All4Ed Flash: Only 12 States Report This Key Education Data—Why It Matters
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Only 12 states report key education data on college and career readiness, which is crucial for addressing equity gaps. A report by Ann Hyslop highlights the inconsistency in how states measure readiness. Improved data reporting and alignment with real outcomes are needed to ensure all students receive adequate support.
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Ensuring high-quality education is essential for a strong economy, thriving communities, and civic well-being. That’s why the National Governors Association, led by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, launched the Let’s Get Ready initiative. To support this work, the Urban Institute’s Student Upward Mobility Initiative, partnered with All4Ed to analyze how states measure college and career readiness—and where those measures fall short.
In her new report, Let’s Measure Ready: A 50-State Analysis of College, Career, Military, and Civic Readiness Indicators, All4Ed’s Director of Policy Development, Anne Hyslop, found that 42 states use at least one college and career readiness, or CCR, indicator. But unlike graduation rates, which are measured consistently across the country, CCR indicators vary widely in their design, components, and transparency.
Some states treat all readiness measures the same, whether it’s earning a credential, scoring well on the ACT, or completing AP coursework. That can mask big differences in which students are prepared for which postsecondary pathways. And with only 12 states publicly reporting how students demonstrate readiness, state leaders are missing crucial information to close equity gaps.
As Anne puts it, “Including college and career readiness in state accountability systems is a huge step forward. But without greater transparency and consistency, we risk painting an incomplete picture of student success—and overlooking the students who need the most support.”
Her report calls on state leaders to improve data reporting, build stronger P-20 data systems, and align benchmarks with real student outcomes to ensure readiness means readiness everywhere.
You can read the full report at All4Ed.org under the Resources page by searching Let’s Measure Ready: Key Differences in States’ College and Career Readiness Indicators. You can also find it on Urban Institute’s website at urban.org/lets-measure-ready.
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