APPENDICES

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 135 

Appendix B: Changed Performance Goals

The Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 requires agencies to 

“identify performance goals changed or dropped since publication of the Annual Performance Plan, 

if such changes were approved by OMB, and the reasons for the changes.”119

 

119 OMB Circular A-11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget (2015), Part 6, Section 210.22 – Content for Strategic Plans, Annual 

Performance Plans, Annual Performance Reports. 
APPENDICES

CHANGED PERFORMANCE GOALS 

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 136 

FY 2015 EXTERNAL (PUBLIC-FACING) METRICS BEING REMOVED and NEW METRICS BEING ADDED FOR 2016

GOAL 1: POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, AND ADULT EDUCATION. Increase college access, affordability, quality, and 

completion by improving postsecondary education and lifelong learning opportunities for youths and adults.

EXTERNAL 

METRIC NO. METRIC (INDICATOR) BRIEF SUMMARY FOR REMOVAL NEW METRICS FOR 2016 NEW METRIC DATA SOURCE

1.1.A Rate of increase in net price of public four-year 

institutions

The annual change is volatile, with little 

ability for the Department to impact it.

1.1.A Federal student loan 

delinquency rate

National Student Loan Data 

System (NSLDS)

1.1.B Rate of increase in net price of public two-year 

institutions

The annual change is volatile, with little 

ability for the Department to impact it.

1.1.B Web traffic to the College 

Scorecard

Google Analytics Traffic data 

from College Scorecard

1.1.F Number of data points or other information reports 

released on the FSA Data Center (APG)*

NA 2016 Addition Federal Student Aid (FSA) 

Common Origination and 

Disbursement (COD) system

1.2.A Number of low-performing institutions with high loan 

default rates and low graduation rates

Administratively laborious, and CDR is 

problematic for IHEs with small n’s; 

Scorecard data offers better alternative.

1.2.A Pell enrollment at IHEs with 

high graduation rates

1.2.B Number of states that develop 

or strengthen career pathways 

policies, guidance, and or legislation

Data from College Scorecard

Development data from the 

National Skills Coalition, possibly 

supplemented with data from the 

Association of State Legislators 

and CLASP

1.3.B. Retention rate of first-time degree seeking 

undergraduates: Full-time

The annual change is volatile, with little 

ability for the Department to impact it.

1.3.B Enrollment in IHEs where 

students’ median earnings 10 years 

after entering college are below a 

minimum earnings threshold

Data from College Scorecard

1.3.C Retention rate of first-time degree seeking 

undergraduates: Part-time

The annual change is volatile, with little 

ability for the Department to impact it.

1.3.C Free Application for Federal 

Student Aid (FAFSA) Renewal Rate

FSA’s Common Origination and 

Disbursement (COD) system

 

*

 APG = Agency Priority Goal 
APPENDICES

CHANGED PERFORMANCE GOALS

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 137 

GOAL 2: ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION. Improve the elementary and secondary education system’s ability to consistently deliver excellent 

instruction aligned with rigorous academic standards while providing effective support services to close achievement and opportunity gaps, and ensure all 

students graduate high school college- and career-ready.

EXTERNAL 

METRIC NO. METRIC (INDICATOR) BRIEF SUMMARY FOR REMOVAL NEW METRIC(s) FOR 2016 NEW METRIC DATA SOURCE

2.4.B Percentage of Cohort 1 priority schools that have met the 

state exit criteria and exited priority school status

The baseline data (FY 2014 actual) 

were generated by comparing the list of 

schools flagged by States as “priority” 

or “focus” schools in the given 

academic year to the schools flagged 

by the State in the prior year. Any 

school that was not re-flagged was 

considered to have met the State’s exit 

criteria. The Department questions the 

usefulness of these data given that (1) 

States did not have consistent 

timelines, either within the State or 

across States, for beginning 

implementation in Cohort 1 schools; (2) 

while States flag schools as “priority” or 

“focus” schools, they did not flag which 

cohort these schools belong; and 

(3) States have made policy changes 

(e.g., changes in exit criteria, allowing 

schools to not be labeled “priority” 

schools while continuing to implement 

interventions) during the period of 

implementation. As a result, the 

information extrapolated from these 

data are likely to be inconclusive.

