From Data to Decision: Using StudentTracker to Shape Future School Initiatives

Did you know that with StudentTracker, you can match your high school graduates to enrollment data for 97 percent of the nation’s postsecondary students? Now for the big question: What should you do with all this data? 

It’s a common question we hear from clients at the Clearinghouse. While StudentTracker provides the data, the most valuable insights come from combining it with your school’s goals, context, and knowledge of your students. 

From Data to Decision in Three Steps

1. Define success for your student population
   What is a “good” college enrollment percentage? It depends. Some schools may expect 80 percent of their students to graduate from college. For other student populations, 50 percent college enrollment may represent a big achievement.  
   
   The first step, then, is defining what postsecondary success looks like for your school’s population. The ideal time to do this is before turning to your school’s StudentTracker reports. This prevents the data from coloring your expectations and skewing your benchmarking process.
2. Assess the data against your goals
   Now it’s time to dig into the data and discover how your school’s students have fared relative to the enrollment and graduation targets you have defined. Are your students meeting the outcomes you expected? Where are they outperforming expectations, and where are there gaps? 
   
   This is also the point where local context matters most. StudentTracker data becomes even more useful when paired with other information your school collects, such as high school course-taking patterns, dual enrollment participation, advising engagement, GPA trends, or other indicators tied to college readiness. Looking at these data together can reveal which school experiences are most closely connected to student success after graduation.
3. Turn insight into action
   Once you understand the gaps between your goals and your results, you can begin planning next steps. That may mean strengthening current programs, redesigning supports, or targeting resources toward areas where students need more help.
   
   Reliable postsecondary outcomes data helps schools move from assumptions to action. Instead of guessing which efforts are working, you can make decisions based on evidence and focus improvement efforts where they are most likely to benefit students. 

Learn more about StudentTracker and how it can help your school assess and strengthen its college preparation efforts.