POSTSECONDARY COMMISSION

ACCREDITATION-FIELD WORK - THIS BODY OF WORK ENCOMPASSES DIRECT PARTNERSHIPS WITH INSTITUTIONS AND THE APPLICATION OF PSC'S ACCREDITATION MODEL. IN 2024, PSC ONBOARDED TWO INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS TO COMPLETE PSC'S ACCREDITATION PROCESS. AS PART OF THAT WORK, PSC HOSTED THREE INSTITUTIONAL WORKSHOPS AND AN ESTIMATED 50+ CONSULTATION MEETINGS BETWEEN PSC STAFF AND INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATIVES. STAFF CREATED OR MODIFIED AN ESTIMATED 100+ INSTITUTION-SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS TO FACILITATE THE INSTITUTIONS THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND TO PREPARE FOR OR IMPLEMENT THE SELF-STUDY PROCESS (A KEY COMPONENT OF ACCREDITATION). ACCREDITATION-MODEL AND PETITION DEVELOPMENT - BUILDING ON ITS WORK IN 2023 TO DEVELOP AND RELEASE ITS INITIAL ACCREDITATION STANDARDS, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES, PSC CONTINUED TO CREATE NEW MATERIALS THAT EXPAND ITS ACCREDITATION MODEL. THE ORGANIZATION RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONSIDERED FEEDBACK ON ITS ACCREDITATION STANDARDS ONCE IN 2024. TO SUPPORT ITS ACCREDITATION FIELD WORK, STAFF CREATED 30+ NEW MATERIALS (E.G., TEMPLATES, WORKSHEETS), WHICH ARE NOW IN USE WITH INSTITUTIONS. PSC ALSO REVIEWED ITS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND MADE UPDATES TO ~60% OF THESE MATERIALS TO REFINE ITS APPROACH. PSC'S BOARD REVIEWED AND APPROVED THE CHANGES TO STANDARDS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. FINALLY, PSC BEGAN TO ASSEMBLE ITS PETITION FOR RECOGNITION FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION - IN 2024, PSC LAUNCHED A NEW BODY OF WORK CALLED RESEARCH AND EVALUATION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE AGENCIES, PSC STUDIES THE ECONOMIC RETURNS GENERATED BY INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR PROGRAMS. IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH RESEARCHERS AND ECONOMISTS AT MATHEMATICA, PSC LAUNCHED ITS FIRST PILOT STUDY IN TEXAS TO STUDY OUTCOMES OF THE STATE'S PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. AS PART OF THIS STUDY, PSC IS EVALUATING THOUSANDS OF COHORTS OF STUDENTS WITHIN VARIOUS INSTITUTIONAL, PROGRAMMATIC, AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS DATING BACK TO 2008. PSC INTENDS TO RELEASE THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY IN LATE 2024 AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONDUCT STUDIES IN OTHER STATES IN 2025.