California Competes Testifies on Data and Coordination Bills Being Considered by State Legislators
On Wednesday, April 3, 2019, the Senate Education Committee heard testimony from Interim Executive Director Ria Sengupta Bhatt and Policy and Research Analyst Taylor Myers. Ms. Bhatt also provided testimony to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education earlier this week.
Systematically integrating data from preschool to workforce is a key step for California to modernize the education sector. Senate Bill 2 (Glazer) would convene a review committee to advise on a Statewide Longitudinal Student Database. California Competes testified in support of the bill because California needs a fully integrated, top to bottom data infrastructure to be able to better serve students, workers, and the economy.
More than at any other time since the Master Plan for Higher Education was chartered, the state needs expert leadership to support equitable college access and completion for all Californians.
During the same hearing, the Senate Education Committee also considered Senate Bill 3 (Allen) which creates an office to oversee higher education planning and to promote evidence-based policymaking by using data across education and workforce sectors. Earlier in the week, California Competes provided testimony regarding Assembly Bill 130 (Low), which would similarly establish a Higher Education Performance and Accountability Commission. More than at any other time since the Master Plan for Higher Education was chartered, the state needs expert, coordinated leadership to support equitable college access and completion for all Californians.
Keep reading to learn more about this week’s testimonies and our state’s urgent need for better data and stronger coordination in higher education.
