Overview

October 17

Every student deserves an education that prepares them for the future -- one that equips them with the skills they need to thrive.

But how well is your education system performing for students? How well is your workforce system creating the right talent pipeline for the jobs of tomorrow? And how can data be used more effectively to inform decisions about how to best meet students’ needs?

Education and workforce leaders in communities across the country are using data and information to create a more holistic view of students’ learning journeys. And states are supporting those efforts with connected data systems such as Washington’s Education Research and Data Center and California’s Cradle-to-Career Data System. But it can be hard for leaders at all levels – local, regional, or state leaders – to know how to get started or what information is needed to produce actionable insights.

On October 17, join Governing, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mathematica, and a state data leader for a special webinar on creating an education-to-workforce data framework for your community that helps decision makers prioritize and act on the measures that matter most. This hourlong webcast will cover:

Why a holistic education-to-workforce data approach matters
How this framework is being used in states like Washington and around the country
How to connect to evidence-based resources to build a plan for your own community

Speakers

Naihobe Gonzalez

Senior Researcher Mathematica

Naihobe Gonzalez is a senior researcher at Mathematica with over a decade of experience collaborating with education leaders to promote data-driven decision making. Dr. Gonzalez led the development of the Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework and has led several evaluations of education initiatives. For example, she is a principal investigator on a large-scale evaluation of an initiative that supports schools across the country in using continuous improvement to advance outcomes for low-income students and students of color. Before joining Mathematica, she was a strategic data consultant with the Oakland Unified School District, where she helped the district develop a school performance and data reporting framework. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.

Orville Jackson

Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Dr. Orville Jackson (he/him pronouns) is a Senior Program Officer on the US Data Team of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he supports efforts to address gaps in the education to workforce data ecosystem so that practitioners and policymakers have the information they need to equitably improve outcomes for all learners, especially Black, Latino, and Native American learners, and learners from low-income backgrounds. Prior to joining the foundation, Dr. Jackson served as the Vice President, Data Strategy for Greatschools.org where he led the organization’s data team, using one of the largest databases on K-12 school information in the country to help all families access a quality education and improve student outcomes. Dr. Jackson has a broad range of experience using data at all levels to drive positive change for students of color and students living in poverty. He is a proud first-generation college graduate and earned his A.A. from Cypress College, a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Katie Weaver Randall

Director, Education Research & Data Center (ERDC)

Katie joined the Washington state Education Research & Data Center (ERDC) as the Director in 2021. Katie had previously served as a researcher with ERDC focusing on the public K12 and Early Learning sectors before returning in the director role. Interspersed with her roles at ERDC, Katie served as the Director of Student Information for the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and held leadership and research positions in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) as well as Research Scientist roles at both the University of Washington and Washington State University. Katie was trained as a Community Psychology and she brings a systems perspective to the work of ERDC that encompasses community, social, and historical contexts. She believes that equity needs to be considered throughout the data life cycle from deciding what data is collected to interpreting and disseminating results.

Webinar

Building an Education-to-Workforce Data Framework