This resource from the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) is a performance indicator framework designed to help leaders of postsecondary credential programs serving learners who are incarcerated. The report comes as the U.S. Department of Education expands the Second Chance Pell program, which allows institutions of higher education to enroll incarcerated learners using Pell funds. The report indicates the need for comprehensive data to measure the impact of these programs and to promote and support successful models that lead to positive learner outcomes beyond recidivism. The Higher Education in Prison Key Performance Indicators Framework examines data collection practices from three programs — the University of Iowa’s Liberal Arts Beyond Bars program, Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame’s Moreau College Initiative and Raritan Valley Community College — and develops key performance indicators that could help higher education in prison programs collect and report better data on their impact. The indicators are designed to measure learner success outcomes, academic quality, civic engagement and soft skill development.
