Purpose
This Research and Policy Agenda (RPA) outlines priority areas of focus for the DXP aligned to various statewide initiatives that intend to use data to guide program/intervention activities. We encourage requestors and researchers to consider aligning their work to these priorities areas and sharing examples of how they have used the data to create change.
Role of Cross-Sector Data
To take advantage of DXP’s ability to bridge educational and workforce data across the state, the RPA is focused around student transitions through different agencies. This more holistic view allows data users to examine trends in what happens before and/or after groups of individuals are served by specific government services, as well as find opportunities for increased collaboration between agencies.
Equity Lens
The DXP defines equity as putting supports in place to ensure every student is ready for kindergarten, post-high school, and the workforce. We commit to highlighting differing outcomes between student populations (e.g., geographic location, race/ethnicity, etc.) to bring attention to areas where targeted activities may help to close equity gaps in student success.
Kindergarten Readiness
Improving access to and/or quality of early childhood services so students have the support needed to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
- How many children are accessing government services across the state?
- How are child and family characteristics related to state or federal program participation?
- How many children are eligible for early childhood birth to age 5 services in Hawai‘i?
- Is length/intensity of time participating in a program related to kindergarten readiness?
- Upon completion of an early childhood service/program, what proportion of children meet kindergarten readiness relative to their peers?
- What are the outcomes of children whose families have stopped participating in or refuse services?
Hawai‘i State Department of Education (DOE) Strategic Implementation
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- Partner with the Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) and the Department of Human Services to review kindergarten readiness data and recommend a plan for training and resource development that supports the DOE’s kindergarten and preschool teachers and families.
Ready Keiki / DOE Strategic Implementation
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- Partner with early childhood organizations and other governmental agencies to increase the number of EOEL classrooms on DOE campuses and children’s access to pre-kindergarten opportunities.
- The majority of early childhood data is not yet connected cross-agency.
- Data definitions are not standardized across early childhood. More work needs to be done to document the different definitions so that data can be appropriately used. For example, “eligible” may have different criteria or meaning by individual program.
Hawai‘i Graduates for Hawai‘i’s Future – Goal 1 (Early Childhood) dashboard on public school Kindergartners’ prior early learning experiences and Kindergarten Entry Assessment.
Hawai‘i State Department of Education’s Equitable Outcomes dashboard on the Kindergarten Entry Assessment.
Post-High School Readiness
Improving students' proficiency in foundational skills (e.g., math and reading) so students have multiple opportunities for success in postsecondary education, skilled trades training, and the workforce.
- Which student sub-populations are underrepresented in postsecondary opportunities?
- What is the impact of the various programs that promote college-going in terms of improving actual college-going rates?
- Who is delaying college entry and why do these students not enter in the first fall after high school graduation?
Hawai‘i State Department of Education (DOE) Strategic Implementation
- Initiate a task force to propose recommendations regarding the revision of K-12 mathematics standards, high school course pathways, K-12 curriculum and K-12 teacher training.
- Pilot “Algebra 1 readiness (summer) camp” for entering ninth-graders who need additional support to be proficient.
- Partner with colleges and industry partners to broaden opportunities for accelerated high school students’ attainment of college credits and industry-valued certificates.
- Convene a task force to review and realign the high school framework to current and projected community and workforce needs.
- Collaborate with colleges and industry partners to support graduates’ transition to postsecondary education, training, and/or employment after high school.
- Develop requirements for and secure resources to launch an online college and career planning platform for secondary students.
University of Hawai‘i Strategic Plan
- Increase participation in postsecondary education statewide.
- Career Technical Education (CTE) data quality/collection is still improving to make CTE data more informative.
- Data is only reliably available for students who enter postsecondary education after high school. It is difficult to track students outcomes for those who take other pathways (e.g., go straight into the workforce).
A DXP data story exploring academic performance and student engagement and high school completion within 5 years of high school entry.
Hawai‘i Graduates for Hawai‘i’s Future – Goal 2 (K-12) dashboard on public school students’ K-12 academic outcomes.
Hawai‘i State Department of Education’s Strategic Priorities dashboards on high-quality learning, educator workforce, and effective and efficient operations.
A DXP data story exploring students’ math journey from high school Algebra I through higher math to first year college-level math.
Workforce Readiness
Improving students' exposure to career exploration and experiences so that students are prepared to succeed in living-wage jobs.
- What is the relationship between compensation, degree obtained, and licensure/certification and working in early childhood education?
- What are the qualifications and retention of early childhood educators in the field?
- What are the workforce outcomes of individuals that entered (or re-entered) postsecondary education while working?
- Do (additional) certifications/degrees improve their workforce outcomes?
- What are the economic impacts of workforce development (training) programs?
- To what degree is the education pipeline aligned with Hawai‘i’s current and future employment needs?
Hawai‘i State Department of Education (DOE) Strategic Implementation
- Expand students’ opportunities for structured work-based learning experiences through partnerships with employers, community partners, military and higher education institutions.
University of Hawai‘i (UH) Strategic Plan
- Provide students the necessary support for student success, including addressing barriers to access, basic needs, and holistic health and wellness.
- Deploy multiple modalities of instruction that recognize changing times and widely differing student preferences, needs, and goals
- Prepare professionals to fulfill statewide needs in occupations that are essential to community well-being.
- Enhance non-traditional offerings and industry certified credit and non-credit credentials for those seeking upskilling or career change opportunities.
- Partner with employers to ensure the necessary preparation and support for students to succeed in their careers.
- Currently available workforce data does not contain: occupation codes; hours worked; any federal and/or self-employed job information. It’s difficult to understand if students enter jobs they trained for.
- Direct experiences, such as internships and work-based learning courses, is an area of growth for both DOE and UH as demand increased. Data collection will improve over time.
- Data is only reliably available for students who enter postsecondary education after high school. It is difficult to track students outcomes for those who take other pathways (e.g., go straight into the workforce).
Hawai‘i Graduates for Hawai‘i’s Future – Goal 3 (Postsecondary) dashboard on access to postsecondary opportunities and student success.
Hawai‘i Graduates for Hawai‘i’s Future – Goal 4 (Workforce) dashboard on the education and training of Hawai‘i residents to fill living wage jobs in state.
UH Community Colleges Annual Report of Program Data that looks at student outcomes and the overall health of programs.
UH Economic Research Organization’s Estimating the Returns to a College Degree from the University of Hawai`i report looking at the long-term earning of UH students.