Skip Navigation
small header image
State Education Reforms (SER)

Table 1.5. Characteristics of statewide student data systems, by state: 2008


State   Statewide student data system
Uses unique student identifiers   State law prohibits state from using social security number as a unique student identifier   Uses unique teacher identifiers   Includes explicit value-added analysis component   Links to the state higher education system1  
United States2   34 9 2 7 8
   
Alabama   Yes No No No Yes 3
Alaska   Yes No No No No
Arizona   Yes No No No Yes 3
Arkansas   Yes No No Yes 4 Yes 3
California   Yes No No No No
   
Colorado   Yes No No Yes Yes 3
Connecticut   Yes No No 5,6 Yes No
Delaware   Yes No No 5 No Other 7,8
District of Columbia   No 9
Florida   Yes No No No Yes 3
   
Georgia   Yes No Yes 10 No Yes 11
Hawaii   Yes No No No No
Idaho   No 9
Illinois   No 9 No
Indiana   Yes No No No No
   
Iowa   No 9 No
Kansas   Yes 9 No
Kentucky   Yes No No Yes Other 8,12
Louisiana   Yes No Yes No Other 8
Maine   No 9 No No 5 No No
   
Maryland   No
Massachusetts   Yes No No No No
Michigan   Yes No No No No
Minnesota   Yes No No Yes No
Mississippi   Yes No No No No
   
Missouri   No 9
Montana   No 9
Nebraska   No 9 Yes 13 No 5 No
Nevada   Yes No No 5 No Other 8,14
New Hampshire   No 9 Yes
   
New Jersey   No 9 No
New Mexico   Yes No No No No
New York   No 9 No
North Carolina   Yes No No 5 No Other 8
North Dakota   Yes Yes 15 No No No
   
Ohio   Yes Yes No 5 Yes 16 No
Oklahoma   No 9,17
Oregon   Yes No No No Other 8, 12
Pennsylvania   No No
Rhode Island   Yes Yes No No No
   
South Carolina   No 9
South Dakota   Yes No No No No
Tennessee   Yes No No No No
Texas   Yes No No 5 No Yes 18
Utah   No 9,19 No No Other 8,20
   
Vermont   Yes
Virginia   No 9 No 5
Washington   Yes Yes 21 No No Yes 22
West Virginia   Yes Yes No No No
Wisconsin   Yes Yes 23 No Yes No 24
Wyoming   Yes Yes 25 No No Other 8,26
Not applicable.
— Not available.
1 The state higher education system includes all 4-year institutions, community colleges, and technical colleges.
2 National total reflects the number of "Yes" responses for each column.
3 Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, and Florida have K-12 links with all 4-year institutions, with community colleges, and with technical colleges.
4 Arkansas's value-added computations are to be compared to similar national data.
5 Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia are developing unique teacher identifiers.
6 Connecticut's initial system focuses on student information, provided the system created will allow for future compatibility with financial, facility, and staff data.
7 The Delaware Higher Education Commission must enhance the capacity for quality data collection and reporting to meet federal mandates, regional and interstate contractual agreements, and national data sharing requirements.
8 "Other" signifies state data systems that have links to the state higher education system, but not enough to warrant a "Yes" response.
9 The District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia are developing statewide student data systems using unique student identifiers.
10 Georgia's system for unique teacher identifiers is codified in Ga. Code Ann. 20-2-320.
11 Georgia has K-12 links only with 4-year institutions.
12 Kentucky and Oregon are developing K-12 data that are linked to the state's higher education system.
13 Nebraska's unique student ID will be computer generated and contain no embedded meaning.
14 The system may be used for pupils who enroll in the University and Community College System of Nevada.
15 The student ID number is a 10 digit unique identifier that is generated by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.
16 The Ohio state data system must implement an explicit value-added analysis component by July 1, 2007.
17 Oklahoma is developing a student tracking and reporting pilot program.
18 Texas links its state K-12 data system with all 4-year institutions. H.B. 1144 (2001) requires that records relating to student performance be coordinated and maintained in standardized, compatible formats that allow the exchange of information between K-12 and higher education and throughout each student's educational career.
19 School districts in Utah request that all students provide the district with a social security number for purposes of identification and electronic record transfer; 2006 legislation requires each public school student to be assigned a unique student identifier that does not incorporate a social security number.
20 In Utah, 2006 legislation (H.B. 82) requires the state board of education and state board of regents to develop coordinated information technology systems to "allow individual student academic achievement to be tracked through both education systems..."
21 In Washington, the student identification is randomly generated.
22 The Washington state K-12 data system is linked with community colleges and technical colleges, but not with 4-year institutions.
23 In Wisconsin, no personal contact information, such as addresses or phone numbers, or social security numbers will be collected or used by the system.
24 The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents may assign to each student enrolled in the system a unique identification number.
25 Wyoming uses eight digits as a student identifier and assigned randomly from pool.
26 Wyoming has a community college-level data system, but does not link to the K-12 system.
SOURCE: State Notes: State Data Systems, Education Commission of the States, 2008. Data Source.