Who We Are
The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, national advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. Launched in 2005 by 10 founding partners, DQC now leads a partnership of nearly 100 organizations committed to realizing the vision of an education system in which all stakeholders—from parents to policymakers—are empowered with high-quality data from the early childhood, K–12, postsecondary, and workforce systems to make decisions that ensure every student graduates high school prepared for success in college and the workplace. To achieve this vision, DQC supports state policymakers and other key leaders to promote the effective use of data to improve student achievement.
Why We Advocate
Parents, teachers, policymakers, and other stakeholders are too often forced to make decisions based on anecdote and hunch because they do not have access to high-quality information. In every other sector, stakeholders demand and use data differently to make informed decisions. We can no longer afford to not use data in education. Our students deserve better.
Empowered with education data, stakeholders are better poised to to improve system performance, increase transparency, and most importantly improve student achievement.
What We Do
DQC provides a national forum to facilitate cross-state sharing and to make data integral to education policy through a three-part approach:
- Advocate: Provide a credible and challenging voice on data issues in state, national, and federal policy discussions to advance effective data use.
- Assist: Collaborate with states and key partners on data-related policy issues, building champions for integrating data use in state policy.
- Lead: Facilitate important policy conversations with stakeholders at all levels and collect and highlight promising policies and practices that support the effective use of data.
How We Work
Focusing our work on several critical agents of change, DQC does the following:
- Promotes the development of state longitudinal data systems that collect the quality data needed to answer critical questions facing education stakeholders.
- Advocates state policies that support effective data use.
- Calls for federal policies that support state and local efforts to use data effectively.
- Collaborates with DQC partners to ensure that policy discussions are informed by high-quality data.
- Creates public demand and discourse among all education stakeholders for better education data.
Our Impact
DQC has identified 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and 10 State Actions to Support Effective Data Use as roadmaps for state policymakers. We annually survey states’ progress in building and using state longitudinal data systems through Data for Action: DQC’s State Analysis. After years of engaging with critical education stakeholders, we are seeing unprecedented progress:
- Better data: In 2005 the average state had between 4 and 5 of the 10 Essential Elements. By 2011 the average state had between 9 and 10 Elements, and every state committed to build all 10.
- Improved access: In 2009, 17 states publicly posted reports using aggregate longitudinal data that could allow empower decisionmakers. In 2012, 42 states were publicly posting reports.
- Increased awareness: In 2009, 16 states provided training to noneducators on how to interpret and use the data. In 2012, 31 states provided training.
- Long-term sustainability: In 2009, 8 states used state funds to support their P–20W data systems. In 2012, despite difficult economic times, 36 states committed state funds to ensure the long-term sustainability.
Contact Us
1250 H Street, NW
Suite 825
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-393-4372
Fax: 202-393-3930
info@DataQualityCampaign.org
