Californias System of Public Higher Education - Essay Example

 According to Douglass (2011), “California led the nation — and the world — in the number of high school graduates who went on to college and earned degrees.” California’s well-known system of public higher education deeply shaped the state’s goal and views on their standards of being a Californian (Douglass, 2011). Because of this system, a lot of people from the world were attracted to what California can offer and this helped sustain the state’s economy through the entrepreneurial spirit.

It is very important that the state will support higher education. Douglass (2011) stated that “California's higher education system will help define the state's future too.” Before, California always posted in the top states, however as of now, it already ranked at the bottom 10 (Douglass, 2011). There are many reasons why this situation happened. One of the reasons to blame is the recession. However, this does not mean that the state of California should give up the support to higher education.

Time will come that there will be a new California. As Douglass (2011) describe it, “one less educated, and therefore less innovative, less prosperous and less dynamic.” It is important that California should be assessed to be able to know which area the state should focus and improve. Based on Measuring UP (n.d.), the state of California did well. California made it to the top 10 for both the public and private 4-year post secondary results of comparison to other states. California was assessed and should be still be assessed in 3 different areas such as (Measuring UP, n.d.):Graded Information wherein the state’s performance is compared with the performance of those states that perform best.

Change in Graded Measures which compares the state’s performance to its own performance in early 1990s.International Comparison which California will be compared to other countries in terms of performance, completion, and level of attainment of education. It is also essential for the state to be able to provide affordability to the students. The website of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) provides State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report to aid and assist officials and educators attend to public policy matters regarding financing higher education.

California can be said to have done good in this area. When compared to Texas, California was able to post more than 2.5 million enrolees as compared to 1.2 million of Texas (State Quick Facts: California, n.d.; State Quick Facts: Texas, n.d.). The indicators used by SHEEO (n.d.) should be used by the state of California are the following:What levels of state funding to colleges and universities are necessary to maintain the economic and social well-being of the American people?What tuition levels are appropriate given the costs of higher education, its benefits to individuals, and the desirability of encouraging participation?

What student financial assistance is necessary to provide meaningful educational opportunities to students from low- and moderate-income families?How might colleges and universities use available resources to increase productivity without impairing the quality of services to students? It can be said that the state of California was able to uphold its performance when it comes to financing education and providing access to education against other states. References:About Measuring Up: What's New in Measuring Up 2006? (n.d.) Measuring Up.

Retrieved 28 September 2011 from http://measuringup.highereducation.org/about/whatsnew.cfm#improvCompare States: State Facts (n.d.). Measuring Up. Retrieved 28 September 2011 from http://measuringup.highereducation.org/compare/s_r_c_add.cfm?state=Alabama%2CAlaska%2CArizona%2CArkansas%2CCalifornia%2CColorado%2CConnecticut%2CDelaware%2CFlorida%2CGeorgia%2CHawaii%2CIdaho%2CIllinois%2CIndiana%2CIowa%2CKansas%2CKentucky%2CLouisiana%2CMaine%2CMaryland%2CMassachusetts%2CMichigan%2CMinnesota%2CMississippi%2CMissouri%2CMontana%2CNebraska%2CNevada%2CNew+Hampshire%2CNew+Jersey%2CNew+Mexico%2CNew+York%2CNorth+Carolina%2CNorth+Dakota%2COhio%2COklahoma%2COregon%2CPennsylvania%2CRhode+Island%2CSouth+Carolina%2CSouth+Dakota%2CTennessee%2CTexas%2CUtah%2CVermont%2CVirginia%2CWashington%2CWest+Virginia%2CWisconsin%2CWyoming&yearscomp=2006&pufy=on&puty=on&prfy=on&prty=on&npufy=on&nputy=on&nprfy=on&nprty=on&nus=on&ngs=on&nfps=on&nft=on&npt=onDouglass, J. (2011). “Reinventing California’s Higher Education System”. LA Times. Retrieved 27 September 2011 from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/13/opinion/la-oe-douglass-higher-ed-20110913Quick State Facts: California. (n.d.). State Higher Education Executive Officers.

Retrieved 28 September 2011 from http://www.sheeo.org/sqf/1state.asp?state=caQuick State Facts: Texas. (n.d.). State Higher Education Executive Officers. Retrieved 28 September 2011 from http://www.sheeo.org/sqf/1state.asp?state=tx