Tracking Education, Career Outcomes for Ohio High School Graduates

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin announced the launch of Ohio High School Outcomes and Ohio Career and Technical Education Outcomes, which provide a comprehensive picture of students’ education and workforce outcomes after high school.

“Parents want to know their child’s education leads to a brighter future. Employers want graduates who are ready to contribute on day one. These dashboards provide a new level of insight into students’ journeys beyond high school so families can plan with confidence, schools can build on what works and employers can count on a stronger pipeline of Ohio talent,” said Dackin. 

Developed through a partnership between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, InnovateOhio and the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC), the resources connect education information with National Student Clearinghouse college data as well as state unemployment insurance employment and wage data to help communities better understand how students transition from high school into higher education and the workforce.

The project relied upon the expertise of the OERC’s data science team at CHRR, an Ohio State center for survey research and data services, who created matched data sets for the analysis. The OERC’s deep experience in creating measures of educational attainment, employment and earnings was instrumental in completing the project.

“The OERC also has a long-standing relationship with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the agencies that contribute data used in this report to the Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive,” Joyce said. “These partnerships are founded on trust and a shared commitment to responsible use of data for the benefit of Ohioans.” 

Data in this report, particularly the employment and earnings outcomes, is powered by the Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive (OLDA), a data repository managed by OERC and CHRR at The Ohio State University for several State of Ohio agencies. It links state administrative data across education, workforce, housing, human services and disability services. The longitudinal nature of the OLDA allowed the OERC team to generate up to six years of outcomes for the graduating classes of 2018-2023 in these new reports.

Users of the new reports can explore these outcomes at the state, region, district, school and career‑technical planning district levels. Interactive visualizations and downloadable tables provide information on:

• Educational attainment
• Combined education and workforce status
• College enrollment and attainment
• In-state employment
• Earnings

By connecting education and workforce outcomes, the data supports student-centered decisions, adds to local planning and helps identify opportunities to improve student success.

School and district leaders can use the data to evaluate programs and guide continuous improvement, while students, families and counselors can better understand local postsecondary outcomes, employment trends and wage expectations to inform future education and career decisions.

“The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is also looking at outcomes across comparable districts, schools and programs,” Dackin said. “Examining the data can help with the development and deployment of effective guidance and targeted supports to help communities address challenges and leverage opportunities for improvement, ultimately benefiting students’ preparedness for life after high school and Ohio’s economic well-being.”

Because postsecondary outcomes are influenced by a variety of factors, including local economic conditions, employment opportunities and access to higher education and training, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce encourages users to consider community context when reviewing the data.