Matthew Hendricks: Tracking Dollars, Data, and Educational Outcomes

Higher Ed Now welcomes Matthew Hendricks, the founder of Perspective Data Science, a small data consulting firm that specializes in education finance and policy analytics. Professor Hendricks previously served as the Chair of the Department of Economics at The University of Tulsa. For over 12 years, he has been engaged in education policy research at all levels of education, including Head Start programming, pre-K-12 grade policies, and higher education finance policy. His research on the impacts of changes in base salaries on teacher productivity has been published in the Journal of Public Economics and Economics of Education Review.

Professor Hendricks’s latest work intends to promote financial stability and improve student outcomes in higher education. To do so, he is working with struggling institutions to promote transparency among stakeholders and help school administrators and board members make better policy decisions. Part of that work includes creating college benchmarking dashboards, interpreting the data, and disseminating key findings. 

Anna Sillers, ACTA's Data Analyst Fellow for Trustee & Government Affairs, met with Professor Hendricks to explore how his innovative dashboards can help faculty, administrators, alumni, and trustees better understand an institution’s finances – ensuring that when educational dollars are spent, they can provide the best outcomes for students.