The Indiana Department of Education plans to use funds from the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Grant to build upon and integrate its current data collection system to create a comprehensive P-20 data system. This system will enable the Department, key education stakeholders and state agencies, and the public to access, query, analyze, and report on relevant and important educational information from early childhood through employment.

Envisioned is a comprehensive, longitudinal P-20 data system that will allow data integration at all levels and the ability for stakeholders to track and analyze student achievement and attainment from early childhood through higher education and beyond. This full-featured, state-ofthe art tool which will allow the use of data to evaluate programming, inform state policy, and affect student learning. Moreover, the integration of all Department data sources will improve the timeliness and accuracy of data submission through EDEN. Data will be fully protected to comply with legal confidentiality requirements.

Indiana already has unique student identifiers and collects most information required for EDEN/EdFacts at the student record level. In addition to using grant funds to enhance the state’s current student level data collection system, we will use resources from this project to expand our system into a fully articulated tool. The expanded system will include unique teacher and school personnel identifiers, enabling education stakeholders to examine factors affecting student academic achievement, including teacher mobility, staff demographics, teacher preparation, teacher credentials, teachers working in and out of field, and teacher effectiveness. The system will also include enhanced reporting tools. Finally, the P-20 system will include institutional information such as facilities and financial information. Training and technical assistance on using the system will be provided for stakeholders to encourage widespread utilization of data.

Project efforts will be supported by multiple collaborations. Collaborators for this project will include multiple divisions at the Department, such as Educational Information Systems, the Division of Assessment, the Division of Educational Options, the Division of Exceptional Learners, and the Division of Compensatory Education (Title I), among others. Outside collaborators will include such key P-20 stakeholders as the Commission for Higher Education, the Indiana State Board of Education, the Indiana Office of Technology, and the Indiana Governor’s Office.