Preparing Students for Jobs Ensuring Student Success in the Workforce Why do workforce data matter? A strong education prepares students to succeed To develop and support a strong workforce, in their chosen careers, but education, training, policymakers, educators, school and business and employment pathways are changing. leaders, students, and the labor force can use Individuals take multiple paths into the workforce. data to inform improvements to the variety of Some get jobs after completing high school, routes through education and careers. States can some after earning a college degree. Others securely link limited K–12 data with postsecondary leave the workforce to go back to school, while and workforce data, such as program completion still others enroll in education or skills training or employment status, to evaluate which schools, while working. One-fourth of adults in the United programs, and pathways help students be States have nondegree credentials, such as an successful in college and careers. States can information technology certificate, and workers also collect and report information on students’ with nondegree credentials have higher earnings readiness for college and careers to provide than those without them. transparency and inform decisions about how to best prepare students for college and beyond. States can develop a cross-agency governance council to guide secure data collection, sharing, and use. Governance councils, with members from different agencies, can help states use data to gain a holistic understanding of both traditional and nontraditional routes to employment. According to Data for Action 2014, 43 states have a cross-agency data governance council, but the state-level policy leaders and other representatives included on the councils vary. 35 Postsecondary 30 Labor/workforce 29 Chief state school officer 21 Community colleges 12 Career and technical education 10 Adult basic and secondary education 9 Business community 0 5 10 15 20 25 Number of states 30 35 40 By securely sharing limited, critical information about how their graduates fare as they move from education into the workforce, the K–12, postsecondary, and workforce sectors can identify best practices or make adjustments to programs or curriculum. Forty-three states 2014 VT WA OR* ID NV CA* WY UT MN WI SD* IA NE CO AZ report that they securely link K–12 data systems with postsecondary data systems, 19 states securely link K–12 and workforce data systems, and 27 states securely link postsecondary and workforce data systems. ND MT KS OK NM MI OH IL IN KY MO PA WV VA NC TN AR MS AL TX NY GA ME NH MA CT RI NJ* DE MD DC SC LA FL AK HI n Securely link postsecondary and workforce data systems *California, New Jersey, Oregon, and South Dakota did not participate in the Data for Action 2014 survey. While schools and districts are responsible for monitoring student enrollment and participation in college and career readiness programs, states can play a critical role in securely collecting data on student participation in these opportunities. States can use this information to ensure that students have equitable access to college and career readiness programs that meet their education needs. Enrollment in early college or dual enrollment program Enrollment in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or other college readiness courses 43 41 Career and technical education participant 39 Career and technical education concentrator 37 Participation in science, technology, engineering, or math courses or activities 35 Participation in college and career readiness and exploration program 24 Participation in apprenticeship, internship, or work-based learning 20 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Number of states To learn more, read State Student Data Privacy Legislation: What Happened in 2014, and What Is Next? and Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018. The Data Quality Campaign’s Data for Action is a series of analyses that highlight state progress and key priorities to promote the effective use of data to improve student achievement. For more information, and to view Data for Action 2014, please visit www.dataqualitycampaign.org.
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