1. MAKING RESEARCH
WORK FOR EDUCATION:
AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE OHIO EDUCATION
RESEARCH CENTER
Sunny L. Munn, PhD
OERC Project Manager and
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ohio Trio Professional Conference | 4.4.2014

2.  OERC Introduction
 OERC Research
 Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive
 Opportunities for Research and Policy Development
AGENDA

3. CREATING AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
The Ohio Education Research
Center is a network of Ohio-
based researchers and research
institutions, that develops and
implements a statewide,
preschool-through-workforce
research agenda to address
critical issues of education
practice and policy.
9.27.2013 2

4. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTSOERC FOUNDING PARTNERS AND SECTORS
Pre-K to 12
Education
Ohio Dept. of Education
Higher Education
Ohio Board of Regents
Workforce
Ohio Dept. of Job and
Family Services
6
Ohio Universities
4
Ohio Research
Organizations
Ohio Education
Research Center

5. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES
 Build data archive (OLDA)
 Conduct research and
evaluation
projects
 Translate research into
actionable
practices
 Increase access to high
quality knowledge
OERC OBJECTIVES

6. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES
Make research practical
Relevant to current
problems of practice
Connect research to
current policy issues
Provide evidence for policy
decisions
Build relationships with
education stakeholders
Practitioners and policy
leaders
OERC MISSION

7. PRIMARY OBJECTIVESRESEARCH AREAS
1) State Success Factors
2) Standards and Assessments
3) Improving with Data
4) Teachers and Leaders
5) Improvement and Innovation
6) STEM Education Initiatives
7) Early Childhood Education
8) Future-Ready Students

8.  Progress Research Briefs
 Research Briefs/Policy Briefs
 Full Research Reports
OERC RESEARCH
Completed Research
 Ohio’s Race to the Top Dropout Tracking
Report
 Ohio Race to the Top Benchmark Progress
Study
 Teacher Supply and Demand Study
 Student Growth Measures: Mini -Grants
 Implementation of the “Collaborating on
Economic Success in Appalachia” High School -
Higher Education Alignment Project
 2013 Workforce Study: Ohio Early Learning &
Development Programs – A Profession Divided
In-Progress Research
 Student Growth measures: A Study of Policy
and Practice in Ohio
 Investigating the Pathway to Proficiency from
Birth through 3rd Grade
 Impact of TeachOhio Program on Participating
Districts
 The Ef fect of Student Engagement on Student
Achievement in STEM: Implications for Public
Policy for High School STEM Education

9.  Which high schools produce drop
outs?
 What characteristics do the
schools share?
DROPOUTS IN OHIO HIGH SCHOOLS
Where are dropouts
concentrated?

10.  Graduation Rate
 Increase On-Time Graduation Rate by 0.5%/Year
 - On track
 Graduation Rate Gap
 Reduce Graduation Rate Gaps by 50%
 - Need more rapid progress for disadvantaged and
non-White students
 Performance Gap
 Reduce Performance Gaps by 50%
 - Need to increase rate that disadvantaged and
non-White students perform more rapidly than
White and non-disadvantaged students
 Achievement Gap
 Reduce Gap between Ohio and the Best
Performing States
 - Gap is shrinking for 8th grade math but growing
for 4th grade
 College Enrollment
 Double College Enrollment for 18-to19 Year Olds
 - Enrollments have increased between 2008-2010
OHIO’S RTTT YEAR TWO PROGRESS

11. TEACHER SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Main findings:
 # of students and teachers will
continue to decline
 Retirements of teachers
peaked and likely will drop
after 2015
 ¼ of all teachers licensed in
most recent year were in early
childhood PK-3
 There is a shift from private
schools to community schools
 College of Education
production peaked in 2004-
2005

12. Key Findings from Year 1:
 Lack of baseline data across high
schools regarding college readiness,
course-taking patterns, course
completion and persistence
 Existing barriers which prevent the
implementation of suggested “fixes”
of misalignment of high school and
college curriculum
 Awareness of different expectations
between high schools and to college
 Development of relationships between
high school teachers and college
faculty are growing
 Innovations including subject specific
workshops and a county wide syllabus
for 12th grade math jointly developed
by high school and college faculty
COLLABORATING ON ECONOMIC SUCCESS
IN APPALACHIA (COESA)

13.  A Data-driven Approach to Kindergarten Readiness and
the Importance of the Preschool Years: A Partnership
Between Researchers and Stakeholders
 Helping Adolescents with ADHD Succeed at School
 A Case Study of Middle School to High School Transition
for Students with Disabilities
 Closing the Participation Gap for African American Men in
Higher Education
UPCOMING OERC RESEARCH
 Predicting Academic Success in
Kindergarten based on Pre-School
Factors
 The Advanced Quantitative
Reasoning Course as a Mechanism
for College Readiness

14. Comprehensive data
System linkages
Testing and outcome
data
Access to consistent
and updated
documentation
Health &
Family
Workforce
Higher
Ed.
Education
OHIO LONGITUDINAL DATA ARCHIVE

15. Administrative Records Survey Data
Purpose Administrative Research
Coverage &
Content
Defined by administrative
requirements
Defined by research
objective
Quality
Control
Variable More tightly
controlled
Cost of Data
Collection
None outside of program
administration
Variable
Respondent
Burden
None outside of program
administration
Variable
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS AS DATA

16. Select Graduates
(HEI)
Link Grads to Their
Employers
(UI Wages)
Link Employers to Industries
(QCEW Employer Enterprise)
THE DATA BEHIND THE ANALYSIS

17. WHAT ARE THE EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
FOR OHIO’S EDUCATION GRADUATES?
No Wage
Records
24%
Other Job
16%
Education Job
60%
2009 Grads
(N=7,441)
Elementary & Secondary Schools 83% Postsecondary Schools 8%
Educational Support Services 3% Child Day Care 6%

18. $0
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
$10,000
$12,000
UnadjustedMedianWages
(AutumnQuarter)
Graduation Year
Education Sector
Other Sectors
QUARTERLY WAGES FOR EDUCATION
GRADUATES, 1 YEAR POST-GRADUATION

19. OLDA PROJECTS
Apprenticeship
outcomes
Financial Aid
outcomes
STEM graduate
outcomes
Teacher supply and
demand
Dropout experiences
in higher education
Shale industry
economic outcomes
STEM school
evaluation
Economic outcomes
of higher education
graduates

20. USING THE OLDA
Request agency
approval:
IRB
Research Request for
Data
Data Sharing Agreements
Secure access to
approved de-identified
variables
Share findings

21. JOIN US …
 To access and share
resources like
documents, videos
and links
 Discuss issues
relevant to education
practice in Ohio
 Collaborate to answer
important questions
Gain insight into the field
by connecting research,
policy and practice

22. CONTACT
Website
www.oerc.osu.edu
Email
connect@oerc.osu.edu
Dr. Josh Hawley, Director
hawley.32@osu.edu
Dr. Sunny Munn, Project Manager
munn.12@osu.edu
Making Research Work for Education