State Data Project

Achieving the Dream states are working collaboratively with the four additional states from the Ford Foundation's Bridges to Opportunity initiative – Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Washington -- to develop a common framework for the effective collection, analysis, and use of data on student outcomes. This effort will help states develop plans for collecting data that charts the experiences and progress of community college students (including subgroups disaggregated by income, race, age, educational background, and other characteristics) and using the data to improve decision-making at the state and college levels. States are receiving technical assistance from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). Together, the participating states are developing plans to strengthen their state data systems and to devising strategies for benchmarking improvement and success at the college and state levels.

Notes from Achieving the Dream Data Meeting, March 8, 2006, Tampa, FL  
Summary of Decisions and Next Steps
Author: Sue Goldberger, Jobs for the Future

Using State Data to Improve Community College Student Success and Attainment 
This discussion paper, written for a joint meeting of Achieving the Dream and Bridges to Opportunity state teams in January 2006, presents an assessment of data resources in the 11 states. It proposes several possible benchmarking measures that could be implemented across the states, and raises issues for further discussion.