Skip to content
  • Research
  • About Us
  • News
  • Community College FAQs
  • Blog
  • Pandemic Recovery

Focus Areas

  • Dual Enrollment
  • Developmental Education
  • Guided Pathways
  • Advising & Student Supports
  • Teaching & Learning
  • Transfer
  • College to Career
Menu
  • Dual Enrollment
  • Developmental Education
  • Guided Pathways
  • Advising & Student Supports
  • Teaching & Learning
  • Transfer
  • College to Career

Publications Library

CCRC’s complete collection of publications

Presentations

Webinars and conference presentations with CCRC researchers

Guided Pathways Workshops

Materials from our do-it-yourself workshop series

Policy Resources

Our collection of federal policy briefs and fact sheets

  • CCRC Staff
  • Research Affiliates
  • Advisory Board
  • Employment
  • Biennial Report
  • Contact
Menu
  • CCRC Staff
  • Research Affiliates
  • Advisory Board
  • Employment
  • Biennial Report
  • Contact
  • CCRC in the News
  • Opinion
  • Press Releases
Menu
  • CCRC in the News
  • Opinion
  • Press Releases
  • Overview
  • Important Dates
  • FAQs
  • Overview
  • Important Dates
  • FAQs
  • Overview
  • Important Dates
  • FAQs

Implementing Performance Funding in Three Leading States: Instruments, Outcomes, Obstacles, and Unintended Impacts

By Kevin Dougherty, Sosanya Jones, Hana Lahr, Rebecca Natow, Lara Pheatt & Vikash Reddy
This paper summarizes findings from a large study on the implementation and impacts of performance funding in three states that are regarded as leaders in that movement: Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee. Based on interviews with state officials and with staff at 18 colleges and universities, the authors describe the policy instruments used to implement performance funding, the impact of performance funding on institutional policies and programs, the obstacles institutions encountered in responding to performance funding demands, and the unintended impacts that ensued. While performance funding spurred institutions to make changes designed to improve student outcomes, it is difficult to gauge the impact of performance funding because it was one of several concurrent initiatives aimed at improving outcomes at the colleges. Interviewees reported several obstacles that hindered institutions’ efforts to respond to performance funding demands, including the composition of their student bodies, inappropriate metrics, and insufficient institutional capacity. Interviewees also frequently reported observed and potential impacts that were not intended by the policy designers, such as restrictions in college admissions and the weakening of academic standards.
Download CCRC Working Paper No. 74
November 2014
  • Implementation and Impacts of Performance Funding in Three States

Related Publications

April 2016

Looking Inside the Black Box of Performance Funding for Higher Education: Policy Instruments, Organizational Obstacles, and Intended and Unintended Impacts

March 2015

Organizational Learning by Colleges Responding to Performance Funding: Deliberative Structures and Their Challenges

January 2015

Increasing Institutional Capacity to Respond to Performance Funding: What States Can Do

Additional Resources

For more policy briefs and fact sheets, visit CCRC’s Policy Resources page.

  • Our Research
  • About Us
  • News
  • Community College FAQs
  • Blog
  • Pandemic Recovery
  • Our Research
  • About Us
  • News
  • Community College FAQs
  • Blog
  • Pandemic Recovery

Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
Box 174 | 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027

  • 212.678.3091
  • ccrc@columbia.edu

© 2025. All rights reserved.

Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin Youtube Instagram
Join our mailing list
  • Our Research
    • Focus Areas
    • Publications Library
    • Presentations
    • Guided Pathways Workshops
    • Policy Resources
  • About Us
    • CCRC Staff
    • Research Affiliates
    • Advisory Board
    • Employment
    • Biennial Report
    • Contact
  • News
  • Community College FAQs
  • Blog
  • Pandemic Recovery
  • Our Research
    • Focus Areas
    • Publications Library
    • Presentations
    • Guided Pathways Workshops
    • Policy Resources
  • About Us
    • CCRC Staff
    • Research Affiliates
    • Advisory Board
    • Employment
    • Biennial Report
    • Contact
  • News
  • Community College FAQs
  • Blog
  • Pandemic Recovery