This third blog post in our CLNA series based on Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation: The Impact and Promise of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment, our new report co-published with Advance CTE, explores data benefits and challenges of the first CLNAs.
Several state and local CTE leaders shared with us that the first CLNA led to greater use and enhanced understanding of data by local CTE leaders and practitioners, as well as improved transparency and more data-informed decisions. However, some local recipients described struggling with accessing and analyzing data. These challenges included difficulty in reporting data on learners from special populations, particularly when much of that information is self reported to colleges, and labor market data that obscured nuance about career fields and occupations. However, robust stakeholder engagement helped local recipients fill in the picture when labor market information was incomplete.
Going forward, improved data resources have been a major theme of the second CLNA for both states and local sub-grantees. For instance, Perkins staff at Queensborough Community College in New York planned to bring their institutional research colleagues into the process earlier, pursue a subscription to Emsi Burning Glass, and incorporate surveys into consultation methods. And CTE leaders at Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Colorado have been working with an economic and workforce data analyst to create easy-to-use data resources.
Stay tuned for the next entry in this series, which will explore access and equity in the first CLNAs, and revisit our prior post on stakeholder engagement.
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