State Postsecondary Education Policy Systems

Knowledge of state postsecondary education systems and their policy processes can be enhanced by the development of systems and policy models and the use of methods of systems and policy analysis. Prototype systems and policy models suitable for adaptation to specific states and policy issues are presented in this paper. The paper also includes examples of adapted models—the systems model adapted to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the policy model adapted to the issue of state support for independent institutions in Pennsylvania.