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Dashboard Resources

"...collaboration is essential [and requires] the collective efforts of K-12, higher education, community-based organizations, and other critical partners."

The 2017 WSAC Roadmap on closing the Opportunity Gap

Roadmap Data

Since 2013, a Technical Work Group composed of staff from the Student Achievement Council and partner agencies meets multiple times per year to review a broad range of metrics, indicators, and data sources for each core measure.

The indicators and progress metrics selected offered the best combination of research-based rigor and relevance to the Council’s work. Where available, data is disaggregation by subgroups, including age, race/ethnicity, income, gender, sector, and other factors. 

Roadmap Technical Work Group

WSAC greatly appreciates the assistance of the 2018 Technical Work Group, and look forward to continued work in 2019:

  • Darby Kaikkonen, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
  • Dave Wallace, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
  • Deb Came, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Jim Schmidt*, Office of Financial Management/Education Research and Data Center
  • Katie Weaver Randall, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Paul Francis, Council of Presidents
  • Terri Standish-Kuon*, Independent Colleges of Washington

*New to the Technical Work Group in 2019 

Common Data Sources

  • Educational Attainment measures are based on the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey (ACS), as are comparisons of income, age, gender, and race/ethnicity variables.[iii]
  • K-12 measures are primarily based on data from Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with alternative credentials from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
  • Postsecondary measures primarily come from the following sources:
    • Enrollment and completion: U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) includes group data for ~125 Washington institutions (and 7,000 in the US and abroad) that participate in Federal Title-IV financial aid programs. IPEDS allows for comparisons between public- and private-sector institutions on a broad range of standard variables in over two dozen annual surveys, many with disaggregations. Unfortunately, IPEDS data is often released 18-24 months after the reporting period, and as each insitution reports data in aggregate, there is less ability for deeper analysis then student level data.
    • Affordability: Washington Student Achievement Council's Unit Record Report (WSAC URR) includes student level, financial aid-focussed data for those receiving need-based aid or federal loans at over 65 Washington institutions participating in WSAC's State Need Grant, College Bound and Passport Scholarship programs. URR data has high availability, typically available 6-8 months after the reporting period, and allows for more detailed analysis for the Dashboards. However, only students receiving aid at participating Washington institutions are reported. 
    • Other measures, detailed in the tables below, include data from the Workforce Training and Education Board and U.S. Veterans Administration. 
  • Funding measures come from LEAP's Historical Tuition Revenues, Enrollments, & Operating Funds report.

There are inherent limitations to any data source, and these limitations can constrain the research design, range of variables, and analysis; some of those limitations are noted in the report. Interested readers may wish to contact the data source providers or review available technical documentation for more information.

For a summary of the research on progress metrics and indicators associated with high school completion and postsecondary success considered for this report, see: Ritter, B. (2015). Factors Influencing High School Graduation (PDF).

Data Repository

The Excel workbook embedded below (or click to open in new window and download) is a single file containing the data used to populate the dashboards. The first workbook main page is a menu with links to the individual data worksheets and columns containing metadata for each measure; you can easily return to the main menu page by clicking the upper-left cell in the spreadsheet. This file is updated as new data is released and may contain preliminary data (highlighted in yellow) or for future dashboards that may not be fully reviewed or ready for final release. 

For more information on the data used for the Roadmap, please email data@wsac.wa.gov

Data, Dashboards, and Research Resources

WSAC's valued partners across the state of Washington (and beyond) have developed and are actively developing data products to help illustrate and inform their missions, policies, and programs. Some of these tools linked in the lists below have served as a data source for the Roadmap Dashboards and Reports, while many others have served as inspiration to this project.  

Other WSAC Data, Dashboards, and Research

Educational Partner Dashboards and Resources

Council of Presidents

Data.wa.gov

Department of Early Learning

Education Research and Data Center and Office of Financial Management

  • Data Dashboards including High School Feedback, Higher Education Finance, Early Learning, Earnings for Graduates, Public Four-Year Institutions, and Time to Degree 
  • Publications
     

Independent Colleges of Washington

Employment Security Department

Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee and Office of Financial Management

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Professional Educations Standards Board

The Roadmap Project (South King County)

State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

University of Washington 

Washington State Board of Education

Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board

 

Other Washington State Dashboards and Data Resources

Eastern Washington University Community Indicators Project

 

  • Katie Weaver Randall, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
  •