This four-part webinar series, Creating Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) That Provide Useful Information, is designed to help state leaders maximize the potential of their education-based data systems. The series introduces a User-Centered State Data System Design framework centered on three core functions: Public Reports & Dashboards, Supporting Individuals, and Research & Analytics.
The series is sponsored by the Education Commission of the States, the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd, Data Quality Campaign, and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy.
Webinar 1: So, You Want a State Dashboard?
October 22, 2025
Dashboards are one of the most common features of statewide data systems—but are they designed for compliance, or for action? This webinar explored how dashboards and public reports can deliver timely, actionable insights for multiple audiences, from policymakers to families. Participants learned strategies from Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska on engaging stakeholders in system design, building transparency and accountability, and making data more usable for decision-making.
Presenters
Kathy Booth, Planning & User-Centered Design, Data Integration Support Center
Claus von Zastrow, Senior Policy Director, Education Commission of the States
Panelists
Nick Armit, Michigan MI School Data Portal
Nora Morris, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, SLEDS
Matt Hastings, Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System
📄 Download slides (PowerPoint) | 📄 View transcript (Adobe Acrobat)
Webinar 2: Empowering Individuals with Data
November 21, 2025
How can data systems directly support students, families, and practitioners in real time—helping people not just access information, but act on it? This one-hour session examines how states are creating personalized data services that make it easier for individuals to navigate education and career pathways. Participants heard lessons from California’s Cradle to Career Data System and California College Guidance Initiative on using integrated data to streamline college applications, access to financial aid, and receipt of public benefits.
📄 Download slides (PowerPoint) | 📄 View transcript (Adobe Acrobat)
Webinar 3: Maximizing the Power of Research & Analytics
December 17, 2025
State leaders explored how modern SLDS can securely expand access to linked data and enable more meaningful analyses that help leaders understand long-term outcomes and the impact of critical public investments.
What Participants Learned
- Secure access models that enable approved research and insights
- Governance and privacy strategies for responsible analytics
- Real-world state examples showing improved time-to-insight for policymakers
📄 Download slides (PDF) | 📄 View transcript (Adobe Acrobat)
Webinar 4: Expanding Data Partnerships: Insights from Health & Human Services
January 28, 2026
This session examines how states are expanding SLDS to include data from health and human services agencies and what education leaders can learn from those efforts. As states seek to better support educational attainment and child wellbeing, cross-sector data partnerships are becoming increasingly essential.
Co-hosted by Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), the webinar features state leaders from Iowa, Connecticut, and North Carolina, who share how their data-sharing initiatives have evolved, how they’ve navigated governance and privacy challenges, and what practical steps they’ve taken to integrate new data sources.
📄 Download slides (PDF) | 📄 Download transcript (PDF)
This webinar series is produced by the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd in partnership with the Education Commission of the States, Data Quality Campaign, and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy.
