SLDS Grant Funding Achievements and Other Highlights
- April 8, 2022An Overview of ECLDS and SLEDS Achievements with SLDS Grant Funding
Minnesota has developed the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) matching student data from pre-kindergarten through completion of postsecondary education and into the workforce. By bridging existing data with other incoming data a range of education programmatic and delivery questions can be answered to gauge the effectiveness of current programs and design targeted improvement strategies to help students.
The Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership governs the SLEDS system. The project is managed jointly by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) (opens new window) , Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) (opens new window) , and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) (opens new window)
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You're using the default browser (often called "Browser" or "Internet"), which has been discontinued and replaced with Chrome. Chrome is the new default because it's faster and more stable, has fewer bugs, and is free and always up to date.
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Install Chrome (opens new window) Install Firefox (opens new window) Update Internet Explorer (opens new window)If you have comments, questions, or suggestions, do not hesitate to send us a message at sleds.support@state.mn.us.
Minnesota's Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS) web tool combines data collected by the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health into one online, interactive database. The system shows population results on children's growth and achievement in relation to their participation in a variety of educational and social programs over time.
An Overview of ECLDS and SLEDS Achievements with SLDS Grant Funding
Take a closer look at what data tells you about Minnesota high school graduates and how they compare to students in your district, county or region.
Minnesota Participates in National "SLDS and COVID-19" Workshop
Beyond describing the scope and purpose of both data systems, the 2020 Annual Report recalls the achievements seen in the last two years and lays out the strategies our leadership will focus on in the near future.
This week we finalized the data upload to SLEDS and ECLDS.
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota, priorities have shifted to respond appropriately to this public health emergency. Such was the case of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS)'s comprehensive services map, which re-imagined its potential use and application towards finding essential services at a local level in Minnesota.
We are thrilled to roll out the new combined logo for Minnesota's Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System and the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System.
We Have Expanded Our Regional Coaching Network!
In August, we finalized the data upload on SLEDS for both the public site and secure reports.
According to SLEDS Enrollment Report, approximately 20% of Minnesota high school graduates (11,550) enroll annually in college outside Minnesota.
We start 2020 taking a deep look into the employment outcomes of Minnesota college graduates a few years after graduation.
We are wrapping up our series of SLEDS tutorials series with two videos that explore the Developmental Education and Entering the Workforce reports. Both tutorials offer step-by-step guidance on how to navigate the report using the filters for detailed data exploration.
According to the latest data release on SLEDS, the class of 2018 was comprised of 59,919 high school graduates, a slightly higher number than in recent years. The High School Academics report shows proficiency results in Statewide Accountability Tests and ACT test scoring that you can use to gauge how prepared Minnesota public high school graduates are for postsecondary education, or how students at your district school are performing against statewide results. ACT test-taking hit an all time high with the class of 2018; 85.2% of high school graduates took the ACT compared to 68.2% of the class of 2015.
We are launching two new tutorials that explore the High School Graduates' Enrollment Report and Completing College Report. Both tutorials offer step-by-step guidance on how to navigate the report using the filters for detailed data exploration.
Our most recent Employment report on SLEDS offers you information on the job status of recent Minnesota college graduates from 2014 and 2015, one and two years after graduation.
We are excited to announce the completion of our Fall data upload to SLEDS.
To allow SLEDS users learn by themselves how to explore the website and the reports published on it, we have a started producing a series of video tutorials specially created for SLEDS beginner and intermediate users.
The Rigorous Course Taking report offers you information about Minnesota public high school graduates who enrolled in rigorous courses or took rigorous exams at any point while in high school.
Using filters allows you to look up data related to a particular school district or economic development region. Filters can also offer you richer information regarding educational outcomes, either by shining light on inequities or helping you identify possible predictors and pathways to success.
Do you ever wonder what high school graduates do once graduation is over, if they don't go to college in the fall? According to our latest high school graduates report, approximately 23% of Minnesota's 2015 high school graduates entered the workforce. In the 12 months following senior year, the majority (58%) were working less than 20 hours per week on average, earning $11.06 per hour.
The Rigorous Course Taking report offers you information about Minnesota public high school graduates who enrolled in rigorous courses or took rigorous exams at any point while in high school.
Rigorous courses refer specifically to Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), Concurrent Enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Your high school graduates may have taken one or a combination of these courses and their data will show on the report, so you can look for patterns across programs. For example, how many high school graduates took concurrent enrollment and AP courses? Data shown on this report should correlate with your school's dual-credit offerings. You can even see how your students' enrollment patterns in rigorous courses compare to other schools.
SLEDS features some key information on rigorous course data. Start by looking for your school or district to learn about the rigorous course enrollment rate for your students. Then filter your data by race/ethnicity, gender and special criteria to compare results among different demographic groups, like English Learners, Special Education, Free/Reduced Price Lunch, and Career Technical Education (CTE).
