HERNDON, VA, Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Student Clearinghouse announced today the launch of the Clearinghouse’s DEI Data Lab, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) online initiative that will more widely share the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s nation-leading data on higher education students, highlight evidence-based solutions, and encourage additional problem-solving partnerships to help all learners. The new platform was made possible by financial support from the Cognizant Foundation.
Efforts to close equity gaps are not new to the Clearinghouse. In the 2008–2009 academic year, the Clearinghouse began collecting additional data that enabled the Research Center to analyze student success based on factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and more. The Clearinghouse aims to build a long-term, collaborative environment for researchers, educators, institutions, and organizations working to advance equity in higher education.
“As we enter our 30th year of service to educational institutions and students, supporting all learners has been a central theme for the NSC since inception. At the Clearinghouse — a nonprofit created by and for the higher education community — we are invested in seeing that all learners reach their full potential. This new site builds on our actions to support all learners.” said Rick Torres, President and CEO, National Student Clearinghouse. “The Clearinghouse has an obligation to collaborate with our partners to find better ways to use our data and tools. We are very appreciative of the Cognizant Foundation and all the advisors and creators of the DEI Data Lab to address inequities in education.”
DEI Data Lab Content and Vision
The site includes data-intensive pages that provide a starting point for understanding current equity gaps, identifying recent trends, and diving deeper into metrics on enrollment, persistence, and completion.
The DEI Data Lab also features case studies that highlight Clearinghouse partners, and many others, who are working to close equity gaps. Review the site’s examples, and with your help and input, we look forward to presenting many more.
Over time, the Clearinghouse intends to:
- Convene the education and workforce communities in a collaborative environment.
- Provide more actionable insights and interventions to democratize access to education more effectively.
- Spearhead a nationwide effort for an equitable approach to data collection and analysis in education.
- Promote equity in education at the local and national level.
Organizations are invited to join the growing list of engaged participants join the growing list of engaged participants to share best practices and form problem-solving partnerships to achieve greater equity in education.
About the National Student Clearinghouse
The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit formed in 1993, is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges.
The Clearinghouse serves as a single point of contact for the collection and timely exchange of accurate and comprehensive enrollment, degree, and certificate records on behalf of its more than 3,600 participating higher education institutions, which represent 98 percent of all students in public and private U.S. institutions. The Clearinghouse also provides thousands of high schools and districts with continuing collegiate enrollment, progression, and completion statistics on their alumni.
Through its verification, electronic exchange, and reporting services, the Clearinghouse saves the education community cumulatively over $750 million annually. Most Clearinghouse services are provided to colleges and universities at little or no charge, including enhanced transcript and research services, enabling institutions to redistribute limited staff and budget resources to more important student service efforts. Clearinghouse services are designed to facilitate an institution’s compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, The Higher Education Act, and other applicable laws. The Clearinghouse has signed the Student Privacy Pledge and is the first recipient of ikeepsafe.org’s FERPA compliance badge, which was awarded to its StudentTracker for High Schools service.
For more information, visit www.studentclearinghouse.org.
###
