This four- part webinar series is designed to help leaders maximize the potential of their education-based data systems. The series introduces the User-Centered State Data System Design framework, which helps states build data systems that put people first. Centering on three core functions of data systems—Public Reports & Dashboards, Supporting Individuals, and Research & Analytics—the webinars offer practical strategies, real-world examples, and lessons learned from modernization efforts.
Sponsoring agencies were Education Commission of the States (ECS), the Data Integration Support Center (DISC), Data Quality Campaign (DQC), and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP).
So, You Want a State Dashboard?
Dashboards are one of the most common features of statewide data systems—but are they designed for compliance, or for action? This webinar explored how dashboards and public reports can deliver timely, actionable insights for multiple audiences, from policymakers to families.
Participants learned strategies from Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska on engaging stakeholders in system design, building transparency and accountability, and making data more usable for decision-making.
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Empowering Individuals with Data
How can data systems directly support students, families, and practitioners in real time?
This webinar explores how data systems can directly support students, families, and practitioners in real time—helping people not just access information, but act on it.
The one-hour session examines how states are creating personalized data services that make it easier for individuals to navigate education and career pathways. Participants will hear lessons from California’s Cradle to Career Data System and California College Guidance Initiative on their use of integrated data to streamline college applications, access to financial aid, and receive public benefits.
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Maximizing the Power of Research & Analytics
In this third session of the Creating Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) That Provide Useful Information series, state leaders explored how modern SLDS can securely expand access to linked data and enable more meaningful analyses that help leaders understand long-term outcomes and the impact of critical public investments.
Participants learned real-world state examples showing improved time-to-insight for policymakers, secure access models that enable approved research and insights, and governance and privacy strategies for responsible analytics
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Expanding Data Partnerships
This session, Expanding Data Partnerships: Insights from Health & Human Services, examines how states are expanding SLDS to include data from health and human services agencies and what education leaders can learn from those efforts. As states seek to better support educational attainment and child wellbeing, cross-sector data partnerships are becoming increasingly essential.
Co-hosted by Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), the webinar features state leaders from Iowa, Connecticut, and North Carolina, who share how their data-sharing initiatives have evolved, how they’ve navigated governance and privacy challenges, and what practical steps they’ve taken to integrate new data sources.
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