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State postsecondary education data systems are vital assets for policymakers, researchers, and the public. The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) Communities of Practice project builds upon SHEEO's efforts to measure the capacity and effective use of state postsecondary data systems and provides states with opportunities to develop solutions to common system issues. The seventh Community of Practice convening, "Improving Equity and Opportunity through Postsecondary Data," was held September 28-29, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. The two-day meeting included more than 80 representatives from 17 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Teams included representatives from SHEEO agency academic affairs, workforce, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and research and data offices and their partners at state agencies and two- and four-year postsecondary institutions. Given the recent impacts on higher education from the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice unrest, and economic pressures facing the country, a focus on equity and opportunity was timely for this Community of Practice. SHEEO agency staff communicated a need to inform state attainment and economic goals through improved collection and use of postsecondary student unit record data. Within and across state teams, Community of Practice attendees were able to learn more about the nuances and impacts of equity-and opportunity-focused data collection, disaggregation, and visualization; to better understand how to effectively communicate and illustrate the need for and the contributions of equitable student success in their states; and to reflect on their capacity, partnerships, and resources available to effectively engage in this work. In this paper, SHEEO shares the presentations, resources, and team activities from the convening. This information can be used by SHEEO agencies to reflect on their current practices, plan and develop effective data policies, and better use data to improve postsecondary equity and opportunity outcomes in their states.

Post-secondary education enrollment and completion disparities exist for Minnesota's Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) and lower-income students. One outcome measure demonstrating the impact of system-fed disparities in K-12 education is a student's level of readiness for college-level courses following high school graduation. Given that academic preparation is a significant predictor of persistence and completion in college, developmental education serves as a bridge between the academic readiness of students enrolling in a postsecondary education and the academic skills needed to succeed in college level work. This paper examines Minnesota public high school graduates from the classes of 2014-2021 who enrolled in postsecondary education and subsequently enrolled in developmental education courses. This report uses student-level data within the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) on Minnesota public high school graduates from the Minnesota Department of Education and college enrollment data from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the National Student Clearinghouse and provides one measure of academic readiness of Minnesota's public high school graduates.

Student surveys are critical to student-centered learning. They help paint a holistic picture of student experiences--and inform school improvement in areas like engagement, climate, and culture. Minnesota has given a statewide youth survey since 1989. While it has provided some key insights over the years, it would be even more valuable if it was more relevant to and used by those who work with youth each day--educators, families, and students themselves. In this paper, we report on conversations with dozens of survey "users" in Minnesota, a 50-state analysis of student surveys around the country, and present recommendations. In short, our core recommendation is to shift the central purpose of Minnesota's student survey to improving learning and schools. This shifted central purpose is most likely to directly benefit youth. Practically speaking it is also the purpose that most naturally leads to meeting all other purposes--by maintaining the participation rates and political support that will be necessary for the survey's survival. [For "Defining & Measuring Student-Centered Outcomes: Equitably Preparing All Students for College, Career, Civic Participation, and Life," see ED605538.]