Located in:
- III. Operational Planning Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that supports the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in section II Strategic Elements. This includes—
- 6. Program Data
- A. Data Alignment and Integration
Describe the plans of the lead State agencies with responsibility for the administration of the core programs, along with the State Board, to align and integrate available workforce and education data systems for the core programs, unemployment insurance programs, and education through postsecondary education, and to the extent possible, the Combined State Plan partner programs included in this plan. The description of the State’s plan for integrating data systems should include the State’s goals for achieving integration and any progress to date.
Describe data-collection and reporting processes used for all programs and activities, including the State’s process to collect and report data on co-enrollment, and for those present in the one-stop centers.
- A. Data Alignment and Integration
- 6. Program Data
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 6. A. i. Describe the State’s plans to make the management information systems for the core programs interoperable to maximize the efficient exchange of common data elements to support assessment and evaluation
Current Narrative:
The Education & Workforce Development (EWD) database, housed within Indiana’s Management Performance Hub (MPH) creates enhanced opportunities to combine workforce and education data (K-12 and higher education) to examine employment outcomes, retention of graduates, differential outcomes based on degree type and area of study and a wide range of other research to better understand the linkages between education and the workforce. This longitudinal dataset, supported by the NCES State Longitudinal Data Systems Grant, is combined to answer key questions about the education and workforce pipeline. It allows stakeholders such as education professionals, employers, policymakers, students, community leaders, and the public to use data and information previously not available. Partner agencies include the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE), the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), the Department of Workforce Development (DWD), and the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). EWD does not replace agency data collection and administration responsibilities; rather, it serves as a clearinghouse where specific data elements are linked across the four agencies. With the solid foundation of Indiana’s EWD system resting on the collaboration of multiple State agencies, the mandate for cross-agency data management and analysis that is part of MPH’s charter, MPH’s human capital and expertise, and a system that has been refined over the last few years, Indiana is in a good position to take its P-20 data system to the next level.
An example of this work involves a collaborative project where the GWC, the Indiana Charter School Board (ICSB), and DWD are working to develop a secondary shared data template to have longitudinal reporting on adult secondary providers. This will involve MPH EWD reporting for Workforce Diploma and Adult High Schools.
In 2023, the Indiana Department of Education launched the Graduates Prepared to Succeed Dashboard2. The dashboard includes metrics from Pre-K to high school graduation and beyond. Education and workforce data housed within the dashboard use data powered by the EWD to provide increased transparency with the goal of empowering Indiana’s educators, families, communities, and employers. The Indiana GPS dashboard seeks to: provide educators with a variety of essential data points to support continuous improvement of student learning across the K-12 continuum, support families and community stakeholders by providing meaningful, relevant, and transparent information about school progress and performance, and elevate the highest-performing schools as models of excellence and identify other schools for additional support.
As evidenced by its use from policy makers and researchers, the MPH EWD has achieved a critical mass of linked data that can be usefully mined for insights regarding trends and outcomes to support assessment and evaluation of core programs. The secondary shared data template will provide leadership the ability to apply performance measures that align across agencies and programs, providing the State the ability to track outcomes not currently reported like completion of employability skills curriculum or levels of credential attainment.