Postsecondary education: accountability program.

 Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and private, independent institutions of higher education as the 4 segments of postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes a higher education accountability program under which the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges are required to prepare a list of reports on a regular basis to the Legislature and to state agencies. Under the program, the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) is required to submit an annual higher education report to the Legislature and the Governor that provides information on significant indicators of the performance of public colleges and universities. This bill would repeal the existing higher education accountability program and require the state to establish a new accountability framework to achieve prescribed educational and economic goals. The bill would set forth educational and economic goals and would require the CPEC, by January 30, 2010, to convene a working group to develop a prescribed set of performance outcomes to measure progress toward meeting those educational and economic goals. The bill would require the working group to publish those performance outcomes by January 30, 2011. The bill also would express legislative intent with respect to conditioning receipt of enrollment growth funding upon achievement of those performance outcomes by the 3 segments of public postsecondary education.