California’s education data office says it’s ready to make data tools
The California Office of Cradle-to-Career Data on Thursday announced it’s signed legal agreements with 15 government organizations that will allow it build new education data sets and develop tools that help monitor the progress of students and educators throughout the state.
The office, which creates resources focused on education for people of all ages, said it forged agreements with education, social service and workforce organizations, marking “milestones” in its work to link data currently spread across various government functions.
“Thanks to the unprecedented collaboration and leadership of more than a dozen California agencies, departments, and organizations, we are now poised to build out a landmark data system,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release. “Bringing this information together will enable a greater understanding of barriers students face and empower Californians to build more equitable futures.”
According to its website, the office is developing planning and application tools for students, families and educators that streamline the financial aid process and monitor students. It’s also developing education data dashboards and other tools that aid researchers, policymakers and educators. Gathering accurate and timely data from across state governments is an ongoing challenge for many IT leaders, and can often be slowed by federated agency structures, as in California.
Mary Ann Bates, the office’s executive director, said in the release that gathering these agreements took 18 months and involved more than 200 community representatives, a dozen agencies and 100 public meetings.
According to the announcement, the office’s first resource will be a dashboard that contains information about the “teacher training pipeline” and employment outcomes for those who receive credentials. It’s intended to inform implementation of the state’s recent $2.9 billion investment in educator training and retention.
