How States Can Encourage Economic Mobility by Improving How They Measure College and Career Readiness: A Summary of Current Measurement Challenges and How to Solve Them

Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org

N

11

National Governors Association (NGA)

Career Readiness; College Readiness; Evaluation Methods; Educational Policy; Measurement Techniques; State Policy; Educational Indicators; Outcomes of Education; Education Work Relationship; Accountability; Data Collection; Social Mobility; Economic Factors; High School Students; Elementary Secondary Education; Preschool Education

States heavily invest in education budgets for good reason. Ensuring high-quality education is part of a state's commitment to a robust economy, thriving communities, and civic well-being. The current emphasis on state and local authority in federal education policy conversations underscores the critical role states play in shaping strong education policy. Drawing from a review of a 50-state scan of the college and career readiness measures used in education accountability systems as well as a review of the evidence connecting those measures to long-term outcomes, this summary provides actionable steps state leaders can take toward a State Student Readiness Index. The index will complement existing resources by honing in on some indicators of foundational tools such as the Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework and leveraging the current readiness of states for new data collections from the State Opportunity Index. In the short term, governors can ensure they are monitoring the key measures that evidence says are most predictive of future success. States can also implement targeted policies and investments that are known to improve these metrics. In the long term, states can improve their data systems to directly measure students' long-term success. Additionally, as the education research and development field continues to develop new skill-based measures that are both predictive of adult success and more informative for designing education programming, policy, interventions, and investments, states can monitor those, too, including them in a State Student Readiness Index. First, the authors provide a short list of college and career readiness measures that are collected in most states, which are linked to positive adult outcomes, and can be nearly immediately monitored to guide targeted investments. They also provide policy recommendations related to these metrics. The authors provide reminders about how these metrics can be interpreted. Next, they push states to improve their data systems to be able to monitor actual student outcomes in adulthood--strengthening states' confidence in the link between these measures and adult outcomes, allowing states to be more specific based on their economies, and allowing research partners to study the impact of youth and education interventions. Finally, the authors note current work in the field to develop metrics that are more comprehensive and skill-based. Together, these are steps state policymakers can take in the short and long term to improve their ability to monitor students' readiness for adult success and ensure today's students have the skills they need to thrive as future workers, taxpayers, and community members.

ERIC

2025

ED677446