Ohio Launches New Tools to Track What Happens to Students After High School

Ohio parents and students now have a new way to see what happens to graduates after they leave high school, including whether they go to college, enter the workforce and how much they earn.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has launched two new interactive dashboards: Ohio High School Outcomes and Ohio Career and Technical Education Outcomes.

For the first time, the state says the tools bring education and workforce information together in one place, allowing users to follow outcomes for Ohio graduates for up to six years after high school.

The dashboards include information for the graduating classes of 2018 through 2023 and can be explored at the state, regional, district and individual school levels.

Users can look at several measures, including college enrollment and completion, educational attainment, employment in Ohio and earnings.

That means a family could, for example, look at outcomes for graduates of their own local high school or career-tech program rather than relying only on statewide numbers.

“Parents want to know their child’s education leads to a brighter future,” Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen Dackin said in announcing the new resources.

State officials say the information could also help schools evaluate their programs, counselors guide students toward education and career options, and employers better understand Ohio’s future workforce.

The dashboards combine information from several sources, including state education records, National Student Clearinghouse college data and Ohio unemployment insurance wage data.

The state cautions that the numbers don’t tell the entire story. Employment and earnings can be affected by factors including the local economy, job opportunities and access to colleges or training programs.