“Data bill” continues to advance in the House. Supporters say it will help better prepare students for Tennessee’s changing economy.

Members of the House Government Operations Committee unanimously advanced legislation Monday that’s designed to help the state do a better job connecting students with the jobs that are available in their communities.That so-called “data bill,” sponsored by Representative Chris Hurt, R-Halls, would require the state to create a publicly available dashboard that includes data employers and students could use to see how well various instructional programs are working in Tennessee.The dashboard would include information on:

• College going and secondary completion rates by high school.
• College going and workforce outcome by CTE program of study.
• Postsecondary completion rates and workforce outcomes by institution.
• Postsecondary completion rates and workforce outcomes by instructional program.

Hurt says the dashboard is needed to help state leaders make decisions on education to workforce investments.“This bill supports and ensures Tennessee’s vision for using data to improve and to monitor education investments. We need to improve access and use of this data to understand whether students are supported to be successful and to meet the needs of our state’s economy,” said Hurt.The legislation now heads to the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for a vote later this month. The data bill initially looked to be on its way to advance through the committee process in both the House and Senate last year but  Representative Hurt chose to take it off notice to continue working on it for this year.A similar concept in currently in use in Shelby County where the Greater Memphis Chamber provides a public dashboard with educational and employment data for potential employers.The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has been a major supporter of taking the idea statewide to help address the state’s rapidly evolving economy.“There are only 56 available workers for every 100 jobs in Tennessee. With new businesses flocking to the state, the need for an educated workforce will only increase. In this quickly evolving economy, Tennessee needs an education system aligned with and responsive to the labor market,” wrote score in support of the legislation. “Timely information about the connection between educational opportunities and careers is key to supporting the stateʼs continued economic growth and studentsʼ paths toward careers. Tennessee can use data to strengthen education-to-career pathways that lead to economic independence for students.”