Funded by philanthropic organizations, the Democratizing our Data Challenge gave states an opportunity to develop data products and collaborate across jurisdictions through the Multi-State Data Collaboratives. The Coleridge Initiative also announced the winners of the second round of the Democratizing our Data Challenge.

Democratizing our Data Challenge (DDC) Completed Projects

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Heldrich Center for Workforce Development

The Round 1 New Jersey team completed their DDC project in March 2023. This project, completed by researchers at the Heldrich Center at Rutgers University, focused on developing a publicly available data model for state K-12 data submissions to the ADRF. The team produced a project report, a technical packet of diagrams with guidelines for use, and a data dictionary.

A driving force for this project was the recent federal government focus on the greater use of education data including the Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act of 2018 and the 2021 Presidential Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government. These federal actions have catalyzed states into modernizing their antiquated infrastructures to improve data collection and link related data records to enable making informed decisions for improving student learning and outcomes.

The DDC has served as a pathway toward more collaborative research efforts to utilize state administrative data for answering critical questions affecting communities nationwide. The Challenge and ADRF environment have enabled data linkages across jurisdictions and promoted collaboration between inter- and intra-state agencies.

Expanding the Multi-State Postsecondary Report Dashboard: Collaborative Education to Workforce Flows

The Round 1 Kentucky team completed their DDC project in March 2024. Led by the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), this collaboration expanded the Multi-State Postsecondary Report Dashboard to include Indiana and Tennessee postsecondary completers. The dashboard enables decision-makers to view regional student flow patterns and gain greater insight into the relationships of state policies on postsecondary and workforce outcomes, with breakdowns by various demographic groups and measures of “quality” employment.

The dashboard was first developed by KYSTATS to provide states with a better understanding of the employment outcomes of individuals who completed a credential within their state's higher education programs. Securing data sharing across state lines in a common environment where states can work together on data problems was made possible by Coleridge's Administrative Data Research Facility. 

Kentucky continues to work with other states to expand the dashboard and develop a series of multi-state reports that serve different use cases. The team is also working on adding a tab to the dashboard to help institutions with their reporting on recent graduates. 

For more information on this project, please reach out to:

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

The Round 1 Wisconsin team completed their DDC project in June 2024. Led by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, this project developed an Unemployment-to- Reemployment portal in Wisconsin.

This interactive data visualization tool utilizes de-identified Unemployment Insurance claims data to show real-time labor market information. The portal features tiered access, which aligns data granularity with user access permissions and needs in Coleridge Initiative’s Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). The visualization dashboard and the ADRF data infrastructure allow state agency staff and local workforce boards to use this data for informed decision-making.

The portal was originally developed by Illinois to address employment challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide up-to-date labor market information. An Applied Data Analytics training course informed the development of the Wisconsin dashboard; and collaboration between states, including Arkansas and Illinois, has led to the generation of new ideas to implement in the future.

Democratizing our Data Challenge Completed Projects

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