Additionally, you can view information on AP and IB exam taking patterns and intensity, and investigate the extent to which students are participating in multiple rigorous programs across their high school career.
Try this new report today! It may become a useful tool for your local data reporting needs. If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to get in touch with our regional coaching network for a training session.
Using filters allows you to look up data related to a particular school district or economic development region. Filters can also offer you richer information regarding educational outcomes, either by shining light on inequities or helping you identify possible predictors and pathways to success.
We have added two filters on most high school graduate reports that you should find quite interesting: Rigorous Course Taking and Career Technical Education, or CTE. Rigorous Course taking will allow you to view data on students who did one or more of the following:
The Career Technical Education filter will bring up data on students who successfully completed 100 course hours or more within one Career Field in an approved CTE program. For your convenience, definitions for the available filters can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of the filter pane.
We hope these new filters improve your data experience. Let us know what you think.
Do you ever wonder what high school graduates do once graduation is over, if they don't go to college in the fall? According to our latest high school graduates report, approximately 23% of Minnesota's 2015 high school graduates entered the workforce. In the 12 months following senior year, the majority (58%) were working less than 20 hours per week on average, earning $11.06 per hour.
The new SLEDS mobile report "Entering the Workforce" offers you a look at the proportion of high school graduates who are working, the number of hours worked, average wages and the industries in which they work. Using the filter tool, results for graduates from 2009-2015 can be shown by school district or economic development region, race, gender or special characteristic.
Try it yourself: http://sleds.mn.gov/#HSGraduatesToEmployment/
Also, in relation to understanding how high school graduates decide to follow their educational pathways, in Spring we are releasing a new report that allows SLEDS users to view the top 25 high schools of origin for new students enrolled in a selected college. As always, you can add several views for a comparison analysis and add demographic filters for a deeper exploration.
Look for the Top 25 High Schools report under College Students / New Student Enrollment.
To allow SLEDS users learn by themselves how to explore the website and the reports published on it, we have a started producing a series of video tutorials specially created for SLEDS beginner and intermediate users. If you are new to SLEDS, or are recommending the website to someone else, our video tutorials are the perfect resource for learning how to navigate the website, find relevant information, and access all the reports available.
These video tutorials are intended to guide users through specific sections and reports, at the viewer's own pace, to build their data skills and proficiency. We hope SLEDS video tutorials will allow new visitors learn quickly the capabilities of selected reports to inform their decision-making and feel comfortable enough to explore the data at length.
The first video tutorial released is Introduction to the Website, a guided tour for newcomers to SLEDS.
The tutorial provides a general overview of the site, its navigation, and basic guidelines for accessing data reports. You can find it posted on the Outreach page, under the top right pane titled Video Tutorials. Make sure you check it out today.
We are excited to announce the completion of our Fall data upload to SLEDS. If you are currently exploring our reports, you will access and view data for 2017 high school graduates, fall 2017 enrolled college students, and 2016-2017 college graduates for selected public and secure reports, as followed:
In addition to this news, expect some changes that will improve your secure reports experience. First, the new data elements we are adding to the K-12 Secure Report will offer you information regarding the number of developmental education credits taken by subject area (Math, Reading, Writing, and Other) for high school graduates. Plus, we are adding workforce attributes to the K-12 Secure Report to offer you an employment snapshot of students who are not going to college during their first full year after high school graduation. Such workforce attributes are: active employment (Employed), average hours worked (AverageHoursWorked), average hourly wage (AverageHourlyWage), sector of employment by code (SectorCode), industry of employment (Industry), and unknown status (a flag for any individual not found in any college enrollment or employment records in Minnesota). These data elements can be aligned with data shown in the Entering The Workforce report on the mobile analytics site (SLEDS' public website).
Secondly, you will soon find new data elements on the Post Secondary (PS) Secure Report for enrolled students, such as student demographics (personal state of residence, Minnesota county of residence, first generation, veteran), term start and end dates, and workforce attributes for employed students (industry of employment, multiple employment , and sum of hours and wages). The Completers report will also feature similar data elements for student demographics and industry of employment, multiple employment, and sum of hours and wages for each year after graduation for ten years.
Get in touch with your local regional data coach (RDC) for an in-person demonstration. You can find out who your RDC is by using the interactive map tool under the Network pane, on the Outreach page.
Finally, if you are new to secure reports or would like to learn more about the data available, we recommend you visit the SLEDS Secure Reports page.
How many Minnesota college graduates are finding jobs and at what wages? Our most recent Employment report on SLEDS offers you information on the job status of recent Minnesota college graduates from 2014 and 2015, one and two years after graduation. View the Employment report.
