Federal Grants Build Student‑Tracking Systems

The Institute of Education Sciences has funded statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) in 41 states plus DC to standardize and link student records over time. That creates powerful tools for evaluating schools and programs but also concentrates longitudinal student-level data under state systems, raising issues about privacy, governance, and how measurement reshapes incentives. — The SLDS rollout shifts the balance between measurement-driven accountability and student privacy, with direct implications for funding debates, surveillance concerns, and how education success is defined.