In July, the University of California System announced an initiative to measure and report publicly the performance of its 10 campuses. This would be the first such report of its kind for that system.

Previously, in June, the Minnesota State Colleges and University System announced a new "accountability dashboard" to monitor its 32 colleges and universities.

These efforts come as people in higher education appreciate having clear, quantifiable performance data. Increasingly, students, lawmakers and taxpayers use such information to evaluate their return on investment.

Wisconsinites sometimes envy places like California and Minnesota. In this instance, however, we can take pride in Wisconsin's longstanding leadership in public accountability reporting.

In 1993, the University of Wisconsin System became the first statewide system of higher education to publish an annual accountability report, focused on consistent measures of access, degree completion, professional preparation and stewardship of resources.

Today, this annual assessment continues to provide valuable insights. For example, our 2008 report shows how UW institutions have steadily improved graduation rates, which are now eight points higher than a decade ago and better than the national average. We've made real progress here, and we will press for more.

This year's report also showed that a targeted effort has resulted in undergraduates taking fewer course credits on their path toward a bachelor's degree, saving money and freeing up classroom seats for others. Expanded use of new instructional technologies and distance learning is also helping the UW System reach more learners in convenient and efficient ways.

Any good performance gauge should show parts of the engine that are not running properly, and our data tell us that the UW System must do more to attract and support students of color, and those from low-income households.

This underscores the importance of the new Wisconsin Covenant and KnowHow2Go campaigns, and other efforts where the UW System is working with K-12 schools to prepare a broader cut of our kids for college.

The UW System's "Growth Agenda for Wisconsin" is a plan to produce more college graduates, grow jobs that employ them, and strengthen communities where citizens and businesses will flourish.

As we work to make that plan a reality, we are updating our accountability report to align performance measures with Wisconsin's emerging challenges.

In addition to reporting traditional undergraduate enrollments, for example, we will focus on working adults enrolled in flexible degree programs. Likewise, we will look at the university's support for business start-ups.

Not resting on these laurels, the UW System wants to preserve Wisconsin's leadership in all areas of accountability. More important, we want to ensure that all UW System stakeholders have the information they need to make informed decisions about the state's key knowledge economy asset.

Reilly is president of the UW System, and Lyall is president emeritus of the UW System.