Overview

In 2022, the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) launched the Data Champions Collaborative to bring together diverse partners to create a vision for how states can enable data access for all.  The vision is to make P-20W systems robust, well-funded, responsive to community and policymaker needs, and built to adapt as information needs change. P-20W stands for "pre-kindergarten through college and beyond into the workforce," and refers to statewide longitudinal data systems that track student data across these different stages of education and into the workforce. 

This work has been driven by recognition of past and current inequalities, inefficiencies, and the siloed nature of the nation’s education, childcare, and workforce systems.  The imperative for change: state data systems need major improvements.

The Collaborative is composed of some 40 national organizations that represent students, parents, teachers, state leaders, and philanthropy. The DQC has partnered with Results for America and the Data Foundation to enable the Collaborative to clearly lay out what users need.

The goal of the Collaborative’s work is to send a clear signal to federal policy leaders with the power and funds to aid states in improving their P-20W data systems, that the states need this timely support.

The types of information the Collaborative advocates for:

• Parents need access to information to help them choose the best early learning environment for their child.
• Students need information that their K-12 schools are providing the education and skills they need to pursue postsecondary opportunities and/or go straight to workforce opportunities.
• Adults retraining after a job loss or career change need information about cost and outcomes data so they can identify a program that best fits their needs.

Background

The DQC is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization launched in 2005 to advocate for and support states in developing robust data systems. Such systems have the capacity to give families, educators, and other decision-makers access to valuable information on student performance and achievement over time. The DQC has led the national advocacy effort for states to collect and use this critical information through the 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems.

Partners

Results for America

The Data Foundation

Resources

Blog:  Analysis: Time to Reimagine State Data Systems So Kids & Families Can Get Services They Need, from Early Childhood to K-12, Postsecondary, the Workforce and Beyond – The 74

Creating a Longitudinal Data System: Using Data to Improve Student Achievement (2013)