In addition, we recently added a new report titled "Completions by Developmental Education Status." This report shows the college completion rates of high school graduates who enrolled in developmental education within two years of high school graduation, by type of institution: University of Minnesota (all campuses), MN State Universities, MN public two- year, and MN private four-year. This addition provides a richer picture in regards to the persistence of students who required developmental classes at the beginning of their college education.
View the new report here or from the main menu, select the Developmental Education under High School Graduates. You will find the new report located on the fourth tab, under ACT Scores.
Get in touch with your local regional data coach (RDC) for an in-person demonstration of the Developmental Education Report and other reports you want to explore further. You can find your assigned RDC by using the interactive map tool on the Outreach page, located under the Network pane.
Finally, we invite you to visit the newly-designed SLEDS Publications Library. Located on the Data in Use page, the library offers SLEDS users an array of relevant research publications and reports that were created by using SLEDS data. Publications are classified and tagged into four categories (pathways, progress, predictors, and performance) located on the top left of the pane. For your convenience, a search engine is available to help you locate specific publications by subject, author, year, agency, etc.
Our library will eventually become a hub for SLEDS data-based reports and publications. The new design is intended to make it easier to browse through an ever-expanding catalogue of research-related content.
We hope these new features will enhance your data experience. Let us know your feedback, comments, or questions by sending us an email to sleds.support@state.mn.us.
Following the release of our first SLEDS video tutorial, Introduction to the Website, we are launching two new tutorials that explore the High School Graduates' Enrollment Report and Completing College Report. Both tutorials offer step-by-step guidance on how to navigate the report using the filters for detailed data exploration.
The Enrollment Report video tutorial provides detailed instructions for viewing data on college enrollment, where HS graduates attend college, number of credits taken during their first term, and top 25 colleges attended. Viewers are shown how to select filters to view a specific graduation year data and compare results for a chosen high school with statewide results. Additionally, viewers can learn how to retrieve data for specific student populations.
The Completing College Report video tutorial explains how to interpret the data shown about students continuing in and persisting through college. Viewers can learn how to compare schools over time and how to compare schools to each other.
If you are a new to SLEDS, or are recommending the website to someone else, our video tutorials are the perfect resource for learning how to navigate the website, find relevant information, and access all the reports available. We hope SLEDS video tutorials will allow you to quickly learn the capabilities of selected reports to inform your decision-making and feel comfortable enough to explore the data at length.
SLEDS video tutorials are intended to guide users through specific sections and reports, at the viewer's own pace, to build their data skills and proficiency. You can find them posted on the Outreach page, under the top right pane titled Video Tutorials. Make sure you check them out today.
According to the latest data release on SLEDS, the class of 2018 was comprised of 59,919 high school graduates, a slightly higher number than in recent years. The High School Academics report shows proficiency results in Statewide Accountability Tests and ACT test scoring that you can use to gauge how prepared Minnesota public high school graduates are for postsecondary education, or how students at your district school are performing against statewide results. ACT test-taking hit an all time high with the class of 2018; 85.2% of high school graduates took the ACT compared to 68.2% of the class of 2015.
To compare your school, district or region to statewide results, access the filtering options and select the criteria of your choice. You may also review the outcomes of students by race/ethnicity, gender, language, and academic rigour, among others.
SLEDS now offers two ways to view data by geographic area in all reports' filtering options. Users may filter a report by Economic Development Region or Workforce Development Region. The recently added workforce development regions pertain to Minnesota's Strategic Workforce Plan empowered by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which provides federal funding to states for workforce development activities, including initiatives and job-training programs for adults and youth.
In addition to this, the High School Graduates Enrollment report now offers users the ability to review college enrollment trends regarding timing of enrollment. When are high school graduates choosing to enroll in college if not the fall after graduation? How many decide to enroll two years later, or three to five years later? How many decide not to enroll at all? How is the trend shaping over time?
Data reported currently runs from 2012 to 2016. Explore the Time Trends report to learn about your own school district trend and selective cohorts by using the available filters.
Finally, a new year of data is also available on Getting Prepared. This tableau-based report focuses on developmental education activity of Minnesota public high school graduates enrolling in college within two years of high school graduation. Getting Prepared 2018 includes data for classes of 2011 to 2015 and preliminary data for classes of 2016 and 2017.
If you are new to SLEDS, or would like assistance with SLEDS data analytics, we encourage you to contact a regional data coach (RDC) for an in-person demonstration of the Getting Prepared report or other reports on SLEDS. Use the interactive map tool on the Outreach page located under the Network pane to find out your assigned RDC.
We care about your experience with SLEDS. Please, let us know your feedback, comments, or questions by sending us an email to sleds.support@state.mn.us.
