Open Data Principles & Framework for the Education-to-Employment Ecosystem

Introduction

Data benefits all stakeholders in education-to-employment (E2E) ecosystems. Among those data, learners need access to education and employment outcomes data to make informed decisions about their education and career pathways during and after high school. Similarly, institutions, employers, and policymakers rely on this information to improve and align education programs for career success. 

Strada Education Foundation’s State Opportunity Index (SOI) highlights the importance of open data in understanding and improving postsecondary employment outcomes. The Clear Outcomes framework of the SOI encourages state data systems to provide accessible education and employment data to all stakeholders. Specifically, the framework highlights  “comprehensive and timely open data files containing anonymized education-to-opportunity statistics” and “robust, timely, and easily understandable interactive resources.” 

These two elements – open data and interactive resources – work hand-to-hand. The data powering interactive reporting tools can be published to open data repositories, once appropriately documented and stored in non-proprietary, machine-readable formats. These public-use open data files allow researchers, policymakers, and members of the public to use information for their own needs. Open data portals can allow exploration through interactive visualizations to help non-technical data consumers easily make sense of open datasets without specialized tools.

Open data:

• increases interoperability because common formats and shared vocabularies enable different systems and organizations to read, share and process data consistently;
• improves operational efficiency by avoiding duplicative research and facilitating reuse inside and outside government;
• enhances public accountability by allowing individuals to monitor the use of public resources and program outcomes; and
• supports AI tools by improving the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated outputs by utilizing structured data formats.

The Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Coalition is partnering with Strada to advance state progress along the Clear Outcomes elements of the State Opportunity Index, including the element focused on open data. Credential Engine is a non-profit organization committed to empowering everyone to contribute to and benefit from an open, transparent, and interoperable credential data ecosystems. 

This guide draws heavily from the U.S. Open Data Policy and incorporates various Credential Engine standards and frameworks.

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