Resource: Smarter Systems, Stronger States
Opportunities to Improve State Data Systems Based on Insights and Learning from the Launch Initiative
Since the Launch Initiative began in 2022, the Launch national partners, Advance CTE, Education Strategy Group, Jobs for the Future (JFF), and New America have supported 15 cross-sector site teams from 14 states made up of state and local K–12, postsecondary, and workforce leaders; intermediary organizations; and private sector champions.
As part of the early work of Launch, seven site teams completed a data capacity assessment that allowed them to dig deeply into how they currently gather, analyze, and share learner data. In aggregating results across these seven sites, the national partners noted that limitations in available data and/or ineffective data sharing created challenges that hindered the programmatic decision-making necessary to mitigate barriers to access and success learners might experience.
Some of the challenges in data collection and sharing the sites reported include:
- Just 12% of states had the capacity to follow learners across systems
- Less than half of the states had the capacity to disaggregate data by learner group
- Nearly three-quarters of the states reported having local capacity to collect work-based learning completion data, but less than half reported having state capacity to do so.
- Half of the states reported having local capacity to collect advising participation data, but just 8% reported having state capacity to do so.
- Less than half of the states had the capacity to collect learner-level college and career pathways participation data beyond course enrollment
Authored by Education Strategy Group for the Launch Initiative, Smarter Systems, Stronger States highlights the “smart opportunities” states should invest in to improve their data systems and shares examples from Launch work in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. This brief includes actionable recommendations and a self-assessment tool to help state leaders
- Strengthen state infrastructure;
- Choose the right tools for data collection and sharing;
- Build state and local expertise and data literacy; and
- Push for quality data collection and reporting beyond compliance.
