Defining Modern, User-Centered State Longitudinal Data System Design

To help states understand how to get the information they need to inform decisions, representatives from Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), Education Commission for the States (ECS), Data Quality Campaign (DQC), and WestEd have developed a framework that spells out the opportunities provided by linked data sets and the actions states can take to attain those goals. For example, rather than focusing on traditional choice points like whether to build a federated or centralized system, states should ensure that purpose drives design. States should contemplate the services that allow people to access information and how they will engage those constituencies in the design of data systems. These priorities can then help determine the appropriate technical, legal, and governance frameworks to meet those needs.

This document summarizes how state education data systems are evolving and offer specific guidance that can inform the design of linked information and desired services. More than 20 years ago, the federal government developed a grant program intended to help educators better understand the long-term outcomes of students. Early work on statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) focused on following individual students through their K-12 years.