WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Data-collection and reporting processes are consistent throughout each local area; data is validated as required by US DOL. Commerce has policies related to data collection and reporting processes required for each local workforce system, including Data and Information Collection and Maintenance, Record Maintenance and Retention, Eligibility Determination and Documentation, Fiscal Manual, and the State Performance Accountability System. All current and draft policies can be found at http://kwpolicies.kansascommerce.com/Pages/Default.aspx.

VR will collect and report data necessary for the common accountability measures identified in WIOA, the quarterly state-specific data measures identified in the Performance Indicators operational elements, the data necessary for the extensive metrics included in the goals and priorities section of the VR Services Portion of the Combined State Plan, and the data necessary for evaluation and continuous improvement.

Data Collection and Sharing Strategies

The vision for data collection and sharing in Kansas is described below in the Data Collection and Sharing Work Group report.

As per strategy found in Title 1 Subtitle A, Chapter 1, Section 101-102 of Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), data collection and sharing is vital to the collective partner efforts defined relating to federal common measures reporting. Data collection and sharing will be a collaborative effort between partnering agencies including, but not limited to, Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Department of Commerce (Commerce), Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), and Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) resulting in the development of strategies for aligning MIS systems. These partner agencies plan to promote the responsible and legal sharing of data to be used in research for program improvement while collaborating on reporting to support continuous workforce training. These partnerships will deepen the functionality of the data. A primary goal is to be able to track students from PK-12 through workforce training programs, adult education programs, or postsecondary education and into the workforce. Wage earnings data will be used to assess program outcomes, and career and technical educational programs will be marketed to workers receiving unemployment insurance, participating in adult education programs or seeking workforce training. Data sharing linkages will be developed to further support reduction of duplicative data collection as well as provide an integrated reporting of accountability measures.

Operational Elements/Activities

1. Expand the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) to integrate workforce longitudinal data, developing necessary agreements, and matching education data with workforce data at the individual record level and across workforce programs, for better evaluation of federally and state supported education and workforce programs;

2. Protect personally identifiable information;

3. Using SLDS data to evaluate performance of federal and state supported job training and education programs and to make policy adjustments for continuous program improvement;

4. Providing user-friendly information to consumers to aid in the selection of education and training programs, including production and dissemination of workforce training provider performance information and outcomes in a standardized “scorecard” format;

The alignment of the activities, shown above will benefit underemployed individuals seeking training opportunities, potential career and technical education consumers, and individuals with significant barriers or disabilities. Benefits include:

1. Enhanced service delivery: The data will support program performance and outcome evaluation and drive policy development and program management.

2. Improved outcomes for job seekers: Allow job seekers the ability to use a streamlined system that allows them to select programs based on performance and outcomes. This will generate time savings for the job seekers, potentially impact unemployment benefits positively, and ultimately allow job seekers a quick response on employment and training opportunities.

3. Improved outcomes for employers: Employers will have the opportunity to view and use performance data through the same dashboard and will be able to access qualified candidates.

4. Economic development: By strengthening data collection and sharing efforts across agencies, business opportunities in the state are enhanced by the indirect development of a qualified workforce.

5. System and program accessibility: Data will be disaggregated by those with significant barriers to employment, including those with disabilities to allow local and state policy makers to evaluate the services provided to those individuals.

Measurement of success with these stated operational elements or activities will be attributed to the successful development of inter-agency data sharing agreements and related linkages of systems as a result of data sharing. All partners will monitor of data collection and validate data.

With a Round 3 Workforce Data Quality Initiative grant (WDQI), Regents, Commerce, and Labor have collaborated to create an interoperable data system. The Kansas WDQI Round 5 grant includes Vocational Rehabilitation to build on the work already in progress and create a system which will support the reduction of duplicative data collection. These partner agencies plan to promote the responsible and legal sharing of data using participant consent to match education data with workforce data at the individual record level and across workforce programs, providing an integrated reporting of performance indicators.