California Governor Gavin Newsom
California Governor Gavin Newsom: “This is the first step to make every tool available to California’s students on their life journey. With it, they’ll be able to visualize their path to eventual success by bringing information directly to them in one place. Not only will it help them, it will also help our educators, parents and employers capture the uniqueness of each person and the skills they bring from throughout their life experience.”
California Government Operations Agency
California Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros: “In today’s information-driven world, it’s never been more crucial to provide our students, school district leaders and the community with timely, accurate and reliable information to help make informed decisions to improve futures. The Cradle-to-Career initiative gives the decision-making power to ALL Californians.”
California Legislative Leaders
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin: “The power that data can have to transform lives and improve education and career outcomes is an invaluable investment for California’s future. The dashboard being released today, and the others in the development pipeline, will empower Californians to make some of the most pivotal decisions in their lives based on real experiences and outcomes.”
Senator John Laird: “The Legislature understands the vital role that access to reliable data plays in shaping sound, evidence-based policy. I’m proud of the tremendous progress the Cradle-to-Career team has made on behalf of California and its residents, and I look forward to the opportunities this work will unlock in building a more equitable future for generations to come.”
Education Leaders
California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian: “The California Community Colleges applauds the launch of the new Student Pathways Dashboard —a vital step in empowering students, educators, and policymakers with data-driven insights to foster academic and career success. As an early advocate for California’s statewide longitudinal data system, I have long believed that linking students’ educational journey to workforce outcomes provides the key to unlocking opportunity for all learners. Our office participated in the exceptional work to create the Cradle-to-Career Data System and remains deeply committed to advancing this vision through our leadership on the Cradle-to-Career Board and our collaborative work developing essential tools like the eTranscript platform and the California Career Passport. By continuing to invest in thoughtful, evidence-based solutions, we can create a future where every student has the knowledge and resources to navigate their educational journey to meaningful, living-wage employment with confidence and purpose.”
University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D.: “The Cradle-to-Career Data System will improve transparency and provide much needed insights on career outcomes, graduation rates, and financial aid. This is another great example of California’s higher education institutions working collaboratively with Governor Newsom and state agencies to help students and educators succeed.”
California State University Chancellor Mildred García: “The CSU is firmly committed to partnering across sectors and sharing data to improve educational and employment opportunities for Californians, and the new Student Pathways Dashboard both exemplifies and advances that commitment. We are pleased to partner with C2C to provide data that will empower agencies and institutions across the state, and we look forward to using this extraordinary analytic tool to help drive even greater outcomes for the CSU’s diverse and talented students.”
California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond: “It is vitally important that we understand our students’ journeys to college and beyond, so that we can better accelerate success for all of our young people at every stage of their lives. I am proud that the California Department of Education has contributed close to one billion records to the California Cradle-to-Career Data System to make this data release possible.”
Labor and Workforce Leaders
Employment Development Department Executive Director Nancy Farias: “EDD is proud to be working with our partners in providing insights that will help strengthen and maximize the educational and career opportunities for Californians.”
California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary Stewart Knox: “The statewide Cradle-to-Career effort ties in perfectly to the new Master Plan for Career Education that prioritizes pathways to good jobs. Having a centralized place that connects education and workforce outcomes is an exciting step towards understanding how we can grow the workforce and widen the pipeline to higher paying jobs for all Californians. The Labor and Workforce Development Agency is eager to continue its partnership with Cradle-to-Career to deepen our understanding of how different training programs benefit workers in the state.”
Community Leaders
Dr. Christopher J. Nellum, executive director, EdTrust-West: “California’s progress toward educational justice is far too slow—and it’s in large part because Californians don’t have the insight we need into how our education investments and systems are working (or not). California is doing this work differently from other states, putting the most important audiences first: students, parents, and educators, rather than just focusing on connecting siloed data or on tools for policy insiders. The Cradle-to-Career Student Pathways Data Dashboard is a key part of this effort, providing transparent, accessible data to empower families and communities to better understand and support student journeys.”
Mike Nguyen, University of California, Berkeley student: “In my quest to find basic information on college-going rates, outcomes or employment prospects, it felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack because of all the different resources. With this tool, I feel that students like me will have the chance to have everything available at their fingers.”