We are wrapping up our series of SLEDS tutorials series with two videos that explore the Developmental Education and Entering the Workforce reports. Both tutorials offer step-by-step guidance on how to navigate the report using the filters for detailed data exploration.
The Developmental Education Report offers information about Minnesota public high school graduates who enrolled in developmental courses at Minnesota postsecondary institutions within two years of their high school graduation. The video tutorial shows viewers how to use the report to retrieve data on developmental education enrollment, institutions where students are taking developmental education courses, ACT scores by developmental education status, college completion by developmental education status, and developmental education trends, which was released earlier this summer. The tutorial describes how to select filters to view a specific graduation year data and offers complementary information to help interpret results.
The last video tutorial of the series, titled Entering the Workforce Report, explains how to interpret the data shown about students who did not enroll in college the fall after graduation, but decided to get a job instead. The tutorial describes the steps for customizing the report using the filters' options to learn about the number of high school graduates who are working, their hours and wages, and industry of employment.
SLEDS video tutorials are a practical tool for learning how to navigate the website entirely by oneself. The videos guide users through specific sections and reports, at the viewer's own pace, to build their data skills and proficiency. You can find them posted on the Outreach page, under the pane titled Video Tutorials. If you find these videos helpful, please consider sharing them with your colleagues to spark conversation about data exploration, expand their knowledge of SLEDS reports, and apply the latest data available in their reporting.
We start 2020 taking a deep look into the employment outcomes of Minnesota college graduates a few years after graduation to answer the following questions:
SLEDS' latest infographic, titled Jobs and Wages After College, depicts a positive outlook for Minnesota college graduates, both related to employment and wages, showing that earning a higher degree does pay off in time (see "Graduates with higher degrees earn more and have higher rates of full-time employment").
In addition, the infographic highlights statistics on wages to provide a ranking of instructional programs for high wages by type of award (certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, and graduate degree) that is based on the highest median full-time annual wages in the second year after graduation (class 2015). Finally, regional data on median hourly wages of graduates in the second year after graduation is displayed to compare how outcomes vary across Minnesota.
Jobs and Wages After College was designed to best display information that may escape the average user of a data tool, from presenting stats that sustain the proposition in favor of pursuing a postsecondary degree to the growth in wages seen at all degree levels. Statistical data used to create the infographic was sourced from the Graduate Employment Outcomes tool available online at https://mn.gov/deed/geo (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development - DEED), which bridges data from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (postsecondary graduation records) and wage records from all employers subject to unemployment insurance taxes in Minnesota. Graduation and wage records are linked in the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS).
Other data sources include employment outlook projections, educational requirements for occupations, occupational employment and wages and cost of living.
We hope the Jobs and Wages After College infographic serves you to spark conversations among your peers around Minnesota college graduate outcomes. If you have any questions about the information and data shared in this infographic, please send an email to sleds.support@state.mn.us. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to learning about your experience with SLEDS.
According to SLEDS Enrollment Report, approximately 20% of Minnesota high school graduates (11,550) enroll annually in college outside Minnesota. With the newly released Out-of-State Enrollment report, SLEDS users can learn more about the population of high school graduates who decided to pursue their postsecondary education out of the State and how successful they were. Using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, the report shows eight years of student data from the time of high school graduation for classes 2010 - 2018 to inform users about the educational outcomes of Minnesota graduates at out-of-state institutions.
The Out-of-State Enrollment report offers users the ability to review demographic information of Minnesota high school graduates studying outside Minnesota, such as gender, race/ethnicity, special characteristics (free/reduced priced meals, special education, English learner), ACT scores, and the 25 top high schools of origin. In addition, outcomes reported include persistence rates during the first and second years and completion rates at the institution of choice.
To look up a specific high school, users should access the filtering options and type in the name of the high school or school district. It is also possible to filter a search by the state in which the college of enrollment is located. For example, if we look up how many Minnesota high school graduates from class of 2018 went to college in Wisconsin (access the filtering options and use the College State filter), the report will show that 2,996 graduates enrolled in postsecondary institutions in that state (59% female; 41% male). We will also learn that a large majority (88%) were White, 5% were Asian, and the remaining 7% were Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino.
More interestingly, we can learn from the report that the largest number of 2018 graduates enrolled in college in Wisconsin graduated from Stillwater Area High School (89 graduates).
Users may also filter results by type of postsecondary institution and/or college. Definitions are provided by selecting the Filter Definitions link at the bottom of the pane.
If you are new to SLEDS, or would like assistance with navigating this new report, we encourage you to contact a regional data coach (RDC) for an in-person demonstration of the Out-of-State Enrollment report or any other report on SLEDS. Go to the Network pane on the Outreach page to find out your assigned RDC.
We care about your experience with SLEDS. Please, share with us your feedback, comments, or questions by sending an email to sleds.support@state.mn.us.
