Commission advances plan for K‑20 learner record to make microcredentials portable

Dr. Anna Dunn proposed that the commission pursue a statewide K‑20 learner‑record system to make microcredentials transferable across sectors and more valuable to employers and learners. “This would be a very novel, unique thing for our state,” Dunn said.

Dunn described a plan to use existing appropriated funds for microcredential support (she cited a prior $1.8 million appropriation) to develop a shared infrastructure and to purchase two vendor tools (Career Coach and Skillabuy) that she said together would cost about $450,000. The system would allow a microcredential earned in K‑12, CareerTech or higher education to be transcribed and displayed alongside job‑market information, easing transitions for learners and enabling employers to discover credentialed candidates.

Commission members raised equity and technical questions: how to handle learners without Social Security numbers (which complicates tracking), whether microcredentials could be accepted toward teacher certification, and how to attach accommodations and IEP/504 information so adult learners retain needed support documentation. Members said the state could pilot employer pathways (including targeted pilots for people with felony records) to evaluate credential‑to‑employment outcomes.

Dunn said she will schedule demos of candidate tools, invite stakeholders across sectors and host follow‑up conversations this summer to identify a vendor and planning timeline. The commission agreed to pursue further planning rather than take immediate policy action.