Topic 1 - Introduction
ABOUT THE DATABASE:
The Massachusetts School and Career Database brings together information about School to Career / Connecting Activities programs and the employers, students and schools who participate in these programs. The database was developed in the summer of 1998 with input from School to Career providers throughout Massachusetts. It has been updated annually to reflect input from database users as well as changes in policy and practice.
The database was designed as a local database - it is used at high schools and community colleges, WIB and Local Partnership offices, Career Centers, Chamber of Commerce offices and even at employer sites. Each region maintains their own data - often merging data from several sites to create the regional database. The database has been used successfully by over one hundred School to Career / Connecting Activities staff from throughout the state. Database users maintain information on anywhere from a few dozen to a few thousand students and employers in their database files.
PURPOSE OF THE DATABASE:
The database is designed to support the Connecting Activities and related Work-Based Learning initiatives. The purpose of the database includes providing:
- Data for management and reporting
- Names and addresses to support employer outreach and communication
- Data to support grant writing (lists of activities, number of participants, estimates of in-kind support, etc.)
- Data for both evaluating and promoting the School to Career / Connecting Activities initiative.
SOFTWARE USED:
The database was developed using FileMaker Pro Advanced version 8.5. It is a runtime program, meaning that users do not need FileMaker Pro software. It runs on both PC and Macintosh computers.
The data from the School to Career Database is used for both local and statewide research, evaluation and reporting. Regional Connecting Activities providers have collaborated to collect data for special statewide reports on Connecting Activities. See the School to Career Database Resources page on the Skills Library website to see some of these reports.