PSEO Data Visualization and Communication
Under the direction of Christopher Peña, two student interns are assisting the PSEO Coalition in developing visualizations of PSEO data and determining ways to communicate the resulting information to stakeholders, including students, parents, and career counselors. Funding for the work of the student interns is generously provided by Strada Education Foundation.
Christopher Peña
Assistant Professor of the Practice, University of Denver and Intern Supervisor, PSEO Coalition
DiviyaBharrathi Barathwaaj
Master of Science in Management Information Systems Candidate, Northern Illinois University
Sai Teja Tadikonda
Master of Science in Management Information Systems Candidate, Northern Illinois University
PSEO Coalition Engagement
The PSEO Coalition’s theme for the year is “Strengthening and Expanding the PSEO Coalition.” Under the direction of the PSEO Director, Gina Johnson, and led by Annika Many of EDU-PM, the PSEO Coalition is expanding its membership and strengthening its member engagement through networking and events, including:
- PSEO Coalition Showcase | Theme: Strengthening States’ Education-to-Workforce Data Ecosystem. Learn More About This Event
- PSEO Coalition Summit (invitation only) | Theme: Expanding the Education-to-Workforce Data Network
Funding for engagement activities and events is generously provided by Strada Education Foundation and the Gates Foundation.
PSEO Research
In partnership with Ithaka S+R’s Elise Miller McNeely and Elizabeth Davidson Pisacreta, and consultant Alli Bell, who serves as the Coalition’s Research Manager, the PSEO Coalition is engaging in research to inform policy and stakeholder decision-making. The results of these research projects, as they are published, will be made available in the PSEO Coalition’s Resource Library.
In spring 2025, after a review of responses to our call for proposals, the PSEO Coalition has awarded five research grants of $15,000 each to support the following projects:
- Vladimir Bassis and Paula Nissen are using PSEO data to further develop the existing Iowa Department of Education employment outcomes research on cohorts of community college students. In this project, they use PSEO to benchmark and compare Iowan student outcomes to other states. They are combining PSEO data with data from other sources to adjust data for regional comparability. The result of this work will be presented through data tables, visualizations, and summaries.
- Eric Meredith is analyzing PSEO data in combination with data from the Montana University System (MUS) and state-level wage information. His focus is on comparing educational outcomes across different degree levels, academic fields (as defined by 2-digit CIP codes), institutions, NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) sectors, and geographic regions. By linking these data, the project seeks to answer important questions regarding how education correlates with employment outcomes and wages in Montana, providing valuable insights into the relationship between educational attainment and workforce readiness.
- CJ Libassi and Julia Turner are using PSEO data in combination with data on program-level graduate debt to better understand the relationship between debt and earnings for select doctoral programs of professional practice. Compared to existing work, this analysis looks at longer-run earnings for the full student population (both federally aided students and not) covered by PSEO and for more than just the typical earnings, taking advantage of PSEO’s data on earnings at the 25th and 75th percentiles for each program. This analysis allows a more complete picture of the value proposition of graduate school beyond the typical, short-term outcome for borrowers.
The final two projects will be announced soon. Reports and related visualizations from all the grant-funded projects will be published in the PSEO Coalition Resource Library in summer 2025.
Measuring and Reporting the Value of Educational Credentials
Under the direction of the PSEO Director, Gina Johnson, a group of PSEO Coalition members is engaging in technical assistance, workshops, and peer engagement to adopt and operationalize the Postsecondary Value Commission’s Value Framework, improving their capacity to measure and report on the value of educational credentials at the institutional level. Funding for this work is generously provided by the Gates Foundation.
