The Strategic Data Project Releases Extended Diagnostic Tool for Institutions Participating in the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP)
To enable institutions to better understand patterns in their students’ outcomes and success, the Strategic Data Project (SDP), in collaboration with ResearchEd, has launched an extended Diagnostic toolkit to analyze PDP data.
August 15, 2024 — As more postsecondary institutions offer credentials aimed at helping students succeed in the workforce, they are increasingly enrolling larger populations of students who have not historically been served by higher education.
To improve retention and graduation rates, ensure workforce readiness, and promote equity, postsecondary leaders need more insight into the outcomes of these students so they can make informed decisions, implement targeted interventions, and develop strategies to support underserved populations.
To enable postsecondary institutions to better understand patterns in student outcomes, the Strategic Data Project (SDP), in collaboration with ResearchEd, has launched a free tool for institutions participating in the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP). The Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) is a national effort to help postsecondary institutions understand student academic progress and success through data collection facilitated by the National Student Clearinghouse®. Participants receive analysis-ready files and dashboards detailing key performance indicators, including credit accumulation, gateway course completion, retention, persistence, and credentials. The PDP also provides data on part-time and transfer-in students, detailed demographics, and course information to identify support needs and track academic progress.
To support institutions in gaining insights on student pathways, the Strategic Data Project and ResearchEd partnered to develop the SDP PDP Extension, which enhances the existing free SDP-CTE Diagnostic Toolkit, helping institutions answer questions like:
—Are students more likely to complete some pathways than others? Are pathways equitably supporting students with different backgrounds and characteristics?
—Are students dropping or transferring out of some pathways more than others? Where do they go?
—Are there “gateway” courses that are getting in the way of completion for some pathways?
—What credit accumulation patterns set students up for longer-term success? How many students are following these patterns?
The toolkit extension—a new set of free code and guidance hosted on the SDP GitHub—will allow institutions to utilize PDP Analysis-Ready data files to perform the analyses included in the SDP-CTE Diagnostic Toolkit. As a result, “This new tool will allow institutions to further leverage their data to diagnose gaps in student success and identify potential barriers to credential completion,” said SDP Senior Research Analyst Rachel Worsham.
The toolkit guides users through the analysis and creation of custom reports with simple, engaging visuals to help institutions track student progression towards credentials and the routes they take to get there, with options to disaggregate based on student characteristics of interest.
“The PDP provides institutions with rich, detailed data about students, but it can often be overwhelming to sort through,” said Rachel Rush-Marlowe, Executive Director of ResearchEd. “This new tool will allow institutions to dig deeper into PDP data without extra work by simplifying and automating analysis, making it easy to gain new insights on student pathways.”
To access the toolkit, visit OpenSDP at https://github.com/OpenSDP/sdp_cte_pdp_extension
This tool was prepared with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Learn more: https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/sdp-cte-diagnostic-toolkit
Join the SDP mailing list to be the first to know about SDP’s tools and resources. Access additional tools and resources directly at https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/resources.
Contact: Rachel Tropp, CEPR Communications Specialist (rachel_tropp@gse.harvard.edu)
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About the Strategic Data Project
Harvard's Strategic Data Project (SDP) works with education agencies to find and train data leaders to uncover trends, measure solutions, and effectively communicate evidence to stakeholders. SDP’s network of system leaders, fellows, and faculty come together to share how to best use data to make a difference in the lives of students. SDP Fellows are driving data-informed change in over 215 school systems and organizations. Learn more at sdp.harvard.edu.
About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University
The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.
About ResearchEd
ResearchEd is an education policy research group providing objective analysis, deep insights, and detailed recommendations for education institutions and research organizations seeking to support equitable student outcomes and promote community and economic development through education. ResearchEd’s mission is to conduct student-centered work, informed by the experiences of today’s learners, particularly those who have been underserved by our education system. This includes students with children and students with disabilities, students that are first generation, from racially minoritized backgrounds, from rural communities, and students with intersections of these and other identities. Learn more at https://www.research-ed.org/.