Data Quality Campaign Ties Education Data into Workforce Data

From Data Quality Campaign and DQC Gets a New Baby Sister: Workforce Data Quality Campaign:

Category:

• P–20/Workforce Pipeline

The Data Quality Campaign has joined with the Association for Career and Technical Education, CLASP, National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium, National Association of State Workforce Agencies, National Skills Coalition, and New America Foundation to advocate for inclusive, aligned, and relevant education and workforce data. This group of national partners believes that in order to achieve economic growth and shared prosperity, we need data-driven education and training policies that prepare all Americans for a skilled workforce that helps US industries compete in a changing 21st century economy. To that end, we created the Workforce Data Quality Campaign (WDQC) in order to ensure that workforce data systems

• include all students and pathways;
• count industry-recognized credentials as well as degrees;
• assess employment outcomes for all participants;
• expand use of labor market information;
• ensure appropriate data access and use.

And now we have a leader to help us accomplish these goals. Rachel Zinn will join the national partners of the WDQC as the organization’s first director this month. Ms. Zinn is an experienced policy analyst with in-depth knowledge of postsecondary programs and data systems. She has spent the past five years at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where she guided initiatives to enhance data access and usage and developed strong working relationships with key federal and state stakeholders. Her experience as an analyst in both the labor and education branches of OMB make her an ideal candidate to not only lead the data discussion in workforce circles, but to work with DQC to link those priorities to the K–12 and postsecondary education data conversations. DQC welcomes Rachel to the WDQC family, and we look forward to working together.

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I made a comment and asked some questions to Ms. Zinn but my posting hasn't shown up yet.  The gist of the comment:

From the writer:  The Data Quality Campaign has joined with the Association for Career and Technical Education, CLASP, National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium, National Association of State Workforce Agencies, National Skills Coalition, and New America Foundation to advocate for inclusive, aligned, and relevant education and workforce data. 

What constitutes "inclusive, aligned and relevant" education data to this writer?  Is this just assessment data or does it include personal data on children and families?  These adjectives are non-specific and it would be helpful if the DQC would explain and provide to taxpayers and legislators descriptors and actual data sets of "inclusive, aligned and relevant" education data gathered that will be combined with workforce data.

I would also appreciate knowing who is determining what education data will be gathered,  gathered by what entity, where this data will be sent and disseminated, and for what purpose.  I would also appreciate if you could explain how this information can be gathered on minor children without parental permission.

Do you think I will get an answer?   You might want to ask your own questions to DQC.  Maybe your questions/comments will be posted!

Information on Data Quality Campaign funders:

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
• Alliance for Early Success
• AT&T
• Target

The AT&T designation as a funding organization caught my eye.  That might explain why I received a letter from AT&T few weeks ago stating it was tracking my data and making it available to third parties.  More on that tomorrow.