Education data is one of the most powerful tools to inform, engage, and create opportunities for students along their education and workforce journeys—and it's much more than test scores.

Students need to understand if they are on track for graduation, families need to understand how to support their children’s education, teachers need to know what progress their students are making, school and district leaders need to understand where to prioritize coaching and resources effectively to improve student outcomes, and policymakers need to know what interventions work and are cost effective. Access to usable and timely data will help each of these stakeholders make better informed decisions and will help ensure that there are great schools for every child.

Never has it been more important for every stakeholder to have access to timely and usable data in education. The Alabama Literacy Act, Alabama Numeracy Act, and RAISE Act all rely on student data and longitudinal growth to determine the supports teachers and students receive. Longitudinal data provides insights into which interventions are effective. The Department of Workforce uses K-12 and higher education data, as well as career data, to understand how to best prepare Alabama students. Overall, data is an important tool to understand how our students are doing, which interventions are moving the needle for kids, and how Alabama is shifting over time.

In 2020, Alabama committed to creating and maintaining the Alabama Terminal on Linking and Analyzing Statistics (ATLAS), a longitudinal data system. Through the upkeep and broadening of this program, our state leaders have an opportunity to ensure that all stakeholders have the right tools, training, and capacity to make smart and informed decisions now and into the future.

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The Big Idea:

When students, parents, educators, and policymakers have the right information to make decisions, students excel. Now that Alabama has created its longitudinal data system, we must build it into an effective tool to support academic success, broaden workforce opportunities, and drive systemic change.

Key Terms:

Education Data: Includes academic, educator, and demographic, and workforce information from early childhood to the workforce. Collected from many sources and in many formats, although the type of data, and who can access it, varies.

State Longitudinal Data Systems: database that links student data (Pre-K enrollment, attendance, course enrollment, & state assessments, etc) from several systems (early childhood, K-12, community colleges, universities, & workforce) to understand the effectiveness of those systems, programs, initiatives, and state investments

P-20 Systems: State-level educational databases used to capture, study, and use student data from pre-k to the workforce. Includes early education, K-12 schools, colleges, and workforce systems.

Education Data: Includes academic, educator, and demographic, and workforce information from early childhood to the workforce. Collected from many sources and in many formats, although the type of data, and who can access it, varies. State Longitudinal Data Systems: database that links student data (Pre-K enrollment, attendance, course enrollment, & state assessments, etc) from several systems (early childhood, K-12, community colleges, universities, & workforce) to understand the effectiveness of those systems, programs, initiatives, and state investments P-20 Systems: State-level educational databases used to capture, study, and use student data from pre-k to the workforce. Includes early education, K-12 schools, colleges, and workforce systems.

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