Recent data from statewide assessments, scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and college remediation needs show that an increasing number of K-12 students are not performing at grade level. As schools look to support these students' learning, some districts are turning to a proven strategy for identifying the students…

For decades, schools nationwide have collected household income data to identify those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch programs. State leaders have long used this information as a proxy for student economic disadvantage--yet this data is insufficient to understand and address students' needs. Measures based on FRL data lack critical…

Data reflects a series of decisions made by people--and those decisions affect the story that data tells, what it captures, and how it can and should be used to inform decision-making. Because of this, mistrust in data is often the result of incomplete information and a lack of context. This resource breaks down what it means to build trust in…

People need access to data to make decisions about post-high school experiences, including postsecondary education. Policymakers need to better understand how financial circumstances relate to college enrollment and completion. And students and their families need information about how much financial aid they may have access to for financing their…

Schools, state and local education and workforce agencies, colleges, career education and training programs, and employers collect and use education and workforce data. But without a connected, cohesive system through which students, job seekers, and college and career counselors can get that information, it often remains just out of reach for…

For decades, states have been investing in statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) that connect individual-level data over time from early childhood, K-12, postsecondary, and workforce. Because of these investments, most states have a powerful tool that could provide people with the information they need to make decisions at key transition…

For the first time in history, public schools have closed across the country, and students have been receiving instruction from their homes. But in their new role as educators, parents have been largely flying blind in their efforts to ensure that students are on track for success. This problem is not new: parents have always needed to be informed…

School closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have left educators and families with the responsibility of rapidly learning how to support students while they are at home. This fundamental shift in the way most students receive instruction makes it critical for educators and families to be able to use data to meet students where they are and…

In 2024, state legislators introduced hundreds of bills that would affect data collection, access, and use across early education, K-12, postsecondary, and the workforce. As in 2023, legislators continued to introduce and enact legislation governing cross-agency data systems. These policies are the most important step toward making statewide…

Over the past several years, policymakers across the country have enacted and updated policies designed to address safe data use in modern and evolving classrooms; now, changes in teaching practice are happening on an unprecedented scale and pace following the rapid transition to online learning. States will need to move quickly to provide student…

State leaders are grappling with generation-defining challenges as they work to fully understand and address the impact of the pandemic on students and communities. As leaders turn their attention to the upcoming school year, data continues to be a critical tool for informing recovery efforts. Data Quality Campaign's (DQC) 2021 public opinion…

This year saw unprecedented disruptions to schools and to students' lives across the country. With a global pandemic shutting school doors, causing economic instability, and highlighting the impact of systemic racism, policymakers and education leaders are looking to data to help them respond and recover. The Data Quality Campaign's 2020 research…

No vision of personalized learning can be realized without support for data use. State strategies to create student-centered classrooms require critical policy conditions that allow those closest to students to access and use timely, safeguarded data to make decisions. This case study outlines steps SEAs can take to ensure the effective use of…

The 2020 election brought about legislative change across the country. New and veteran policymakers need information about the schools in their state. What programs are the most cost effective and work best for students? How can states attract and retain great teachers? What information do parents need to ensure that their kids are on track to…

High-quality data governance, a body or process designed to make decisions about how state education data is linked, used, accessed, and protected, is key to establishing a culture of effective data use in states. The three data governance bodies featured in this paper--the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics (KCEWS), the…