Implement, Improve and Expand Your Statewide Longitudinal Data System: Creating a Culture of Data in Education

CHAPTER 1

How to Establish a Successful SLDS

Larry and Helen work in the project office for the governor. Larry is a data analyst and Helen is a technologist, and, as a team of two, they’re responsible for fulfilling information requests from various parties across the state. They receive a request from the state legislature. The state’s elementary schools have been the beneficiaries of a generous donation from a private foundation to fund a new program designed to improve their Instructional Improvement Systems (IIS), and the two-year funding period is coming to a close. The state legislature wants to know if the program has worked and if its continuation should be funded. They want to know if the IIS program shows measurable gains among students who participated.

In the same state, at Ashley Elementary, John is a new student in Mrs. Fraser’s third-grade class. He is reading below grade level, and Mrs. Fraser wants to help him. She is curious as to what John’s previous schools have tried to remediate his needs. She needs this information quickly, so time isn’t lost in addressing John’s pressing need. Before he’s compelled to repeat third grade or gets pushed into alternative education, Mrs. Fraser is anxious to pick up where previous teachers have left off to improve John’s reading.

The governor wants to begin a task force to reduce the number of high school dropouts in the ...