2.4.B Percentage of SIG schools in 

Cohort 5 that are above the 25th

percentile in mathematics, as 

measured by their state assessment

Analytic dataset produced by the 

contractor for the SIG National 

Summary, because this provides 

an accurate list of SIG schools 

and flags for different exclusions 

that we are included in the 

analysis. (The analytic dataset is 

a combination of EDFacts

student achievement files in Math 

and Reading, the NCES 

Common Core of Data, SIG lists 

provided to EDFacts by OSS, 

and Exclusions that are 

generated by the contractor that 

apply to these results.)

2.4.C Percentage of Cohort 1 focus schools that have met the 

state exit criteria and exited focus school status

2.4.C Percentage of SIG schools in 

Cohort 5 that are above the 25th

percentile in reading / language arts, 

as measured by their state 

assessment
APPENDICES

CHANGED PERFORMANCE GOALS

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 138 

GOAL 3: EARLY LEARNING. Improve the health, social-emotional, and cognitive outcomes for all children from birth through 3rd grade, so that all children, 

particularly those with high needs, are on track for graduating from high school college- and career-ready.

EXTERNAL 

METRIC NO. METRIC (INDICATOR) BRIEF SUMMARY FOR REMOVAL NEW METRIC(s) FOR 2016 NEW METRIC DATA SOURCE

3.1.A Number of states with Quality Rating and Improvement 

Systems (QRIS) that meet high quality benchmarks for 

child care and other early childhood programs

This is a Health and Human Services 

(HHS) metric and out of the 

Department's control or influence. HHS 

reports on all states while the 

Department reports on 20 states.

3.1.A Percent of 4-year olds enrolled 

in state preschool programs (APG)*

3.1.B Number of states with highquality preschool programs standards 

(APG)*

National Institute for Early 

Education Research (NIEER 

Yearbook)

3.2.B Number of states and territories with professional 

development systems that include core knowledge and 

competencies, career pathways, professional 

development capacity assessments, accessible 

professional development opportunities, and financial 

supports for child care providers

This is an HHS metric and out of the 

Department's control or influence.

3.2.B Number of states that require a 

teacher with a bachelor’s degree in a 

state preschool program

National Institute for Early 

Education Research (NIEER 

Yearbook)

GOAL 4: EQUITY. Increase educational opportunities for underserved students and reduce discrimination so that all students are well-positioned to 

succeed.

4.1.B Gap in the graduation rate between all students and 

students from low-income families (APG)

NA 2016 Addition EDFacts

4.1.C Number of schools that do not have a gap or have 

decreased the gap between all students and students 

from low-income families (APG)

NA 2016 Addition EDFacts
APPENDICES

CHANGED PERFORMANCE GOALS

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 139

GOAL 5: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE U.S. EDUCATION SYSTEM. Enhance the education system’s ability to continuously improve through better 

and more widespread use of data, research and evaluation, evidence, transparency, innovation, and technology.

EXTERNAL 

METRIC NO. METRIC (INDICATOR) BRIEF SUMMARY FOR REMOVAL NEW METRIC(s) FOR 2016 NEW METRIC DATA SOURCE

5.3.C Number of reviewed studies in the What Works 

Clearinghouse (WWC) database

Metric is being replaced with a more 

meaningful metric that tracks visits 

versus when a study is reviewed.

5.3.C Number of visits to the What 

Works Clearinghouse (WWC) website

WWC website analytics provided 

monthly by the WWC website 

contractor

5.3.D Number of completed project evaluations from grantees 

of select discretionary grant programs in a given fiscal 

year that meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 

Evidence Standards (APG)

NA 2016 Addition Discretionary grant slate 

memoranda, discretionary grant 

financial forecasts and reports 

from OCFO, the WWC Database

GOAL 6: U.S. DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION CAPACITY. Improve the organizational capacities of the Department to implement this strategic plan.

6.1.A Staffing gaps percentage The metric is being replaced with a 

more meaningful metric that aims to 

measure the quality of candidates being 

referred for selection.

6.1.A Percent of selections made per 

job opportunity announcement

EDHires (Monster’s electronic

hiring management system)

Total number of the Department’s 2015 external metrics being removed FY-end: 12 

Total number of new external metrics being added in 2016: 16