State Policymakers
Each year the Data Quality Campaign Recognition Program highlights the critical role of leadership in changing the culture around data use for continuous improvement. Below are the award recipients for the State Policymaker of the Year award.
Congratulations 2009 Award Recipients
Judy Erwin, Executive Director, Illinois Board of Higher Education
Christopher Koch, Superintendent, Illinois Board of Educatio
Geoffrey Obrzut, President, Illinois Community College Board
Senator Heather Steans, Illinois General Assembly
Building and codifying a P-20/Workforce data system to meet user’s needs through an inclusive, collaborative process
Through collaboration and leadership of state policymakers, the State of Illinois has made tremendous progress in the codification and implementation of a statewide longitudinal system. In 2009, with Governor Quinn’s signature, Illinois passed significant comprehensive legislation around building and using a statewide longitudinal data system (Senate Bill 1828, Public Act 96-0107). Introduced and championed by Senator Heather Steans, the law requires state education authorities to collect student records and integrate the data with instructional management tools that will ultimately improve instruction and enhance educational decision-making. The political and education coalition providing the driving force behind the bill’s success included Chris Koch (Superintendent of Education), Geoffrey Obrzut (President, Illinois Community College Board), and Judy Erwin (Executive Director, Illinois Board of Higher Education).
The inclusive process that Illinois pursued brought advocacy groups such as Advance Illinois together and ensured that experts including the Consortium on Chicago School Research and major stakeholders such as unions and the higher education community were heard throughout the discussions. These state data champions were able to successfully bring K-12, postsecondary, unions, and advocacy groups together to craft this important legislation, overcome obstacles, and pass it unanimously through both chambers of the General Assembly. The result of the legislation is a resounding statement about the critical role the state must play in providing education stakeholders access to important data to improve student outcomes while protecting student privacy. These state data leaders continue to work collaboratively to advance the development and implementation of a statewide longitudinal data system, as demonstrated by their collaboration on the recent IES SLDS grant, and the implementation of a MOU to facilitate the sharing of data amongst institutions and agencies.
For more information, view the press release and read the legislation.
2008 Award Recipient
Edward G. Rendell, Governor, Pennsylvania
Gerald Zahorchak, Secretary of Education, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has benefited greatly from statewide leadership focused on education data. Under the governor's and secretary's direction, Pennsylvania has made tremendous progress in building its data system. In 2005, the state had only two of the 10 elements identified by the DQC as essential for longitudinal data systems. In 2008, it has seven of the 10. The Pennsylvania Department of Education continues to make great strides in building systems and processes that share and use data across the education pipeline, from prekindergarten into higher education. To create demand for this new information, the Department has created videos demonstrating how using data helps teachers and principals improve instruction. The collaborative and effective leadership of Gov. Rendell and Secretary Zahorchak demonstrates the value of political champions for investing in and using education data.
Gov. Rendell was featured in Education Week in June 2009 in the article Leadership Key to Creating Data Systems.
2007 Award Recipient
Susan Heegaard, Commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher
Education
Alice Seagren, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education
The Minnesota Commissioner of Higher Education and Commissioner of Education (K-12) share the 2007 DQC Policymaker of the Year Award. Commissioners Heegaard and Seagren have worked over the past 18 months to align the higher education and K-12 data systems and build ownership among all the stakeholders across the K-12 and postsecondary systems. Notable is the voluntary involvement of the private university and college system in this discussion.
Minnesota's work was highlighted at a Data Quality Campaign Quarterly Issue Meeting in January 2008. A corresponding PowerPoint presentation and policy brief highlighting four state models for creating a connected data system that follows a student over his or her education career are available for more information.
2006 Award Recipient
Valerie Woodruff, Secretary of Education, Delaware
Secretary Woodruff is the current president of the Council of Chief State School Officers. Under her guidance, Delaware has been a leader in the development of a longitudinal data system. She has supported the work of the National Education Data Partnership and Data Quality Campaign, particularly with regard to reducing data collection burdens on state education agencies.
Delaware's work was highlighted at a Data Quality Campaign Quarterly Issue Meeting in January 2008. A corresponding PowerPoint presentation and policy brief highlighting four state models for creating a connected data system that follows a student over his or her education career are available for more information.
Delaware was also highlighted in a Data Quality Campaign policy brief focusing on why it is important to establish statewide longitudinal data systems that include the ability to link teacher, school and student information.