Expand and Enhance Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems

State data related to education and workforce outcomes are often housed in separate systems that may measure the same things about the same people but without being able to link or compare data due to outdated systems. Disparate data systems can also use different definitions of the same terms, like rural, which can lead to public confusion and limit options for comparing programs and outcomes statewide.1 Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) that connect early learning, K-12, postsecondary education, service and workforce data are important mechanisms for collecting data as individuals progress through their education and career journeys and for understanding how certain choices or experiences impacted their later outcomes.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) oversees Kentucky’s SLDS, which integrates data across education and workforce systems, including K-12, postsecondary, workforce, and unemployment insurance records, to track outcomes from schooling into employment.2 The system produces a wide array of publicly accessible, interactive reports, such as the Kentucky Future Skills Report, Students’ Right to Know, and county-level data dashboards, which are designed to inform policymakers and provide transparency to the public about education, workforce outcomes, and economic conditions.3 Finally, KYSTATS explicitly incorporates labor market information and projections to align education and training insights with evolving workforce needs, enabling the system to adapt to changing economic conditions.

In addition to collecting data, states should analyze and use these data to examine current practices and adjust to improve outcomes. States should also use these data to more closely align the supply and demand of skills in the labor market and to improve the fidelity of signals to learners and workers about changes in the job market. SLDS can also improve the transparency of the return on investment for learners so that they can make more informed choices. To maximize the utility of postsecondary data, SLDS should include data from noncredit programs in addition to more traditional data on degree programs.