Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems

These grants are intended to enable State educational agencies to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data, consistent with the El

The SLDS program awards grants to SEAs to design, develop, and implement statewide longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data. The Department's long-term goal in operating the program is to help all States create comprehensive P-20W (early learning through workforce) systems that foster the generation and use of accurate and timely data, support analysis and informed decision-making at all levels of the education system, increase the efficiency with which data may be analyzed to support the continuous improvement of education services and outcomes, facilitate research to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps, support education accountability systems, and simplify the processes used by SEAs to make education data transparent through Federal and public reporting.

Only State educational agencies are eligible for grant awards. Other types of entities are eligible for contract awards.

State educational agencies, local educational agencies, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and individuals involved with education will benefit.

Grants may support salaries, travel, equipment, and supplies as required to carry out design and implementation efforts. Grant funds must be used to supplement and not supplant other State or local funds used for developing State data systems.

ED references regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of funding notices for this assistance listing.

Grants usually are supported for four years. All grantee obligations must be liquidated within 90 days following the end of the project period. Payments may be made according to a predetermined schedule or by way of reimbursement. Renewals are subject to the availability of appropriations.

The criteria for selecting applications are contained in the Request for Applications that announces the competition. The Request for Applications is posted on the Funding Opportunities home page of the Institute web site: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/. Contract awards are made to vendors whose proposals represent the combination of merit and cost that is most favorable to the government.

Grant applications that are responsive and compliant to the Requests for Applications are evaluated by expert reviewers for scientific and technical merit. Scientific reviews are conducted in accordance with the review criteria stated in the Request for Applications and the review procedures posted on the IES website, http://ies.ed.gov/director/sro/peer_review/application_review.asp, by a panel of scientists who have substantive and methodological expertise appropriate to the program of research and Request for Applications. Awards are competitive, with the following criteria considered in making award decisions for responsive and compliant applications: Scientific merit as determined by peer review, performance and use of funds under a previous federal award, contribution to the overall program of research described in the Request for Applications, and availability of funds. Official notice of an approved application is made through issuance of a Notice of Grant Award. Contract applications are reviewed by a panel of experts. The Department makes awards to those companies that are determined to provide the best value to the government.

The range of approval/disapproval time is approximately 120 to 180 days following the application deadline.

Recipients of multi-year grants must submit an annual performance report for each year funding has been approved. A review of the annual performance report is used to determine whether substantial progress has been made toward meeting the project objectives. Renewals are subject to the availability of appropriations.