Industry credentials committee undermines the state’s new and improved framework

Earlier this summer, Ohio policymakers unveiled a revamped industry credentials framework that—if implemented well—will encourage students to attain credentials of value. The new system was created in response to data indicating that schools were pushing students to rack up questionable credentials as a workaround to the standard graduation requirement of passing state math and English exams. This was a blatant abuse of the state’s alternative pathway, and it robbed students of both essential academic skills and the rigorous technical training needed for living-wage professions.

We at the Fordham Institute supported the much-needed overhaul. It introduces an objective method to value industry credentials based on third-party data about employer demand and wages associated with the credential. Informed by the valuation results, a committee responsible[1] for approving graduation-eligible credentials culled the approved list from a whopping 738 to 126 credentials. The credentials making the cut are linked to good-paying jobs in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, information technology, and transportation.

The revamp’s long-term success, however, hinges on holding the line on quality. As we warned in an earlier piece, this work could quickly unravel if the committee falls prey to political pressure and low standards:  

The list of credentials could balloon yet again if policymakers are not careful. … Vendors and industry groups with financial interests and schools looking to maintain sky-high graduation rates could urge the committee to approve their favored credential or pressure it to set a low bar.

Regrettably, this caution is proving prophetic. At the committee’s first post-overhaul meeting in September, it approved two eyebrow-raising “bundles” of retail-based certificates that open the floodgates to another round of gaming and abuse. Here’s what the committee did and why its actions raise such serious alarms.

As quick context, the original September meeting agenda made no mention that any credentials would be up for approval. In fact, in its meeting notice, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce emphasized that the committee “will not be evaluating new credential applications.” Rather, the meeting was supposed to focus on standards setting—e.g., establishing minimum point values that allow a credential to be considered for approval—which was an unsettled policy question going into the meeting (draft rules are here).

But when the committee convened—according to the meeting minutes—it immediately shifted gears and handed the mic to a DC-based representative of the National Retail Federation, which creates and sells the RISE UP credentials (more on them later). He gave a presentation and, without question or discussion, the committee approved the credentials for graduation. 

This political power play calls into question whether Ohio can maintain control over its credentials list. If the retail federation can get its credentials accepted through lobbying, why not others? And if interest-group politics ends up being how the list is developed, what does that mean for the state’s impressive data-driven valuation framework? Does it become irrelevant?

Perhaps the procedural mess could be forgiven if the retail certificates include rigorous training and yield significant economic benefits for students. But a closer look at these credentials casts doubt on both counts. Note also that schools have already used one of them (Customer Service) as a common workaround to graduation under the prior credential system.[2]

Table 1 displays the first of the two retail bundles approved by the committee. It consists of three credentials that, taken together, likely require around 35 to 40 hours online to complete—less than half of a standard year-long academic or technical course that amounts to roughly 110 hours.[3] There are also certification exams, but unlike state exams—where there is extensive reporting and technical documentation—almost nothing is known about their content and rigor, test security, or passing rates. One might argue that certificates should not be judged against the standards of typical academic courses or state assessments. But remember, this bundle can substitute for high school math and English competency demonstrated on a state exam for graduation purposes.   

As for economic outcomes, Ohio students who have earned the RISE UP certificates have median incomes three years after high school of roughly $25,000. That is barely above the annual income of a full-time worker in a minimum wage job ($23,000) and far below a living wage standard of $44,000 for a single adult. The composite scores from the state’s valuation framework for the retail credentials are also substantially below the average credential in the state’s valuation database (44.7). The Google Analytics certificate gives the bundle a slight boost, but even it yields relatively little in terms of wage potential.

Table 1. Summary of the first bundle recently approved by the credentials committee

Sources: National Retail Federation, Maine JobLink website, which has accessible information about RISE UP program specifications, and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for composite scores and median annual incomes. Note: (*) The same credential can apply to multiple career fields and thus generate a different composite score in Ohio’s valuation framework.

The other credential bundle approved by the committee does not look much better. The programs in the bundle likely require no more than 40 hours of online coursework. The median income of an Ohio student with the RISE UP credential is below $25,000, and the credential has a weak composite valuation score. The Forklift Operation certificate bolsters the bundle, yet it still consists of just six online modules and an online exam.[4] Finally, the OSHA-10 certificate is added to the mix, but it is a basic job safety certificate that—while necessary for some jobs—does not signal the acquisition of specific technical skills.

Table 2. Summary of the second bundle recently approved by the credentials committee

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The industry credentials committee plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of Ohio’s graduation standards. While it did fine work this summer in the overhaul, the committee slipped at the September meeting. Moving forward, members must keep the best interests of the students using the credential route to graduation at the forefront. Their long-term futures will be brighter if they earn rigorous credentials with enduring value (such as those tied to the skilled trades) than collecting certificates that—on their own—yield little economic benefit.

To be clear, credentials, including retail-oriented ones, are not inherently bad. If the state required students to pair credentials with academic competency, aligned technical coursework, and on-the-job experience, the committee could likely take a more expansive approach to approval. But that’s not the policy framework (established in statute) the committee is working within. Credentials can be used in isolation to meet graduation standards—and thus may be the principal “currency” that students take with them to pursue jobs after high school. As such, the committee must take a firmer stance on credential quality.

The committee can still reverse the September mistake. It should immediately rescind these bundles, and work instead to adopt high standards for credential approval. Once established, all potential credentials and bundles should go through the same rigorous and fair approval process.