The conversation about education and workforce data moves fast: new reports, new discussions, new debates. But the issues that determine whether data actually improves people’s lives don’t change nearly as often as the headlines suggest. Back to Basics is DQC’s ongoing series on the fundamentals: the data policies, practices, and principles that have always mattered—and still do. Each post steps back from the moment to explain what’s really at stake—and why getting it right is worth the sustained effort. This post is the first installment of Back to Basics; other posts in this series will be posted here.
Think about the last time you made a quick choice: checking your maps app to see if your usual route is jammed or your train is delayed, or looking up a restaurant with good reviews when visiting a new town. We may not think of these as “data-driven decisions,” but we sure expect this kind of information to be right at our fingertips, easy to read, and instantly actionable. It empowers us to navigate our days with confidence. Data helps us save time, energy, and money.
Yet, when it comes to the decisions that shape our futures, like a student choosing a career technical program that actually leads to a living-wage job, or a policymaker knowing which colleges best support students to graduation, the data necessary to make those decisions can still feel frustratingly out of reach.
For DQC, access to data is a necessity, not a luxury. That’s why we’ve chosen this topic as the inaugural edition of our Back to Basics series. All of DQC’s work is grounded in access to data that works for people—so it’s only fitting that we start here.
Two decades of experience and partnership has taught us that, to truly meet the needs of people, statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) must be designed to:
- Transform state early childhood data to meet the needs of children, families, and those who support them.
- Connect school and district leaders to the information they need to ensure that their students thrive.
- Help students seamlessly navigate transitions from high school into college and career pathways.
- Connect students to the supports they need to complete their college education.
- Enable job seekers to navigate education and career pathways that lead to high-quality careers.
- Provide researchers access to the data they need to produce trusted information that enables people to understand transitions, outcomes, and what works.
Over the past two decades, states have taken big steps forward, investing in their data ecosystems and creating statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) that often connect and house data across early childhood, K–12, postsecondary, and workforce. This work matters because data collection—even data reporting—without meaningful access is like trying to use your GPS without a signal. You know how useful it could be, and yet you’re stuck without any information on where to turn.
What’s exciting is that many states have made progress toward providing the kinds of access I laid out above to benefit individuals, the public, and policymakers alike and ensure that they can make education and workforce decisions. Depending on the intended function of their data system, other states have prioritized different uses for their data systems. But the states that have made investments in their data ecosystems aren’t starting from scratch, they have an established tool they can build on to meet their goals.
Information that sits on a shelf, or in a convoluted database, just collects dust. People—like Grace, the subject of our most well-known infographic—need access to data. It’s what helps families review options for their high schooler after graduation to pick what makes the most sense for them. It’s what helps school district leaders see what schools they need to target for interventions. It’s what helps adults trying to boost their economic mobility see which career programs lead to good paying jobs. And it’s what helps policymakers make choices about the best investments for our tax dollars. When data is hard to find, or access is limited, those needs can’t be met.
As people navigate education and workforce decisionmaking, especially as college costs rise and workforce training needs evolve, the need for meaningful access to data is increasingly clear. Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more about our full suite of resources. Our hope is to reinvigorate the conversation on data at a critical moment, and to focus that conversation focuses on the ways meaningful data access can make all the difference for individuals, communities, and states as a whole. Without it, too many opportunities will be missed.