In August, we finalized the data upload on SLEDS for both the public site and secure reports. If you are currently exploring our reports on the public site, you will access and view data for 2019 high school graduates, fall 2019 enrolled college students, and 2018 college graduates. Take a closer look at what data tells you about Minnesota high school graduates and how they compare to students in your district, county or region. Our reports can help you learn about your students, assess educational shortcomings, and inform possible strategies to support positive outcomes in all students.
If you have access to SLEDS Secure Reports, make sure to check the newly released data on K-12 Research Data Mart and Postsecondary Research Data Mart.
Additionally, expand your understanding of the educational outcomes of Minnesota students by exploring the latest cohort available on the Graduate Employment Outcomes tool (GEO). This tool shows how many recent Minnesota college graduates found Minnesota jobs one and two years after graduation, with median earned wages and top industries of employment.
If you would like assistance with navigating our reports, don't hesitate to contact a regional data coach (RDC) for an online demonstration. We recently expanded our Regional Coaching Network. Please, visit the Outreach page to find out your assigned RDC or check out the list of counties served by each member.
.Navigating data on ECLDS and SLEDS is a learning experience for most users. Some of them may need a guided introduction to data analysis for their decision-making. For this reason, the Minnesota P-20W has extended the regional coaching network to better serve ECLDS and SLEDS users. The network works closely with data users to address the technical issues that may arise when accessing, using, and applying data shown on both systems.
Regional Coaching Network members perform the following activities:
Our regional data coaches work proactively with local schools, districts, colleges, and workforce agency staff, as they assess their local needs and encourage the use of ECLDS and SLEDS data to inform policymaking and program decisions.
If you are new to SLEDS or would like assistance with data analytics, contact a regional data coach close to you.
We recently published new resources for beginner SLEDS users to help them explore our data reports and identify what type of data is available to them. Both the High School Graduates Report Cheat Sheet and the College Students Report Cheat Sheet can help users better understand the research questions behind each report, data indicators, and filters available.
Each report is designed to help identify the benchmarks and transition milestones students meet toward high school graduation and into college, and as college students into the workforce, with the goal of providing an understanding of the current pathways that lead students to successful outcomes in higher education and work.
We hope you find these materials useful to your data exploration experience. You may find more resources on the Outreach page.
The University of Minnesota's Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) recently published a new report on the education pathways Minnesotans take, exploring whether or not these pathways led them to earn a family-sustaining hourly wage as an adult.
Researchers used SLEDS data to examine the educational pathways and economic outcomes of individuals who entered high school (Grade 9) in the 2004-05 school year. The study followed their pathways through 2017 and incorporated data from four additional cohorts who entered high school in 2005-2008, plus wage data through June 2018, in order to answer questions about trends, transitions, and subgroup differences.
We are thrilled to roll out the new combined logo for Minnesota's Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System and the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System. You may find the new logo on some of our outreach materials when both data systems are promoted. The logo embraces the complementing role both data systems play in understanding the long-term outcomes related to public investments in human development and education, from early childhood to postsecondary.
We hope you like it.
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota, priorities have shifted to respond appropriately to this public health emergency. Such was the case of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS)'s comprehensive services map, which re-imagined its potential use and application towards finding essential services at a local level in Minnesota.
The ECLDS comprehensive services map launched in June 2019 as a geolocation service to help individuals and families visually locate nearby support programs and resources. With the advent of the coronavirus, essential workers were in desperate need to locate and access child care services to be able to go to work daily. More than 4,000 family and center-based child care providers have informed Minnesota Management and Budget that they are currently able to provide care for children of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the ECLDS' comprehensive services map, essential workers can find available care providers closest to them on in relation to their home, work, or other address. For the official MMB map of locations, visit the MMB COVID-19 child care page.
Moreover, the map has made possible for school districts to locate emergency child care sites within district boundaries through a simple search on the map. They have put together a flyer with step-by-step instructions for gathering this information. Additionally, COVID-19 testing sites have also been added to the map for quick location in your community.
Finally, by adding layers for essential sites including nursing homes, hospitals, and correctional facilities to the comprehensive services map, ECLDS was able to help Child Care Aware of MN include proximity scoring in its evaluation rubric of thousands of Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grant applications.
We highlight ECLDS' work for repurposing their data tool as a resource in the fight against COVID-19. We invite you to explore it yourself and share with your network.
Please, let them know about your experience by submitting your feedback, comments, or questions via email to eclds.support@state.mn.us.
