Rhode Island Department of Education College and Career Readiness Data Inventory

Throughout the Northeast region, state and local leaders are investing in work-based learning to increase student access and participation. Considered an effective strategy for preparing students for post-secondary success, work-based learning (WBL) offers hands-on experiences that develop critical workplace skills, expose students to career options, and provide authentic opportunities to apply academic content and technical skills.

Researchers from AIR and the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands, worked with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), Office of Postsecondary Commissioner, and others, to develop a WBL rubric and facilitate a review of the PrepareRI data catalog, a statewide initiative to support young people in developing the skills they need to be successful and competitive for the high-demand jobs of the future. 

The goals of the project were to support RIDE in evaluating the quality of WBL experiences as well as reviewing its data catalog to identify measures of career readiness for use in future data collection efforts.