Education and Workforce Development Cabinet
State educational agencies form partnership to make P-20 data system information available for reporting, analysis and research

FRANKFORT, Ky.  – Recognizing the need to research data across the P-20 spectrum, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and the Education Professional Standards Boards (EPSB) have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to form a P-20 Data Collaborative. The goal of the group is to create a longitudinal student data system that spans a student’s entire educational career.

Through a series of grants, the three agencies will work together to compile a P-20 data system, a data warehouse of information from pre-kindergarten through college and beyond. This system would make it possible to link student, teacher, postsecondary and certification data so that informed decisions about important strategies can be formulated.

“The P-20 data system will provide crucial linkages between the work of our public schools and higher education institutions, allowing for better decision making,” said Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “The system will provide improved data management and usage, saving time and enabling educators to focus on their primary responsibility to prepare students for life after high school.”

The P-20 Data Collaborative will oversee the project of merging the data and making it available for reporting, analysis and research. The Collaborative will provide feedback to Kentucky’s educational institutions and get information in the hands of stakeholders.

“The warehouse will create a seamless educational landscape in Kentucky by linking and expanding our use of meaningful objective data,” said EPSB Executive Director Phillip Rogers. “Ultimately, it will allow policymakers to study linkages between preparation programs, teaching success and student achievement.”

The agencies agreed that a collaborative arrangement is the best method to ensure that suitable accountability measures are in place for the evaluation of educational programs spanning the three agencies. The joint effort will also see to it that proper safeguards are in place to ensure student data confidentiality is maintained while joint research and analysis are conducted.

“We are extremely pleased to be moving forward with the P-20 data collaborative,” said Bob King, president of the Council on Postsecondary Education. “It will help us assure that more of our students are more highly educated. Achieving this objective will improve the quality of life for our graduates.”

The governing board of the Collaborative will consist of the Commissioner of KDE, the President of CPE and the Executive Director of EPSB. Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Helen Mountjoy will also be a full member and chair of the governing board of the P-20 Data Collaborative.

“I’m proud to be part of this partnership,” said Secretary Mountjoy. “This is a wonderful example of the willingness of these three educational entities and leaders to work together for the benefit of all.”

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The Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet coordinates learning programs from P-16 and manages and supports training and employment functions in the Department for Workforce Investment. For more information, go to www.educationcabinet.ky.gov or www.workforce.ky.gov.