This week we finalized the data upload to SLEDS and ECLDS. Take a few minutes to check for yourself the data updates on the following High School Graduates and College Students reports:
On the SLEDS website, you can access and view college enrollment data for 2019 high school graduates in Minnesota and analyze how they compare to students in your district, county, or region. Our reports can help you learn about students, assess educational shortcomings, and inform possible strategies to support positive outcomes in all students. The following are a sample of questions you may want to ask:
Finally, jump onto the College Students reports to look at the updated new college students demographic and enrollment data, and college graduates report (awards by race/ethnicity, gender, and age, and top ten majors).
If you have access to SLEDS Secure Reports, make sure to check the newly released data on K-12 Research Data Mart and Postsecondary Research Data Mart.
Additionally, take an exploratory data journey to the Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS) to check out the latest data available for the Scholarships and Parent Aware reports, under Birth to Pre-K Report. If you are interested in finding out more about your community's children, make sure to try out the Census Tool which provides detailed American Community Survey (ACS) tables for a variety of topics about kids (ages 5 and under) for all states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The ECLDS Census Tool now includes ACS estimates from 2006-10 and 2011-15 for a more longitudinal look at your state or county's youngest kids and their families.
If you would like assistance with navigating any of the SLEDS or ECLDS reports, don't hesitate to contact our Regional Coaching Network for an online demonstration. You can find the assigned regional data coach to your county by visiting our Outreach page.
Beyond describing the scope and purpose of both data systems, the 2020 Annual Report recalls the achievements seen in the last two years and lays out the strategies our leadership will focus on in the near future. The Annual Report offers an opportunity for reflection on the efforts that brought ECLDS and SLEDS to their current status, and provides direction for the work in the years to come that will build a sustainable data system. Read the latest report.
As Minnesota faces new and unknown challenges in education and the workforce, we recognize the importance of strengthening our relationship with diverse stakeholder groups and helping them expand their use of data for identifying opportunities for improvement. We are determined to position data use as a valuable asset to their strategic public investments.
With the conclusion of the pilot year of the data-linking project between the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) and the Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS), a new secure report has been released that provides insight on the value of planning for career and college outcomes. The MCIS secure report provides rich data from students' portfolios, including their Personal Learning Plan (PLP). The MCIS is a web-based career planning tool for high-school students designed to help them identify viable paths to successful postsecondary education and careers.
Minnesota requires that all high school students develop a PLP to help them set goals, reflect on self-knowledge and career aspirations, identify career pathways, and create reasoned plans for their future. The career development process allows students to save their discoveries and organized them in an embedded portfolio that includes the PLP. Additionally, students' portfolios store search and assessment results and reflections, resulting in dynamic PLPs that can provide information about trends in career aspirations, gaps in student understanding of available options, and other key areas.
The new MCIS secure report is an exciting source of rich information because of the data sources it is built on. The report offers stakeholders the opportunity to better understand, research, and predict early planning actions for the purpose of increasing the likelihood of career and college outcomes.
For the last seven years, the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS) have grown with federal funds awarded by the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) Grant Program. With the culmination of the last awarding period on March 31, 2022, we would like to highlight the accomplishments made possible by this program.
With SLDS-15 grant funding, Minnesota has:
The SLDS grant funding made possible for ECLDS to develop and complete the following projects:
The SLDS grant funding made possible for SLEDS to develop and complete the following College and Career Readiness projects:
We are proud of these accomplishments and grateful to our partners who contributed to and supported the work.
For the past months, we have been updating some of the video tutorials on the website. SLEDS video tutorials can teach you how navigate the website and the online reports by offering step-by-step guidance through specific sections and reports, at your own pace, to build your data skills and proficiency. We recently updated the tutorial titled Completing College. This tutorial explains how to interpret the data shown about students continuing in and persisting through college. Viewers can learn the steps to filter data for a customized view for selected reports, such as Highest Undergraduate Credential Completed, and how to compare schools over time and to each other.
Additionally, we posted the updated tutorial for navigating the SLEDS report Entering the Workforce. By watching this tutorial, beginner SLEDS users can learn the steps to filter data for a customized view of the number of high school graduates -in a school district or region- who are working, their hours and wages, and industry of employment.
If you want to check out other video tutorials available to users, visit the Outreach page, and scroll down to the pane titled Video Tutorials. If you find these videos helpful, please consider sharing them with your colleagues to spark conversation about data exploration, expand their knowledge of SLEDS reports, and apply the latest data available in their reporting.
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recently released their latest case study "State Approaches to Engaging and Sustaining Postsecondary and Workforce Partners". The document highlights the different approaches for sharing postsecondary and workforce data taken by selected SLDS programs, including Minnesota's. Discussion centers in the work done by state agencies in regards to data sharing, data integration, and data management in support of education and workforce initiatives at each state.
New data for SLEDS for both the public site and secure reports is available. Take a closer look at what data tells you about Minnesota high school graduates and how they compare to students in your district, county or region. Our reports can help you learn about your students, assess educational shortcomings, and inform possible strategies to support positive outcomes in all students.
