Connecting the Dots Between Classrooms and Careers Through Data

Link education and workforce systems for greater impact

State and local leaders across the U.S. are working to create seamless education-to-career pathways but face persistent challenges: siloed agencies, inconsistent metrics, and disconnected data systems. As a result, it’s difficult to track whether learners are progressing through key transitions, from pre-K to elementary school, to high school, to postsecondary education, to meaningful employment.

Equip leaders with data to drive locally led solutions

The Education-to-Workforce (E-W) Indicator Framework offers a clear roadmap for aligning goals and tracking progress across pre-K-12, postsecondary, and workforce systems. As a strategic planning tool, it helps states strengthen connections across systems and use data more effectively to inform action. Specifically, the framework helps states to:

• Evaluate cross-agency data capacity and how well current efforts align with key indicators.
• Map existing data sources to the framework and identify critical gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Strengthen collaboration across sectors, bringing together education, workforce, and economic development leaders.
• Develop real-world use cases and interactive dashboards that inform policy and support continuous program improvement.

Driving insight, action, and alignment

As part of its effort to build a more connected education and workforce data system, Nebraska’s Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System (NSWERS) used the Education-to-Workforce (E‑W) Indicator Framework to guide indicator selection and strengthen cross-agency alignment. The framework helped NSWERS prioritize predictive measures, uncover data gaps, and inform state-level policy discussions:

• Focused attention on early literacy as a predictive indicator: NSWERS analyzed third grade reading proficiency and found that students who exceeded benchmarks were 33 percentage points more likely to enroll in college.
• Identified and addressed key data gaps: The framework’s emphasis on early college coursework led NSWERS to expand its reporting to include Advanced Placement (AP) participation, filling an important gap in its existing dual credit data.
• Elevated the role of data in policymaking: Findings from NSWERS’ E‑W-aligned literacy analysis were cited by Nebraska legislators in support of more robust early literacy interventions and better student progress tracking.
• Advanced cross-sector indicator alignment: NSWERS used the framework to connect K–12, postsecondary, and workforce outcomes, enabling more coherent decision making across the learner-to-earner continuum.