DATA-DRIVEN IMPACT IN STEM

What gets measured gets done. Washington STEM works to help democratize access to data on student indicators and labor market projections that can tell us whether we, along with our partners, are creating more equitable access for priority populations across the state.

DATA-DRIVEN IMPACT IN STEM

What gets measured gets done. Washington STEM works to help democratize access to data on student indicators and labor market projections that can tell us whether we, along with our partners, are creating more equitable access for priority populations across the state.

Overview

When we launch a new technical partnership for systems-level change, data and measurement are the first step. Data helps us establish a baseline, measure progress and set goals, and uncover systemic inequities related to gender, race, geography, or income.

But at Washington STEM we don’t do data and measurement in a vacuum—we do it in community. Before we start tracking data we listen deeply to what teachers, students, and their families are saying. We ask what hunches they have about systemic barriers holding students back.

Then we dig into the existing research: we identify which indicators (that is, quantitative data) research has shown to be effective in identifying meaningful student outcomes. Then we ask questions to uncover the “why”—the qualitative data. We use this mixed-methods approach to design strategies and policies that respond to students’ lived experiences. The results are widely shared data and transformative outcomes.

What data tool should I use?

 

Data and dashboards

Washington STEM is leading the way in creating open-source, actionable data dashboards that provide insights into our state’s STEM economy. (Learn more about Washington STEM’s data tools here.) With this data in hand, we can help create a clear through-line from the classroom to a career for Washington students. Washington STEM’s suite of tools provide the data needed to bring clarity to the complex, from career and credential availability (CORI), to finding the most in-demand family-wage jobs at the regional level (Labor Market Dashboard), to providing a snapshot of regional data in Early Learning and Care, to letting us know if the education system is supporting all students—especially students of color, rural students, students living in poverty, and girls and young women—to be on track to attain high-demand credentials.

Similarly, our dashboards for STEM by the Numbers and the State of the Children let us know if the system is supporting more students—especially students of color, rural students, students living in poverty, and girls and young women—to be on track to attain high-demand credentials.

Statewide monitoring & Reports

Good data and consistent monitoring can help communities understand the impact of their strategies and how things are changing over time. They also help leaders understand where to invest precious resources and how to plan for the future. The State of the Children: Early Learning & Care regional reports shine a light on the precarious position of Washington’s early learning systems. Similarly, Family Friendly Workplace regional reports provide data for business leaders to invest in equitable child care across the state.

Technical partnership

We engage in cross-sector partnerships to solve systemic problems by identifying and scaling creative, local solutions that help remove barriers and close opportunity gaps. By partnering closely with leaders in the community and our ten regional network partners, we are able to work to identify the root causes of longstanding issues and develop solutions that help break down barriers for priority populations.

These are some examples of our technical partnerships:

 

*”Family-wage” is defined by the University of Washington Self-Sufficiency Standard, 2020, and assumes a family of four with two working adults. **Credentials include 1-year certificate or a 2- or 4-year degree. (Source: STEM by the Numbers dashboard, coming May 2023).
By 2030, there will be 151,411 more STEM jobs than local postsecondary graduates who can fill them.
We created our FAFSA Completion dashboard to help schools set goals to improve their FAFSA completion rates over time.
The Kindergarten Math Ready tool shows the percentage of math-ready kindergartners by gender, race/ethnicity and whether they are English language learners, or in low-income households.
The Labor Market Dashboard combines regional data focused on future job projections, wage ranges, and other labor-related statistics so that Washington students and families can know what careers are available to them.
Our CORI tool informs 2-year and 4-year colleges, apprenticeship providers, employers, and K-12 schools about what career pathways are available in their region.
The State of the Children dashboard presents 2022 data on demographics, language, cost of care, and wage disparities from all regions across the state.
Our High School to Postsecondary project found that the overwhelming majority of high schoolers aspire to pursue some type of postsecondary education—education beyond high school in the form of a 2- or 4-year degree, apprenticeship, or certificate opportunity.
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