1. Postsecondary Pathways of High School Graduates:
An Analysis of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems
Alexa Wesley

2. Background – OSS Project Interest
Diverse range of postsecondary pathways
Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree
Certificate and credential programs
Apprenticeships
Military
Full-time employment
ED and DOL grants for State Longitudinal Data Systems (P-20W)
Gaps in coverage

3. Current Study Research Questions:
Where are states in the process of system implementation?
How are states linking information?
What postsecondary credentials are states tracking?
What are the barriers and facilitators of implementation success?

4. Study Methodology: Implementation Evaluation
Literature Review
Existing studies and reports (NCES, IHEP, SHEEO, GAO, ECS, NGA, WDQC)
Six Case Study States: Washington, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, Texas
Phone interviews
State websites/dashboards

5. Linking Data Sources State-Level Data Limitations
Memorandums of understanding (MOUs)
State unemployment insurance (UI) wage records
SSN as common linking element
Limitations
Hard to match K12 into the workforce
UI data excludes federal employees, independent contractors, military employees, and those who work out-of-state

6. Linking Data Sources Cross-State Limitations
National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)
Workforce Record Interchange System 2 (WRIS2)
Federal Employment Data Exchange System (FEDES)
Limitations
WRIS2 and FEDES data only available for federal or state reporting purposes
Evaluations on wage data require specific consent from contributors

7. Postsecondary Enrollment StatusWA AK FL MD VA TX
Enrollment in state public 2-year and 4-year institutions X
Enrollment in state private, nonprofit institutions
Enrollment in state private career/for-profit schools
Enrollment in apprenticeship programs
Enrollment in out-of-state public or private institutions  X
Field of Study (CIP)
Enrollment by race/ethnicity, gender, and low-income status X*
Enrollment by LEP status
Enrollment by disability status

8. Postsecondary Credential DataWA AK FL MD VA TX
Receipt of certificate, associate’s , bachelor’s , and master’s degree or above X
Completion of apprenticeship credential
Credential by race/ethnicity, gender, and low-income status X*
Credential by LEP status
Credential by disability status
Postsecondary education outcomes of incarcerated youth
Postsecondary education outcomes of HS CTE completers

9. Workforce Data WA AK FL MD VA TX
Earnings of HS graduates from college into the workforce X
X**
Earnings of HS graduates
Earnings of HS non-completers
Earnings of HS graduates, by race, gender, and low-income status X*
Earnings of HS graduates from college into the workforce, by race, gender, and low-income status
Workforce outcomes of incarcerated youth
Industry Sector (NAICS) disaggregated by education level
Hours worked
Occupation (SOC Code)
High school graduates in the federal government/military (FEDES)

10. Recommendations
Revise or establish state legislation to improve access to credential and workforce data disaggregated by student cohort characteristics;
Develop a culture of trust and highlight the mutual benefits of data sharing;
Advocate for sharing apprenticeship and industry-recognized credentials in data sharing agreements;
Enter cross-state data sharing agreements to support the collection of more comprehensive postsecondary and employment outcomes;
Enhance UI records by including hours worked and occupation codes;
Establish aligned data definitions across systems to reduce duplications and allow for more timely data linkages across agencies;
Allocate more state and federal funds to maintaining and improving K12 and workforce data linkages.
These are outlined more in the report, but just to highlight a few:
One would be for states to revise or establish state legislation to improve access to credential and workforce data disaggregated by student cohort characteristics; enable early buy-in; reduce restrictions
Develop a culture of trust and highlight the mutual benefits of data sharing; emphasize early wins
Advocate for sharing apprenticeship and industry-recognized credentials in data sharing agreements; can lead to positive outcomes, a lot of CTE people
Allocate more state and federal funds to maintaining and improving K12 and workforce data linkages; all need greater resources

11. QUESTIONS?