5. Data Policy and Practices

5.1: There is a statewide policy (law, administrative rule or policy, executive order, etc) that outlines how data are to be ethically collected and used to improve results and address the needs of people who are experiencing unfavorable outcomes 1

5.2: There is a statewide policy (law, administrative rule or policy, executive order, etc) that requires open data or a “share first” philosophy and appropriate privacy controls that allow for data sharing across agencies, with external partners, and to the public 1

5.3: There is a standardized data sharing agreement between the state education agency, workforce agency, and at least one other agency (ie., an economic mobility agency, a central grant office, a budget office, an administrative agency) that allows data to be routinely shared OR There is an integrated data system with data from the state education agency, workforce agency, and at least one other agency (ie., an economic mobility agency, a central grant office, a budget office, an administrative agency)

Connecticut

Leading Example

The Chief Data Officer, along with individual agency data officers, is required to biannually update the state data plan, which covers open data and creates data standards for agencies. The plan also contains 11 principles and accompanying practices that all agencies should adopt to improve their management, use, sharing, and analysis of data. In addition, a 2019 law recommends: 1) establishing a coordinated governance structure for cross-agency data sharing, and 2) implementing cross-agency data-sharing agreements that are more flexible and durable. Building on this report, Connecticut released a Data-Sharing Playbook and developed an enterprise memorandum of understanding to help agencies share data safely, securely, and ethically.