Check out our redesigned website (live 11/8/2024)

With funding from the Gates Foundation, ERDC has redesigned our website, our data request process, and created additional data resources. This work was undertaken because of feedback we received from our partners around the state. A few highlights include:

• ERDC’s Data Request Form is now a web-based tool. No more PDFs!
• An improved ERDC Publications portal with extra search and filter functionality making it easier to find a specific report or study.
• Additional information under Data Resources that clarifies details about ERDC’s data request process, along with more guidance to help data requesters proactively plan their request. 
• New data resources, including the comprehensive P20W Data Dictionary that includes all data available through ERDC and a data handbook which provides context about the data that is available through ERDC. These resources will provide more transparency about the data available at ERDC.
• A separate webpage with information about how PCHEES data and EPP data are submitted to ERDC so that our higher education institutions can quickly find the resources they need to submit timely and accurate data to ERDC.
• The new-and-improved Public Data Request Log that provides information on data requests received by ERDC including the status of each request in ERDC’s fulfillment queue. 

Please check out the redesigned website and new resources (https://erdc.wa.gov) and let us know what you think (erdc@ofm.wa.gov).

Updated dashboards and new research findings

ERDC updated its dual credit dashboard and the 2024 Annual Report on Dual Credit in September and published a research brief in May on the Postsecondary Credential Outcomes for Dual Credit Students.

Findings from the research brief include:

1. A growing proportion of high school graduates earned an associate award within three years of high school graduation, driven partially by those awarded during high school through Running Start (RS).
2. Graduates who enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College in the High School (CiHS), and RS had higher rates of earning at least one postsecondary credential within six years of high school graduation than the statewide average. The magnitude of this rate increase varied by student group and dual credit type.
3. Students enrolled in RS earned associate and bachelor's degrees sooner and with fewer average credits after high school than the statewide average and other dual credit types. RS was also more likely to have an associate degree as their highest credential than other dual credit types.

ERDC updated its Public Four Year Finance Dashboard with two new years of data. Changes to the data collection sources now allows ERDC to provide users the most recent year of key financial metrics for public 4-year institutions.

Supporting access to postsecondary data

ERDC is working with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to provide postsecondary enrollment and outcomes information to Washington School Districts and High Schools. ERDC anticipates releasing National Student Clearinghouse by the end of the 2024 and additional reports in the Fall of 2025.

Sharing our work and learning from others

• Sharing our work around engaging community with the Strategic Data Partners (SDP) fellows.
• Connecting with education research and data leaders through the Harvard Strategic Data Partnership to support key projects in Early Learning.
• Learning from other states at the Community of Innovation about data architecture, governance, and use and privacy enhancing technologies and guidance around AI.
• Partnering on Webinars sponsored by the League of Education Voters on specific topic areas such as educational outcomes for students who have experienced foster care, homelessness, or institutional ed. The next “LEVinar” is on 11/14/2024 on Dual Credit. If interested, you can access materials and recordings or register for “LEVinars” here - Join us for a Lunchtime LEVinar - League of Education Voters
• ERDC will be presenting at the Washington Educational Research Association in December on their Dual Credit data portfolio and a special study that focuses on Career and Technical Education.

Do you want to see your group on this list? Invite us to a future meeting by reaching out at erdc@ofm.wa.gov.

Welcome to our newest team member

Natasha Rosenblatt joined ERDC on November 1 as our Senior Data Governance and Operations Specialist. Natasha has worked for years with data systems in both the education and healthcare areas. She has experience safeguarding data privacy, developing and managing data sharing agreements, and extensive experience managing all aspects of data systems. Since 2016, Natasha has been with the Community Center for Education Results (CCER) and most recently she served as the Senior Director of Data and Strategy where she collaborated across diverse functional areas to develop and execute organizational strategy, including data governance and developing ethical data practices.

ERDC data in action

Fall 2024 public higher education enrollment data has been requested by multiple partners:

• Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is sharing Fall term preliminary postsecondary enrollment data during their November Council meeting.
• Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program (LEAP) is using the data for tracking state funded enrollment at public 4-year and 2-year institutions. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) are using the data in their Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (CAFR) report.

The Strategic Data Partnership (SDP), an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, collaborated with ERDC to produce a set of diagnostic reports as described below.

In 2013, the Washington Student Achievement Council set an ambitious goal for 70% of the state’s 25- to 44-year-olds to hold a postsecondary credential by 2029 to meet the rising educational demands of Washington’s economy, where nearly 70% of jobs are projected to require higher education. Currently, only 53% of young adults meet this benchmark, revealing a significant gap. To address this, the SDP collaborated with ERDC to develop a series of diagnostic analyses tracking Washington’s high school graduates from 2013 and 2014 through education and workforce pathways. Using state longitudinal data, these analyses examine college-going, completion patterns, workforce outcomes, and wage benchmarks to identify barriers and support needs for Washington’s students. By uncovering insights into access, completion rates, and economic stability, this project empowers state leaders to set benchmarks, address disparities, and strengthen support systems to help students achieve their educational goals and meet workforce demands. 

Read the full report here.

Wsipp_Postsecondary-Education-Programs-in-Washington-Prisons-An-Analysis-of-Post-Release-Education-Outcomes_Report.pdf