New Teach Plus Report Recommends Upgrading State’s Longitudinal Data System to Support “Ascent to 55%” Goal
JACKSON, MS, November 13, 2025—With Mississippi aiming for 55% of working-age adults to hold a high-value credential by 2030, a new report from Teach Plus Mississippi urges state leaders to transform the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) into an actionable tool that can guide smarter investments and better prepare students for lifelong success. The report, Moving From Data to Action, outlines how connecting fragmented data across preK-12, higher education, and workforce systems can help Mississippi meet and succeed our postsecondary success goal.
“We have the infrastructure for a powerful data system—we just need to make it work for the people who need it most,” said Sanford Johnson, Teach Plus Mississippi Executive Director. “Teachers, administrators, students, and families all deserve access to clear, connected data that can answer critical questions about which pathways lead to good jobs and how well our schools are preparing students for what comes next. This isn’t just about hitting a statewide goal—it’s about giving every student in the Magnolia State the information they need to find and pursue the career pathway that matches their skills and aspirations.”
While SLDS has the necessary infrastructure for a robust data system, Teach Plus teacher leaders who authored the report identified a number of existing limitations including fragmented information across education and workforce sectors and a lack of user-friendly tools which limit the system’s usefulness for educators and families trying to make informed decisions.
The report offers three concrete recommendations to address these challenges:
- Establish consistent state funding for maintaining and improving the SLDS, with annual reporting requirements to the legislature
- Strengthen data-sharing agreements across agencies from early childhood through workforce to create a truly connected system
- Improve accessibility by collecting input from educators, students, and families to develop user-friendly dashboards and tools
“Right now, I can’t easily see how my former students are doing after they leave my classroom—whether they enrolled in college, completed a credential, or found a job that pays a living wage,” said Sydney Heath, a teacher in Bay-Waveland School District and Teach Plus Mississippi Senior Policy Fellow. “Adopting our recommendations would transform how I prepare students. When I know which pathways lead to success, I can guide our students more effectively and adjust my instruction to meet their real needs and hopes for the future.”
The report points to successful models in states like Kentucky and Colorado, where accessible data systems help educators, policymakers, and families make evidence-based decisions. These states demonstrate that when data is both connected and accessible, it becomes a powerful tool for improving student outcomes.
“The stakes for improving SLDS are significant: bachelor’s degree holders in our state earn an average of $17,400 more per year than those with only a high school diploma, and workers without college degrees make up more than 80% of the state’s unemployed population,” said Mr. Johnson. “With proper investment in our data systems, we can ensure that students and educators have the insights needed to pursue pathways that lead to both personal fulfillment and economic stability.”
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students.
For more information, visit teachplus.org/MS