If you have access to SLEDS Secure Reports, make sure to check out the newly released data on K-12 Research Data Mart and Postsecondary Research Data Mart.
Additionally, expand your understanding of the employment outcomes of Minnesota students by exploring the Graduate Employment Outcomes tool (GEO). This tool shows how many recent Minnesota college graduates found Minnesota jobs one and two years after graduation, with median earned wages and top industries of employment.
If you would like assistance with navigating our reports, don't hesitate to contact a regional data coach (RDC) for an online demonstration. We recently expanded our Regional Coaching Network. Please, visit the Outreach page to find out your local RDC or check out the list of counties served by each member.
The workshop focused on how COVID-19 has presented unprecedented challenges for data collection while simultaneously offering opportunities to demonstrate the critical value of SLDSs. This virtual workshop provided a venue for SLDS teams to learn from one another about how they are responding to COVID-19 data collection, quality, reporting, and analyses challenges.
Karen Millete and Gayra Ostgaard represented Minnesota — presenting about Digital Equity, Safe School data, and P-EBT (distribution of food funds during pandemic).
The Evolution of P20W Data Linking, MN.IT, OHE, and MDE: This white paper describes the chronological evolution of Minnesota's person-linking engine. The state has moved from linking personal records only in its Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) to linking personal records across SLEDS and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System and, finally, to linking persons and families.
SLDS Issue Brief: Interagency Data Linking and Common Identifiers: This brief offers best practices and strategies from several states related to setting goals for cross-agency data sharing, identifying requirements from data sharing partners, establishing technical solutions and processes to link data in a P-20W+ SLDS, and collaboratively governing interagency data collections. Featured states: Kentucky, Minnesota, Washington
State Spotlight: Minnesota's Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System: This spotlight provides an overview of the Minnesota Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS). It is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used ECIDS data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific questions.
Governance
The Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership governs the SLEDS system. On April 14, 2010, the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership adopted the following governance structure for the SLEDS system:
Read the SLEDS Governance Charter
Read the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership statute (opens new window)
Beyond describing the scope and purpose of both data systems, the 2020 Annual Report recalls the achievements seen in the last two years and lays out the strategies our leadership will focus on in the near future. The Annual Report offers an opportunity for reflection on the efforts that brought ECLDS and SLEDS to their current status, and provides direction for the work in the years to come that will build a sustainable data system. Read the latest report.
As Minnesota faces new and unknown challenges in education and the workforce, we recognize the importance of strengthening our relationship with diverse stakeholder groups and helping them expand their use of data for identifying opportunities for improvement. We are determined to position data use as a valuable asset to their strategic public investments.
ECLDS+SLEDS 2020 Annual ReportFor information about interpreting and using the data in SLEDS reports and on the SLEDS website, please see the Data Interpretation Guide.
For information about cell suppression in SLEDS reports and on the SLEDS website, please see the Data Suppression Policy.
The following information is required for access to SLEDS data:
Instructions to access SLEDS Secured Reports
To search variables within SLEDS data, please use the data dictionary.
Data Dictionary (opens new window)SLEDS links together data from K-12 schools, colleges and work in order to understand the transitions people make between the K-12 education, college and work. This information is used to evaluate Minnesota's many education and training programs to better understand the characteristic of successful transitions between systems and programs. Because this data is about the many Minnesotans who learn and work here, SLEDS is committed to protecting individual privacy and security of information collected.
Data are pieces of information collected about the systems and services individuals access and their related outcomes. SLEDS data allows us to measure the performance of publicly supported systems and services that are provided to students and workers in Minnesota. This data is analyzed to measure efficiency of systems and efficacy of services. The limited data included in SLEDS are authorized by federal and state law.
Data may only be shared for purposes authorized in federal and state law and requires the requester apply for access using the process approved by the SLEDS Governance Committee.
While personal information is used to link records outside of SLEDS, personal information is removed before the data are placed into SLEDS—de-identifying the data within the SLEDS system. In other words, your data is secured in our SLEDS system.
Purposes SLEDS shares data | Reasons SLEDS shares data |
---|---|
For linking records between state agency data systems | To maintain and operate SLEDS |
For research to be conducted by state agencies | To evaluate the state's education and training programs, to better understand pathways between education and workforce systems |
For research to be conducted by schools and colleges | To improve programs and instruction |
For research to be conducted by approved researchers | To evaluate the state's education and training programs, to better understand pathways between education and workforce systems, to improve programs and instruction at Minnesota schools and colleges on behalf of a state agency, school or college |
Education, employment and training data is governed by state law (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13). In addition, education data are also governed by federal law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and its regulations in 34 CFR Part 99.
The Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13), makes all government data public unless state or federal law specifically limits access to it. Education and employer data are private under Chapter 13. This law also describes government's duty to respond to data requests made by a member of the public or by the subject of the data.
The Act seeks to balance three principles:
The federal law on student privacy, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), establishes student privacy rights by restricting with whom and under what circumstances states and educational organizations may share students' personally identifiable information.
Following are some federal and state resources for you to learn more:
If you are new to SLEDS or would like assistance with navigating our data reports, we encourage you to contact a data coach for an in-person demonstration. Our members work proactively with local schools, districts, colleges, and workforce agency staff.
Regional Network Members | Location | Contact Person | |
---|---|---|---|
Lakes Country Service Cooperative | Fergus Falls, MN | Megan Peterson | mpeterson@lcsc.org |
Southwest West Central Service Cooperative | Marshall, MN | Eric Schwankl | eric.schwankl@swsc.org |
Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), University of Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN | Alyssa Parr | akparr@umn.edu |
Century College | White Bear Lake, MN | Erin Osborn | Erin.Osborn@century.edu |
Metropolitan Educational Cooperative | Arden Hills, MN | Bianca Virnig | bianca.virnig@metroecsu.org |
South Central Service Cooperative | North Mankato, MN | Jason Borglum | jborglum@mnscsc.org |
Northwest Service Cooperative | Thief River Falls, MN | Jake Seuntjens | jseuntjens@nwservice.org |
Northeast Service Cooperative | Mountain Iron, MN | Gina Cole | gcole@mnce.org |
Resource Training and Solutions | Sartell, MN | Michelle Wang | mwang@resourcecoop-mn.gov |
Sourcewell | Staples, MN | Brenda Sprenger | brenda.sprenger@sourcewell-mn.gov |
Southeast Service Cooperative | Rochester, MN | Mike Schnell | mschnell@ssc.coop |
Feel free to use the resources below when you share SLEDS with your community. If you have heard a SLEDS presentation and would like a handout not posted below, please contact SLEDS Support, we are excited to share!
The following video tutorials show you how to navigate the website, find relevant information, and access all the reports available to you. You can learn by yourself about the capabilities of specific reports on this site and become more comfortable at exploring and analyzing the data reported.
Introduction to the Website: This tutorial is perfect for newcomers to SLEDS. The video provides a general overview of the website, its navigation, and basic guidelines for accessing data reports.
Navigating SLEDS Website: This video provides a tour of the website to help you find some key information for an optimal user experience. SLEDS was officially launched in 2014 to provide a snapshot of the effectiveness of current education programs and the pathways students take into the workforce.
Enrollment: Our first tutorial for learning how to navigate a report, this video provides detailed instructions for viewing and interpreting data for a selected cohort on college enrollment, college preference, number of credits taken in the first semester, and top 25 colleges attended.
Completing College: This tutorial explains how to access and interpret data about college completion and students' persistence through college. Viewers can learn how to compare schools over time and how to compare schools to each other.
Developmental Education: The tutorial explores the Developmental Education report and offers contextual information to interpret data in regards to enrollment, type of institutions where students take developmental education courses, ACT scores, college completion, and developmental education enrollment trends.
Entering The Workforce: This video tutorial is a step-by-step guide for using the Entering the Workforce report. It offers detailed navigation for viewing data on employment status, wages, and type of industry where high school graduates are found to be working in Minnesota.
Learn more about SLEDS with these fun videos! We are currently creating more informational videos, check back to this section often.
Minnesota SLEDS: This video describes the data used and the potential questions that could be answered using SLEDS data.
SLEDS K-12 Data Marts: This video describes the data SLEDS collects from secondary institutions and how teachers and administrators use SLEDS.
SLEDS Data Process: This video describes how SLEDS collects data, how data is stored within SLEDS, and the deidentification process. Special guest star, David Reeg, from MN.IT.
Produced by Cutaway Productions.
This tutorial is perfect for newcomers to SLEDS. The video provides a general overview of the website, its navigation, and basic guidelines for accessing data reports.
This video provides a tour of the website to help you find some key information for an optimal user experience. SLEDS was officially launched in 2014 to provide a snapshot of the effectiveness of current education programs and the pathways students take into the workforce.
Our first tutorial for learning how to navigate a report, this video provides detailed instructions for viewing and interpreting data for a selected cohort on college enrollment, college preference, number of credits taken in the first semester, and top 25 colleges attended.
This tutorial explains how to access and interpret data about college completion and students' persistence through college. Viewers can learn how to compare schools over time and how to compare schools to each other.
This video tutorial is a step-by-step guide for using the Entering the Workforce report. It offers detailed navigation for viewing data on employment status, wages, and type of industry where high school graduates are found to be working in Minnesota.