The pandemic continues to expose the existing inequalities, inefficiencies, and siloed nature of the country’s child care, education, and workforce systems. Frontline workers lacked a way to identify child care options. High school students studying virtually lacked information about postsecondary opportunities. Workers who lost their jobs didn’t know where to turn to look for other employment options or for a return route to education. Families in need of food, housing, or other assistance had to navigate separate systems for each type of support.

These barriers blocked individuals and families from accessing the very services they needed to survive and thrive during the pandemic. This is because state systems that securely bring together data from across the early childhood, K-12, postsecondary and workforce sectors should be the connective thread among agencies — but are not up to the task. As a result, community members as well as state and local leaders are left flying blind.

To not only meet the moment but to look beyond, state data systems (and leaders!) urgently need big, bold change — not merely tinkering around the edges. That’s why the Data Quality Campaign is launching the Data Champions Collaborative, an expansive effort to develop a bold new vision to make these P-20W systems robust, well-funded, responsive to community and policymaker needs, and built to adapt as information needs change.

To accomplish this, DQC has partnered with Results for America and the Data Foundation; together, our organizations will lead a conversation across the field, among national organizations representing students, parents, teachers, state leaders and philanthropy to clearly lay out what users need.

For example, parents should have access to information to help them choose the best early learning environment for their child. Students should know that their K-12 schools are providing them with the education and skills they need to pursue post-secondary opportunities or go straight into the workforce and succeed. Adults who are retraining after a job loss or career change should have access to cost and outcomes data, enabling them to identify a program that fits their needs.

Read the full article about early childhood workforce development by Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger at The 74.