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Introduction

The Central Ohio Compact is a regional strategy with a bold goal: 65% of Central Ohioans will have a degree or certificate by 2025.

To thrive economically, communities throughout the region and state must have a talented workforce that can meet evolving employer needs and support a bold economic growth strategy.

Here’s the problem: Nearly two out of three jobs in the state are expected to require additional education beyond high school and yet, less than half of working-age Central Ohioans hold a postsecondary degree or certificate.

Ohio will need to produce about 1.7 million more adults with high-quality postsecondary certificates or degrees to meet that attainment goal by 2025.

The Central Ohio Compact Dashboard is a tool to measure progress toward the Compact’s attainment goal. This Facilitation Guide is designed to help Compact members, partners and stakeholders explore and understand the data so they can celebrate successes and address challenges the region faces.

What is the Dashboard

The Central Ohio Compact Dashboard is an integrated data system that combines state employer data and high-school and post-secondary education records. It offers a picture of where we are as a region in producing job-ready graduates.

These reports will enable education leaders to identify best practices and areas in need of attention, equip students to make more informed decisions on their future and help employers find skilled workers to satisfy their needs.

The Dashboard includes reports for public school districts, 2-year and 4-year public higher education institutions, and adult career-technical education providers.

A 60-Minute Group Activity

Understanding and Interpreting the Central Ohio Compact Dashboard

This facilitation guide can help Compact members understand and explore the Dashboard in a group setting. Through these suggestions, participants can accomplish the following objectives:

• Increase awareness of the 65% goal
• Increase understanding of how the indicators included in the dashboard contribute to the 65% goal
• Increase buy-in and participation among community members toward meeting the 65% goal

Who Should Participate?

The data in the Dashboard is relevant to anyone who has a stake in Central Ohio meeting the 65% goal. The protocol below can be used with business and community partners, educators, school and higher education administrators, faculty, school board members, students, parents and other community members.

Guiding Questions

1. What is the Central Ohio Compact Dashboard?
   1. How do I access it?
   2. How do I interpret the data?
2. What does the Dashboard tell us about our progress toward meeting the 65% goal?
3. What can we do to respond to the data in the Dashboard? What is our call to action?

Materials

• Computer with internet access
• Projector
• Introductory slides
• Printouts of “Data Details” information
• Internet-capable devices (tablets, laptops) for participants (strongly recommended)
• Printouts of audience-relevant dashboard reports
• Chart paper and markers (optional)

Time

Allocate at least 60 minutes for this group activity.

Where to Begin

Depending on the group, the facilitator may wish to focus on one of the three categories of data.

• High School
• 2-year and 4-year Higher Education
• Adult Career-Technical Education

Provide an Overview

For all groups, begin with the Central Ohio Compact Toolkit: Introduction to the Dashboard Video to provide context for the Compact’s 65% attainment goal.

Next, go to the landing page and review the main categories of data provided in the tool.

Demonstrate Some of the Functionality

• Click on the tabs that filter the data views
• Demonstrate the ability to switch from numbers to percentages
• Show participants how to select

Exploration

ACTIVITY 1: Break the audience into small groups or pairs. Provide time for them to review a portion of the dashboard, either online or through a printouts of the PDF reports on the site. Groups should respond to the following questions:

1. What surprises you about the data in the Dashboard?
2. What assumptions or “hunches” were confirmed by the Dashboard?
3. What questions do you have as a result of reviewing the data in the Dashboard?

ACTIVITY 2: Discuss the implications of the data as it relates to the 65% goal. Introduce the "What Works" modeling tool on the website:

1. Based on the information you see in the dashboard, is our region on track to meet the 65% goal?
2. Are students well-prepared for higher education? How do we know?
3. Are students enrolling in higher education and training programs at rates we would like to see?
4. What do the enrollment outcomes tell us about our region’s talent pipeline?

ACTIVITY 3: Discuss how participants and other stakeholders should respond to the data. Questions may vary by audience, but could include the following:

1. What are some strategies that schools can use to keep students on track to earn a credential after high school?
2. How do businesses and employers contribute to the 65% goal attainment?
3. What is the role of community and faith-based organizations in supporting the 65% goal attainment?

Reflection and Reporting

Participants take time to summarize their key take-aways and report out to the group. The facilitator captures the findings and then the whole group reflects on the findings to identify common themes emerging from the group. Ask participants to reflect upon their personal call to action and share those thoughts with the group.

Enrolled in Ohio Public Higher Education

About half of Central Ohio high school graduates are enrolled in Ohio public colleges and universities directly after graduation, a consistent rate over time. This data does not include private college enrollment.

Higher Education Completion within Six Years

About half of Central Ohio high school graduates enrolled in college have completed a degree or certificate within six years. In 2009-10, eight percent of students earned a terminal two-year degree, a one percentage point uptick from four years ago. During that same time period, the percentage of Central Ohio bachelor's degree-earners dropped by 15 percentage points. This analysis does not include students attending private colleges and institutions.

Graduated in Four Years

About 78% of Central Ohio ninth-graders graduated from high school in four years in 2015-16, a two percentage point bump from five years prior.

There are multiple ways to gauge college readiness.

Higher Education Completion within Six Years (percentage)

Enrollment for Ohio's public colleges and universities has been declining while the percentage of studnets completing thier degrees has been growing. Overall, completion rates have been consistent over time. In 2009-10, 36 percent of students entering six years prior earned their bachelor's degree, eight percent received an associate's degree, and two percent completed a certificate.

Age

About 24 percent of students who attended a public college or university in 2015-16 were aged 25 or older, compared to 33 percent in 2011-12.

Central Ohio Region vs. United States

Forty-four percent of Central Ohio residents had at least an associate's degree in 2016, up from 42 percent in 2012. Central Ohio consistently out performs the national average, though the improvement over time has not been fast enough to reach the 65 percent goal by 2025.