From the ECS State Policy Database: State Longitudinal Data Systems - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

P-16/P-20 Councils - P-16 councils were first established in the 1990s to convene state leaders representing early learning (the "P") through the first four years of college (the "16"). This ECS database provides information on existing P-16/P-20 Councils in the states. (Jennifer Dounay, Education Commission of the States, May 2008)...

Postsecondary Feedback Systems - This database provides information about the data systems in more than 20 states that provide districts and high schools with information about how their graduates have fared after entering postsecondary education in the state. (Michael Colasanti, Education Commission of the States, June 2008)...

High School Feedback: An Analysis of State's Current Efforts - This report provides an analysis of whether each state has a high school feedback data system, and if they do, who is providing the information, what components are included, and where is can be found. (Data Quality Campaign, December 2011)...

Ten Essential Elements of a State Longitudinal Data System - The 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, along with the 10 State Actions, provide guidelines for state policymakers to ensure that quality data are used to increase student achievement. All states have committed to implement the 10 Essential Elements by September 2011, and every state should be poised to fulfill this 50-state commitment. (Data Quality Campaign)...

Ten Fundamentals of Coordinated State Early Care and Education Data Systems--Inaugural State Analysis - To measure states' progress toward building and using coordinated state early childhood education data systems, the Data Quality Campaign, in partnership with the Early Childhood Data Collaborative, surveyed 48 states and the District of Columbia in fall 2010. There were a number of key questions which the states could not answer. Surveyors found that states are collecting data related to ECE programs, but the data are uncoordinated and often incomplete and therefore cannot be used effectively to support continuous improvement efforts. (Early Childhood Data Collaborative, March 2011)...

Strong Foundations: The State of State Postsecondary Data Systems - This document describes existing state postsecondary student-level data systems and provides examples of how they have been used. (Tanya Garcia and Hans L'Orange, SHEEO, July 2010)...

Kindergarten Through 12th Grade Schools' Collection and Use of Social Security Numbers--Audit Report - Objective of this activity was to assess kindergarten through 12th grade schools' collection and use of Social Security numbers and the potential risks associated with current practices. Following the audit, recommendations were presented to the Social Security Administration that they inform the education community about the potential risks of using social security numbers as student identifiers; encourage state departments of education to reduce unnecessary collection of social security number of implement safeguards to protect the numbers when they are collected. (Social Security Administration, July 2010)...

10 Essential Elements of a State Longitudinal Data System: - Although each state’s education system is unique, DQC has determined that there are 10 elements that are essential to a successful longitudinal data system. The DQC conducts an annual survey that produces results on each state's progress on implementing a comprehensive longitudinal data system which can be accessed here. Roll over a particular state on the map and view the most recent results. (Data Quality Campaign) ...

Annual Progress Report on State Data Systems - Each year, the Data Quality Campaign surveys all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to assess states’ progress toward implementing the 10 Essential Elements of a high-quality longitudinal data system. In 2005, no states reported having all 10 Elements. This year, 11 states have all 10 Elements (up from six states in 2008). (Data Quality Campaign, November 2009)...

Linking Data Across Agencies: States That Are Making it Work - This issue brief captures the current status of states' ability to link data across agencies, the opportunities and challenges they face, and how leading states are breaking down silos to ensure data follow individual students over time to improve success. (Rebecca Carson, Elizabeth Laird, Elizabeth Gaines and Thaddeus Ferber, Data Quality Campaign, November 2009)...

Education Data Warehouse Serves Important Function; Project Planning and Management Need Strengthening - Florida's Education Data Warehouse plays an important role by enabling policymakers, educators and researchers to track student progress from prekindergarten through graduate school. However the warehouse has not fully implemented tools to improve stakeholders' access to education data. Recommendations are given for the Florida Department of Eduction to remedy the situation. (OPPAGA, July 2009)...

Data-Driven Districts--Building the Culture and Capacity to Improve Student Achievement - This paper presents findings of a benchmarking study of district best practices in data-driven decisionmaking (Data Quality Campaign & APQC Education, April 2009)...

Creating a Comprehensive Teacher Data System - Research consistently has shown that teachers have the most impact on student learning. We need to know much more about teachers if we are to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all students. We need to know where teachers are trained, what subjects and grades they teach, who their students are, and how their students perform. Having this data would make it possible to: (1) Improve teacher preparation programs and routes to certification; (2) Generate information on class sizes by subject area; (3) Estimate expenditures at the school level; (4) Improve professional development tailored to staff needs; (5) Better understand teacher supply and demand; (6) Determine the experience level of teachers of low-income and special needs students; and (7) Target support and professional development activities where they are needed most. (Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession, Data Quality Campaign, May 2010)...