Success Stories: State and Federal R&D Investment at Work

For more than a decade, Kentucky has been a national leader in using connected education and workforce data to improve student outcomes. Building on early state investments and supported by federal Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) grants, the state created one of the nation’s first comprehensive longitudinal data systems linking early childhood, K-12, postsecondary education, financial aid, and workforce records. Today, KYSTATS maintains the Kentucky Longitudinal Data System (KLDS), providing policymakers, educators, and researchers with the evidence needed to evaluate education and workforce programs.

This work began in 2009 with the creation of the Kentucky P-20 Data Collaborative, which brought together data from the Kentucky Department of Education, Council on Postsecondary Education, Education Professional Standards Board, Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, and Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. In 2012, Governor Steve Beshear issued an executive order to expand the Kentucky P-20 Data Collaborative and maintain the Kentucky Longitudinal Data System (KLDS) under a unified governance structure. The following year, the Kentucky General Assembly codified the changes through bipartisan legislation and established the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics (KCEWS). A few years later, KCEWS was rebranded to its current name, KYSTATS.

Kentucky quickly became a national leader in education data, one of the first three states to meet all ten of the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) essential elements for statewide longitudinal data systems and all ten of DQC’s recommended state actions for using education data. Today, the KLDS links data from 48 sources across 26 state agencies, making it one of the nation’s most comprehensive statewide longitudinal data systems.

Evidence-Based Practices

Kentucky’s approach to statewide longitudinal data is built around connecting information across agencies and using data to answer critical questions about education and workforce outcomes. Using the KLDS, KYSTATS collects and links data from multiple sources to better understand student trajectories and provide evidence that informs policy and program decisions.

KYSTATS doesn’t limit data use to compliance and reporting. It develops public-facing reports and interactive dashboards that help districts and partners measure program return on investment, align education offerings with regional workforce demand, and track learner pathways into employment. These publications break down topics ranging from high school outcomes to workforce participation and make the data actionable for local planning.

KYSTATS maintains a formal statewide research agenda determined by a board of leaders from five key partner agencies. This agenda focuses on leveraging the KLDS to examine Kentucky’s education and workforce systems, identifying priority research areas and guiding efforts to use linked data to inform decision-making.

The Impact

Kentucky’s investment in longitudinal data infrastructure has created a foundation for evaluating education and workforce investments. By using KLDS to measure outcomes over time, state leaders and stakeholders can gain insight into which programs are working, where investments are making a difference, and how to strengthen supports for students and workers.

For example, researchers utilized the KLDS to study the impact of Code Louisville, a technology training program designed to expand access to tech career talent pipelines. The analysis found that participants who completed at least one course had employment rates six percentage points higher than a comparison group three years after enrollment, with average earnings 13% higher. The study also revealed distinct outcomes by gender, with average earnings rising 20% for women who completed at least one course, compared to 8% for men. These findings provide valuable insights into how programs can better support participants with diverse needs and experiences.

KYSTATS data has also helped policymakers examine the long-term value of postsecondary credentials. An analysis of short-term certificate programs in Kentucky found that earning a postsecondary certificate was associated with an average 14% increase in quarterly earnings. This research also showed that students earning STEM-related certificates experienced the largest absolute and relative earnings gains, providing valuable information for workforce and education planning. As a result of this research, the state broadened how it measures educational success. In Kentucky’s 2022-2030 Strategic Agenda, certificates are now officially tracked as top-tier credentials, sharing the same priority level as Associate and Bachelor’s degrees in the state’s push to reach 60% educational attainment.

Beyond program evaluation, Kentucky uses connected data to support students who would benefit from additional tracks to graduation and career success. Through dropout prevention and reengagement efforts, schools can leverage KYSTATS workforce and wage data through platforms such as Futuriti, which is a tool that helps students connect their skills and interests with education and training opportunities.

Education R&D Playbook in Practice

Kentucky demonstrates how states can put the recommendations in ALI’s State Education R&D Playbook into practice, specifically: 

1. Modernize SLDS
2. Leverage tools, technology, and artificial intelligence to enable education R&D. 
3. Co-Create Vision 

By modernizing its statewide longitudinal data system and leveraging technology to make research more accessible and actionable, KYSTATS has transformed connected education and workforce data into a practical resource for continuous improvement. Through interactive reports, dashboards, and a statewide research agenda, Kentucky equips educators, policymakers, and workforce leaders with the evidence they need to evaluate programs, inform planning, and make better decisions.