecondary student success and build off past work to better elevate student stories, experiences, and perspectives. Aligned to these goals, CDHE has developed various dashboards displaying various measures to better inform students, families, and policymakers. Much of the data and measures contained in these dashboards can be disaggregated by institution of higher education, race/ethnicity, gender, first generation status, and socioeconomic status. CDHE’s various dashboards are available online.
Each January through 2026, CDHE shall submit a report to the House of Representative’s Education Committee and Senate Education Committee on the work required and any barriers identified, including recommendations for legislative changes necessary, to deliver a statewide longitudinal data system that connects K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce information.
The 2023 report provides an overview of the Colorado longitudinal data landscape (specifically the K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce continuum) along with recommendations to bolster well-governed data connections across state agencies.
The 2024 report provides updates on work, elevates specific use cases that can benefit from a more robust longitudinal data infrastructure, and provides concrete actions Colorado can take to strengthen work around longitudinal data.
The 2025 report summarizes conversations about Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDSs) held via the Technical Working Group and the ways in which a robust SLDS in Colorado can support better calculation of student success measures, specifically Colorado’s Minimum Value Threshold (MVT). With the passage of HB24-1364 tasking the Office of Information Technology (OIT) with the creation of a Colorado SLDS, CDHE will work closely with OIT to ensure alignment between the goals of HB22-1349 and HB24-1364.