New Report Shows States Strengthening Governance and Leadership Behind Education and Workforce Data Systems
WASHINGTON (October 8, 2026) – With the November 3 elections approaching and 2027 legislative sessions on the horizon, new and returning state legislators will soon decide how to build on this year’s progress in education and workforce data policy. In 2026, state legislators from both sides of the aisle advanced legislation to strengthen cross-agency governance of statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs), expand SLDS capacity to meet evolving state priorities, and improve the underlying data within these systems. The Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) latest report, Education and Workforce Data Legislation Review: What Happened in 2026?, details DQC’s analysis of state legislative trends and serves as a roadmap for policymakers and advocates interested in advancing similar efforts in their own states.
Legislative action this year spanned the P–20W continuum, from early childhood through K–12 and postsecondary education into the workforce. Georgia and New Jersey both codified cross-agency data governance in law, establishing governing boards responsible for overseeing their SLDSs and setting policies for data collection, use, privacy, security, and quality. Ohio introduced similar legislation to bring together leaders from early childhood, K–12, postsecondary, and workforce agencies.
Other states revisited the purpose and scope of their existing SLDSs to ensure the systems continue to meet evolving state information needs. Indiana expanded the audiences its SLDS serves, and Maryland granted its governing board the authority to share data for multistate research, including a joint effort with DC and Virginia. At least four states—California, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Virginia—also introduced or passed legislation to enhance unemployment insurance wage data to give state leaders a fuller picture of their workforce and the return on investment of education and training programs.
“Connecting data is only the first step. The states making real progress this year are taking proactive steps to ensure their data systems are sustainable,” said Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, president and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign. “When agencies across education and the workforce commit to a durable cross-agency governance structure, they build systems that can serve people through changes in leadership and shifting priorities.”
DQC’s review also looks ahead to 2027, identifying two specific actions state legislators must take next session: strengthening early childhood data infrastructure and ensuring transparency about how artificial intelligence is used alongside state data.
“Every legislator who takes office in 2027 can start with the approaches in this review,” said Bell-Ellwanger. “Codifying cross-agency data governance, evolving the purpose and scope of an SLDS to meet current needs, and enhancing wage data are steps any state can take. The work to build strong education and workforce data ecosystems is far from complete, and every state can and should work to ensure that data works for everyone.”
The full report is available now on DQC’s website.
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The Data Quality Campaign is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization leading the effort to ensure that data works for everyone navigating their education and workforce journeys. For more information, go to dataqualitycampaign.org and follow us on LinkedIn.
