K–12 student data were included in 94 percent of SLDSs (48 of 51 of the participating states and territories) in 2018 (figure 1).
The K–12 student data types that were most commonly reported as operational by states and territories are student demographics, grade level, school enrollment and completion, transfer status, homelessness status, dropout history, attendance, and statewide summative assessment scores (figure 2).
More than three-quarters of states and territories (79 percent) reported that they collect data across multiple agencies in a P-20W+ environment (figure 3).
At least 70 percent of states and territories reported planned, in progress, or operational automated linkages between K–12 student and K–12 teacher (71 percent), postsecondary (79 percent), Perkins CTE (83 percent), and early childhood (80 percent) data (figure 4).
K–12 student data are linked with data from other sectors using a variety of strategies (figure 5). The most common operational strategies include course assignments for K–12 teacher data (71 percent), an element match process for postsecondary data (65 percent), and assigned unique identifiers for Perkins CTE (73 percent) and early childhood data (61 percent).
States and territories use linked data to enable several replicable, automated processes (figure 6). About one-third of states and territories reported operational capabilities to move student data from K–12 to in-state postsecondary institutions through e-transcripts (39 percent), from local education agencies (LEAs) to the SEA through Student Records Exchange (SRE or SREx) (35 percent), and from K–12 to other states’ postsecondary entities via e-transcripts (31 percent).
Nearly three-quarters of states and territories (73 percent) reported having operational comprehensive data dictionaries for K–12 student data (figure 7).
For states and territories with comprehensive data dictionaries, one-third (33 percent) reported that their K–12 student data elements are aligned to CEDS (figure 8).
The survey asks about several common data uses, including for instructional support, resources for stakeholders, and decisionmaking (figure 9). The most commonly reported data use for almost all sectors of data was in resources like scorecards or dashboards for the public, parents, and community members.
In addition to the uses discussed above, states and territories indicated that they use data for additional federal and state reports not specific to a sector (figure 10). Forty-three percent of states and territories reported operational use of data for data quality reports, and 37 percent of states and territories reported operational use of data for reports to the governor or legislature.