Preparing Students for Jobs: Ensuring Student Success in the

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.