Setting a Public Agenda for Higher Education in the States

Five states participated formally in the new National Collaborative for Higher Education Policy: Missouri, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. The starting point for the analysis in each state was Measuring Up, the national report card series issued by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. A common priority in all of the states was the need for a more highly educated population that could function effectively in a technologically sophisticated world. This report summarizes lessons learned from the collaborative project. It offers guidance to states interested in gaining broad agreement around a new agenda for higher education that is grounded in performance in the state and directed toward meeting the needs of state residents.