Last week the Governor convened the third meeting of the Higher Education Steering Committee charged to establish the Council for Higher Education.

The Committee received an overview from the Washington Educational Research and Data Center focused on the data the Center compiles across education sectors.

The Committee then delved into several critical unresolved topics with regard to a new state-level entity, including functions, goals, and structure.

Several representatives provided their views on the functions that a new entity should focus, including the four-year public baccalaureates and members of the committee. Among the functions identified for a state level entity were the analysis of outcomes and performance, long-range planning, information and advocacy, and consumer protection.

The Committee then spent a considerable amount of time hearing about and discussing potential goals and structures for the new Council of Higher Education. Committee members received a presentation by Aims McGuinness from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems on different proposals with regard to goals and structures.

McGuinness offered two options for goals to be tracked by a new state entity. Option A included goals ranging from college participation of recent high school graduates to degrees granted in high demand fields. Option B included the range of metrics in Option A plus additional goals that consider that all children that enter kindergarten healthy, and emotionally, socially, and cognitively ready to succeed in school and life and all students that leave high school demonstrate that they are college- and career-ready.

McGuinness also offered two alternatives for structuring a new state entity. The first alternative focuses on higher education. The intention would be to establish a higher education coordination and policy analysis entity that would focus on strategic planning and policy analysis, seamless student transitions, and program administration and oversight.

The second alternative would focus on all sectors of education. The intention would be to create an education coordination and policy analysis entity that focuses on the same functions as in the first alternative but extends to all sectors of education.

The Committee is scheduled to meet for its final meeting on November 15.