About Us
About Us
The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) is working with partner agencies to develop a statewide longitudinal data system, linking data from (P)reschool / early childhood through K-12 education and all avenues of postsecondary education and training (“Grade 20”) into the (W)orkforce.
MDHEWD was charged in 2023 by Governor Mike Parson and the General Assembly to lead this effort in collaboration with its partners and the state’s Information Technology Services Division (ITSD). P20W will build on over a decade of ad hoc work by state agencies and key external stakeholders.
The purpose of P20W data systems is to allow stakeholders to use existing data, de-identified for privacy and confidentiality, to better understand pathways, programs, and policies that support the education-to-workforce journey. Users will be able to answer research questions and study issues that require cross-sector data, such as factors supporting successful transitions from early childhood to K-12 to higher education and training programs and into the workforce, or the impact of social services and other programs on success in education and training or workforce participation. The public will also have new tools to make informed decisions about education and training pathways, program outcomes, and career choices.
P20W at a GlanceResearch Focus
- Outcomes of high school graduates, including career and technical education.
- Outcomes of higher education enrollees and graduates.
- Employment trends.
- Post-incarceration trends and outcomes.
- Workforce training and registered apprenticeships.
Data Privacy
The privacy, integrity and confidentiality of Missourians is a priority of MDHEWD and the P20W team. Data has been de-identified to protect individual Missourians’ data, while allowing linkages across domains to better understand program outcomes. Data governance is in place to ensure data are used appropriately and protected.
The federal law on student privacy, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), establishes student privacy rights by restricting with whom and under what circumstances states and educational organizations may share and use data. Similar laws govern the use of data across other domains.
Next Steps for 2025
- Continue data integration with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and other workforce and social services partners.
- Renew multi-agency data sharing agreement.
- Research and program evaluation with agency partners.
Communications
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Request Data
Request Data
Thank you for your interest in Missouri P20W data. If the specific data you are requesting is not available through our standard reports, please fill out the project request form below. You can request de-identified data for an approved research project or simply ask a question that our team will do our best to answer. Additional information may be required to fulfill approved requests, and fees may apply depending on the complexity of the request.
P20W Project Request Form
Data Destruction
Data Stewards (from other partner state agencies) and Approved External Users (often university researchers) will use the same data request process. They’ll receive data or access to data, but to ensure the privacy of Missourians, must notify the P20W Administrator when a project is completed. The P20W Administrator will work to disable access to the P20W system if provided. All de-identified data extracted from the P20W system must be destroyed from all secure external computer systems on which it is stored once the approved project is complete or by the research end date listed in the approved Project Request, whichever is sooner.
Additional information related to Data Destruction can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's website.
P20W Project Request FAQs
Project Request Process
- Project Request Submitted
All requests for data must be submitted through our official P20W Project Request Form.
- Consultation
Once the project request is received, the P20W Administrator may provide additional feedback to the requestor(s) on data availability, project feasibility, and/or to anticipate questions from other agency data owners prior to submission to the Data Governance Committee. The P20W Administrator may also provide suggestions on what available data will help to address a requestor’s research questions.
The P20W Administrator will make every attempt to provide preliminary feedback, if necessary, within 10 business days of receipt of the request.
- Request Reviewed
After receiving preliminary feedback from the P20W Administrator, the project request will be sent to the Data Governance Committee (DGC) for full review. Ownership of data in the P20W Workforce Longitudinal Data System remains with the Missouri state agencies from which it originated. The Project Request must be approved unanimously by all voting members of the representing agencies that own data requested for the project. The data requested for the project may be amended and resubmitted to address questions or exclude non-approved data.
The DGC reserves the right to approve, deny or request revisions to research Project Requests.
Approved External Users should allow up to six to nine months for project approval and data provision or access to the WLDS. Direct access to the WLDS may also require fingerprinting and criminal background checks by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
- Data Released
Upon project approval, the P20W Administrator will compile the necessary data elements, validate the requested datasets, and/or conduct analyses to meet your request.
The time needed for this step depends on the complexity of the request and/or other projects already in process.
If de-identified data are provided in response to a project request, they should be stored securely and used only for the purpose(s) outlined in the approved request. The P20W Administrator will assist with any requested changes to an approved project.
- Data Destroyed
Datasets are securely destroyed by all data users when a project is completed.
By the project end date, Data Stewards and Approved External Users should provide the P20W Administrator with a Notification of Data Destruction at P20Wresearch@dhewd.mo.gov. Failure to submit a signed copy of the Notification of Data Destruction could jeopardize the approval of future project proposals.
Data extracts, linked datasets, project code, and related documentation created for an approved Project Request may also be provided to and archived by the P20W Administrator. Principal Investigators are strongly encouraged to follow best practices to support replicability of research. Any Principal Investigator listed on the Project Request Form for a project may request a copy of the data and other materials after the project end date and data destruction has occurred, at the discretion of the DGC.
For more information on securely deleting files, see: https://www.hawaii.edu/askus/672 and https://www.hawaii.edu/askus/706 and/or https://www.nist.gov/publications/nist-special-publication-800-88-revision-1-guidelines-media-sanitization
Additional information related to Data Destruction can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's website.