People need access to data to foster successful journeys through education and the workforce. Without access to this data, individuals, the public, and policymakers alike are left to rely on their best guess about things like where to allocate resources, how to support students, which programs of study meet their career goals, and what training they need to pursue a high-quality career. 

State leaders have an opportunity to implement policies and practices to make robust data access possible. But no one state leader can tackle these changes alone. Making this vision a reality will require attention from agency leaders, governors, legislatures, and other state leaders.

DQC’s 10 state policy recommendations lay out how state leaders can take the following steps to support data access through improved statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs): 

1. Codify cross-agency data governance in law;
2. Establish an independent entity to administer the state’s SLDS;
3. Map existing assets to identify system strengths and limits;
4. Engage the public to prioritize data access needs and seek continual feedback;
5. Fund SLDSs and the source systems that contribute data to them;
6. Develop legal and privacy frameworks to enable and guide state data efforts;
7. Develop and act on rollout plans when building data;
8. Invest in the talent and human capacity needed to modernize SLDSs toward access;
9. Center privacy; and
10. Support local leaders in building their own capacity to use data.