About Us

Who are we?

ERDC works with data contributing agencies and the education research community to fulfill data requests, create dashboards, and conduct research to better understand the education systems in the state.

The legislature assigned specific requirements for ERDC in its originating legislation, RCW 43.41.400. This includes: 

  • Identify critical research and policy questions
  • Analyze education and workforce data
  • Collaborate with LEAP and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature to compile /analyze data
  • Identify necessary K-12 data collection improvements.
  • Monitor/evaluate the education data collection systems
  • Track enrollment and outcomes through Public Centralized Higher Education Enrollment System (PCHEES)

What is the P20W warehouse?

ERDC houses the P20W warehouse, a statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS). This is a data system that includes information on Washington students collected by our data contributors and shared with ERDC. These sectors include early learning, K-12, post-secondary, and workforce sectors, collectively referred to as P20W (preschool to grade 20 to workforce). Additionally, ERDC houses financial aid data and apprenticeship data. Through an identity matching process, ERDC assigns unique “P20W ID’s” that link up the data from the multiple sources to produce cross-sector datasets.

The purpose of the P20W warehouse is to enable researchers at ERDC and elsewhere to conduct valuable research that informs policy- and decision-making both at the state level and within partnering institutions. People throughout the state, including state policymakers, school superintendents, school principals, university administration, and academic researchers, benefit from the data available upon request at ERDC.

Education Research and Data Center image of a path from early learning to workforce

What does ERDC do?

ERDC maintains a strict privacy program and has developed data governance and data security processes over the past 15 years to ensure student privacy, appropriate use of the data, and security of the data. ERDC engages in a number of activities, including but not limited to:

Create data products

The ERDC can provide data requestors with datasets for analysis. All requests must go through our review process and meet our privacy standards. In addition, we maintain public-facing dashboards and ERDC produces a number of resources aimed at helping data users access and consume state education data.

Visit our dashboards and data resources.

Analyze and report for state agencies

The legislature regularly calls upon ERDC to provide support to other state agencies to evaluate programs. For example, the ERDC has provided data support on bills aimed at improving the educational outcomes of students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care, as well as analyzing dual credit programs.

View our list of required reports that ERDC supports. 

Conduct cross-sector research

ERDC specializes in fulfilling data requests or analyzing data to address cross-sector research questions (questions that cannot be answered by institutions within one sector). For example:

  • Is participation in ECEAP related to Kindergarten readiness? (uses early learning and K12 data)
  • What percentage of high school graduates enroll in post-secondary education and how does this vary by student characteristics? (uses K12 and postsecondary data)
  • Is participation in K12 Career and Technical Education programs related to workforce outcomes? (uses K12 and workforce data)

Visit our publications to gain insights from ERDC research.

Support data collections

ERDC collects data through multiple systems, including the Public Centralized Higher Education Enrollment System (PCHEES) and the Educator Prep Program (EPP) data collection.

Learn more about ERDC data collections

Vision, Mission, and Priorities

ERDC is committed to providing valuable education and employment data that protects student privacy. Our vision, mission, priorities and commitment to equity inform the work we do and the way we do it.

Vision

To promote a seamless, coordinated preschool-to-career (P-20W) experience for all learners by providing objective analysis and information.

Mission

To develop longitudinal information spanning the P-20W system in order to facilitate analyses, provide meaningful reports, collaborate on education research, and share data.

Priorities

  1. Coordinate, facilitate, build upon, and enhance the education data collection and analysis already being done by multiple agencies and institutions.
  2. Adhere strictly to both the letter and spirit of privacy laws affecting individual student record data, and be sensitive to other privacy concerns.
  3. Achieve consensus wherever possible among participating agencies and institutions in determining the best data and research available to help guide the implementation of P-20W goals.
  4. Conduct all business, data development, and research in an open and transparent fashion (to the extent allowed by privacy laws), with the full inclusion of education agencies, organizations, and institutions as well as legislative participants.