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Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) can enable researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to identify and understand important relationships and trends across the education-to-workforce continuum. A well-developed SLDS can increase state and territory governments' ability to establish more informed and equitable policies, enable agency leaders to act more strategically, and help practitioners make more data-informed decisions. The SLDS Survey was created to capture information about the data capacity of states' and territories' SLDSs across these varying circumstances. In addition to inventorying information about whether a given data type, link, or use is in place, the SLDS Survey explores the development of SLDSs and their varying degrees of implementation. By providing standard measures for various aspects of data capacity, the SLDS Survey helps stakeholders understand and assess the ability of SLDSs to store, manage, link, and use key data types across the preschool through workforce (P-20W+) spectrum. This Statistics in Brief provides aggregate data from the 2019 and 2020 administrations of the SLDS Survey. The primary focus of the report is on the 2020 SLDS Survey with results specific to the 2019 SLDS Survey. This brief is structured to address the following four research questions: (1) What types of K-12 data are included in the statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS)?; (2) What is the capacity for linking K-12 student data in the SLDS to other data? How are the data linked?; (3) Are there data dictionaries published publicly? Are data aligned to the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)?; and (4) How do states and territories use data for reporting and decision-making?

The statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) Survey was first administered in the summer of 2017. This annual survey was created to help inventory the current data capacity of states' and territories' SLDSs. It not only focuses on whether a given data type or use is in place, but also explores the development of these data systems and their varying degrees of implementation. The SLDS Survey asks all states and territories to provide information about the types of data that are included in their SLDSs; how they use SLDS data to inform policy; and the capacity of their SLDSs for automated linking of K-12 student data to other data, including teacher, postsecondary, workforce, Perkins career and technical education (CTE), and early childhood data. To provide a snapshot of current data system capabilities, the survey collects information about states' and territories' goals and intentions regarding their data systems by asking respondents to indicate whether a data system's capacity is in place and operational, in progress toward becoming operational, planned, or not planned. This Statistics in Brief provides aggregate information about states and territories that connect data from different sources in their SLDSs. In order to explore the types of data they collect, how the data are defined, how the data systems are structured, and how the data are ultimately used, this brief explores the following four study questions that represent a portion of the results collected from the survey: (1) What types of K-12 data are included in the statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs)?; (2) What is the capacity for linking K-12 student data in the SLDS to other data? How are the data linked?; (3) Are there data dictionaries published to the state website? Are data aligned to the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)?; and (4) How do states and territories use data for reporting and decision-making?