1. College major outcomes analysis
In this lesson, we will put our data storytelling knowledge to work with a case study on college major outcomes. But before we get to that, let's first look at some 2021 statistics for inspiration.
2. College statistics in 2021
The US Department of Education is a department of the US government tasked with promoting student achievement and job preparation excellence.
In 2021, the US Dept. of Education revealed that 61.8% of high school graduates between the ages of 16-24 enrolled in college. This represented 54.9% of men and 69.5% of women. 74.8% of bachelor graduates were employed vs. 76.7% of associate graduates.
Data like this are used to make education public policy to improve students' lives and graduation outcomes. This brings us to our case study.
3. The case
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a nationwide survey that provides enrollment and employment information. You can see 2021 survey results here. This year, you are the lead data scientist tasked with assisting your colleagues in the US Dept. of Education.
The department has raised concerns about colleges and their ability to properly prepare graduates for success. Luckily for you, the team has provided you with the latest CPS data.
4. The data
Your teams' goal is to analyze data from 2013 to 2022 for a diverse sample of 30 pretend universities.
The data details statistics on college graduation, employment, tuition, and debt information for different genders, across a variety of majors.
5. The audience
During this case study, you will collaborate with your teammates. These are your stakeholders, as well as your analysis audience. From left to right...
Chris is the Assistant Administrator in charge of program coordination.
Rachel and Brandy are research analysts in charge of collaborating with policy makers
Beth is Director of this initiative with over 20 years of education experience.
James represents the agency that provides the universities' accreditation.
Lastly, Alana is the program manager that manages the program's progress and deliverables.
6. The requirements
In the recent team meeting, Rachel and Brandy present the raw CPS data. It will require some wrangling before it can provide any value. James immediately recommends that we get to the bottom of these numbers.
The report has arrived just in time for the regional accreditation assessment for 30 key universities. Any insights we can extract from the data will assist us in conversations regarding the school's success metrics.
Beth asks you to leverage the data to quantify university performance and student success, and provide recommendations for improvement.
7. Getting organized
Based on what we know about the situation, and considering our data storytelling elements, let's review our strategy.
If you recall, every data story has a data foundation, and that's why we'll be using the CPS data. We also need a Main Point, but this is TBD. The explanatory focus and detective work will reveal the main point to us.
Once we have our insights and main point, we create a linear story, complete with visual anchors and dramatic elements and for ease of interpretation and comprehension for our audience.
8. Let's practice!
Now that we have a grasp of our case study, let's get started!