Overview

When we launch a new technical partnership for systems-level change, data and measurement are the first step. Data helps us establish a baseline, measure progress and set goals, and uncover systemic inequities related to gender, race, geography, or income.

But at Washington STEM we don’t do data and measurement in a vacuum—we do it in community. Before we start tracking data we listen deeply to what teachers, students, and their families are saying. We ask what hunches they have about systemic barriers holding students back.

Then we dig into the existing research: we identify which indicators (that is, quantitative data) research has shown to be effective in identifying meaningful student outcomes. Then we ask questions to uncover the “why”—the qualitative data. We use this mixed-methods approach to design strategies and policies that respond to students’ lived experiences. The results are widely shared data and transformative outcomes.

Data and dashboards

Washington STEM is leading the way in creating open-source, actionable data dashboards that provide insights into our state’s STEM economy. (Learn more about Washington STEM’s data tools here.) With this data in hand, we can help create a clear through-line from the classroom to a career for Washington students. Washington STEM’s suite of tools provide the data needed to bring clarity to the complex, from career and credential availability (CORI), to finding the most in-demand family-wage jobs at the regional level (Labor Market Dashboard), to providing a snapshot of regional data in Early Learning and Care, to letting us know if the education system is supporting all students—especially students of color, rural students, students living in poverty, and girls and young women—to be on track to attain high-demand credentials.

Similarly, our dashboards for STEM by the Numbers and the State of the Children let us know if the system is supporting more students—especially students of color, rural students, students living in poverty, and girls and young women—to be on track to attain high-demand credentials.

Statewide monitoring & Reports

Good data and consistent monitoring can help communities understand the impact of their strategies and how things are changing over time. They also help leaders understand where to invest precious resources and how to plan for the future. The State of the Children: Early Learning & Care regional reports shine a light on the precarious position of Washington’s early learning systems. Similarly, Family Friendly Workplace regional reports provide data for business leaders to invest in equitable child care across the state.

We engage in cross-sector partnerships to solve systemic problems by identifying and scaling creative, local solutions that help remove barriers and close opportunity gaps. By partnering closely with leaders in the community and our ten regional network partners, we are able to work to identify the root causes of longstanding issues and develop solutions that help break down barriers for priority populations.

These are some examples of our technical partnerships:

• High School to Postsecondary: Improving Outcomes Through Inclusive School-based Inquiry, July 2022.

• Child Care and Early Learning Need and Supply Data

• Career Connect Washington

• LAUNCH: Joining the National Career Pathways Conversation