Building a Statewide View of Community College Outcomes

Coleridge is expanding its work with Achieving the Dream by bringing linked education and workforce insights to community colleges across the state of Ohio.

The project will scale an initial prototype from the Democratizing our Data Challenge (DDC) into a statewide data resource serving Ohio’s 22 community colleges. Running from March 2026 through June 2027, the initiative builds the secure data infrastructure needed to connect community college information with workforce outcomes and provide institutions with a more complete understanding of what happens to students after they leave college.

The expansion builds on earlier work by Achieving the Dream and Coleridge that demonstrated the feasibility and value of connecting education and workforce data. This new phase moves substantially beyond that pilot, expanding the number of participating institutions, strengthening the underlying data infrastructure, and creating opportunities for broader institutional and policy use.

Project Goals

Working with Achieving the Dream, participating community colleges, and state partners, Coleridge will:

• Establish secure data-sharing infrastructure connecting Ohio community colleges with workforce outcomes.
• Expand the data available to help institutions better understand graduate employment and economic outcomes.
• Support colleges in using these insights for career advising, academic program improvement, and institutional decision-making.
• Enhance the underlying data infrastructure to support expanded analysis and future data tools.
• Explore connections with workforce data from neighboring states, including Kentucky and West Virginia, to provide a more complete picture of regional employment patterns and graduate mobility.

Understanding Outcomes Beyond State Lines

A statewide approach represents an important step forward, but graduates’ pathways do not stop at Ohio’s borders. Connecting workforce information from neighboring states could help colleges understand where graduates find employment and how Ohio’s community colleges contribute to a broader regional labor market.

Through Coleridge’s secure Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF), the project will establish the infrastructure and governance needed to support this work while protecting confidential administrative data.

Ultimately, the expanded Prosperity for Ohio initiative will help turn education and workforce data into actionable insights that institutions can use to strengthen programs, support students, demonstrate the value of community college education, and advance economic mobility across Ohio and the region.