Profile of State Data Capacity in 2018: Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Survey Descriptive Statistics. Stats in Brief. NCES 2021-126

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?