A group of school districts, colleges, and universities in California have signed a new data-sharing agreement designed to improve education-to-career pathways across the region.
The Elk Grove Unified School District, the Sacramento County Office of Education, the Los Rios Community College District, Sacramento State, and UC Davis had previously joined together in 2022 to form the Sacramento Regional K16 Collaborative. This new data-sharing agreement is an evolution of their ongoing partnership.
“Our collaborative effort is a critical step towards working together on behalf of our region’s students,” said Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brian King. “This partnership allows us to ensure that students transition seamlessly throughout our educational systems so that we can ensure they are prepared for opportunities in STEM-related careers, particularly in healthcare, engineering, and computing.”
The Sacramento Regional K16 Collaborative explained that their data-sharing agreement is unlike other agreements. The collaborative explained that, unlike one-to-one data-sharing agreements between educational institutions, this agreement will connect the entire educational ecosystem in the Sacramento region. The group also said that once the partnership is fully implemented, it hopes to expand it to other regions nearby.
Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools and K-16 Collaborative Chair David W. Gordon said that the K16 Collaborative “demonstrates what’s possible when diverse institutions unite, leveraging data to achieve equitable outcomes for every student.”
“Bringing our data systems together is essential to ensure that we have the information needed to make strategic decisions for our students’ futures,” Gordon said. “We must continue pushing forward, knowing that with each new partnership and innovation, we are creating an educational landscape that is truly inclusive and transformative.”
This data-sharing agreement will, in part:
- Provide the Elk Grove Unified School District and the Sacramento County Office of Education with data about their students’ post-graduation success, which will help inform future efforts to ensure students are well-prepared for college and their careers.
- Supply Los Rios, Sacramento State, and UC Davis with information about their students’ past educational experiences so that the institutions can better serve current, future, and returning students and connect them with appropriate support and resources.
- Allow for the expansion of Dual Enrollment opportunities at area high schools, so students can complete more college units before graduation.
- Create a secure legal and technological framework for the sharing of student data, so that all information is safe and protected.
