Creating a Path to Answers: How State Data Leaders Can Empower Researchers. State Implementation Guide
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| Title: | Creating a Path to Answers: How State Data Leaders Can Empower Researchers. State Implementation Guide |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Data Quality Campaign (DQC), Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd |
| Source: | Data Quality Campaign. 2026. |
| Availability: | Data Quality Campaign. 1250 H Street NW Suite 825, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-393-4372; Fax: 202-393-3930; e-mail: info@dataqualitycampaign.org; Web site: http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education Elementary Secondary Education Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Data Use, Information Systems, State Programs, Labor Force Development, Educational Research, Education Work Relationship, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Higher Education, Longitudinal Studies, Best Practices, Researchers |
| Geographic Terms: | Washington, Utah, Minnesota, Hawaii, California, Nebraska, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky |
| Abstract: | Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) can hold the key to understanding what works in education, workforce development, and beyond--but they can enable this insight only if researchers are able to access and use the data effectively. By linking individual-level data over time and across at least early childhood, K-12, higher education, and the workforce, SLDSs can provide a unique opportunity for researchers to use cross-sector information to produce trusted insights that help individuals, the public, and policymakers understand education and workforce transitions and outcomes. As states work to optimize researcher access, they face common challenges, including managing limited staff capacity, navigating complex legal requirements, establishing appropriate security protocols, and balancing multiple stakeholder priorities. These challenges are solvable, and states across the country have developed innovative approaches that address these issues while maintaining data security and public trust. As states continue to build and modernize SLDSs, ensuring responsible researcher access is essential to maximizing the systems' value for communities and decisionmakers. This brief provides state data leaders--the individuals spearheading states' longitudinal, cross-agency data work--with practical pathways to secure, transparent, and effective researcher access. Through research and input from state data leaders, the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) and the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd have identified five best practices for enhancing researcher access to de-identified individual-level SLDS data. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678659 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) can hold the key to understanding what works in education, workforce development, and beyond--but they can enable this insight only if researchers are able to access and use the data effectively. By linking individual-level data over time and across at least early childhood, K-12, higher education, and the workforce, SLDSs can provide a unique opportunity for researchers to use cross-sector information to produce trusted insights that help individuals, the public, and policymakers understand education and workforce transitions and outcomes. As states work to optimize researcher access, they face common challenges, including managing limited staff capacity, navigating complex legal requirements, establishing appropriate security protocols, and balancing multiple stakeholder priorities. These challenges are solvable, and states across the country have developed innovative approaches that address these issues while maintaining data security and public trust. As states continue to build and modernize SLDSs, ensuring responsible researcher access is essential to maximizing the systems' value for communities and decisionmakers. This brief provides state data leaders--the individuals spearheading states' longitudinal, cross-agency data work--with practical pathways to secure, transparent, and effective researcher access. Through research and input from state data leaders, the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) and the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd have identified five best practices for enhancing researcher access to de-identified individual-level SLDS data. |
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