Report on P20 SLDSs

States are making progress building longitudinal databases that link individual students’ performance in K-12 with their experience in the workplace, but have been slowed a bit by privacy concerns and other obstacles, according to a federal audit.

The Government Accountability Office produced the report for the Senate HELP Committee. Among the findings: More than half the 48 states that received federal database grants now have the ability to track individuals from their early education into the workforce.

States are using the databases for research on numerous topics, including identifying students at risk of academic failure; tracking whether STEM teachers are more likely to leave classrooms for the private sector; and comparing the earnings of high school and college graduates. Some states are producing data-driven reports that analyze how well individual schools prepare students for college or career. At least 39 states have developed a specific research agenda for their databases.

But states reported they were hampered by laws in several states prohibiting the use of Social Security numbers in K-12 data. The lack of the Social Security numbers makes it more difficult to match an individual student’s educational records with his workplace records, which could include wages, unemployment claims and welfare applications. States also reported heated political debates about the databases and the potential impact on privacy.


The federal government has distributed at least $640 million in grants to states to build the longitudinal databases since 2006. Most of that money has come through the Education Department, though some is from the Department of Labor.