New Report:Creating Longitudinal Data Systems to Improve Student Achievement

Posted by on November 24, 2008

New survey profiles states’ use of data for student achievement

The Data Quality Campaign — a national effort to encourage and support state improvement on the collection, availability, and use of education data and to improve student achievement — has released, “Measuring What Matters: Creating Longitudinal Data Systems to Improve Student Achievement.” This survey of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, finds that six states have all 10 elements of a comprehensive data system that can track student progress from preschool through college, and 48 states have at least half the elements. (For a description of the 10 elements, see HERE [http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/].) This was up from zero states in 2005. 47 states plan to have eight or more of the 10 elements in place within three years. The survey found, however, that only 21 states have a teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students; another 13 states plan to have this element by 2012, but 17 states report no plans to implement it. Only 17 states collect student-level course completion and transcript information, and at least nine have no plans to do so. And 29 states have the ability to collect college readiness test scores, but at least 12 states have no plans to implement this element. States report that it’s not a lack of technological know-how that keeps them from doing this work, but the lack of political will and resources to implement the elements and change the culture around data use.

Read the release: http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/files/news-dqc_marks_3_years-111508.pdf

See the report: http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/files/publications-measuring_what_matters.pdf