The need for better data on the performance of higher education has become a major focus of education policymakers, and this has been reflected in federal legislation. Community colleges are appropriately held accountable for the workforce outcomes of their students, but the data that are gathered to evaluate those outcomes must reflect the post-college occupational experiences of their students: child-care providers, engineers, nurses, general contractors, and members of the armed forces. To better understand the current state of linkages between education and workforce outcomes, the authors examined the following: (1) The assumptions federal legislation makes about linkages between education and workforce outcomes and the data needed to document those outcomes; and (2) How well current data collection systems capture the workforce outcomes of educational pursuits. Initially the authors conducted this inquiry by analyzing source documents, including federal legislation, program descriptions, technical manuals, and other publications developed by or related to the programs under review. Then they verified the accuracy of interpretations of these texts through conversations with program administrators and others familiar with the nuances of the relevant federal policies. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 34 notes.)