Policymakers need to know what works if they want to build a quality early learning system, which is why it’s big news that Washington State won $17.3 million to build a statewide data system that will track student progress from pre-kindergarten to work.

 The U.S. Education Department is sending the money to Washington as part of last year’s economic stimulus package. The new funds will allow the Department of Early Learning to create a system that consolidates information on licensing, professional development, quality ratings, child care subsidies and other programs, which are currently spread out in various systems, according to DEL spokeswoman Amy Blondin.

While there is data on students’ progress, the new effort will combine K-12 data with pre-kindergarten, post-secondary and employment information, according to Gov. Christine Gregoire’s office.

“For the state overall, it will allow us to "follow" students from pre-k through college. That will give us a much better picture of how students are doing throughout their education, and what we can do to better support their success,” Blondin wrote in an email.

Having reliable data also could be an asset in winning additional federal funding for child care and preschool – the Obama administration has highlighted the need for proven programs, and good tracking data is a big part of proving programs work. So, this new data network may bring even more federal funding to Washington.

“Having a data system to look at the progress of a student from pre-kindergarten through college is something that will help us better understand their needs. This grant will be an important part of our efforts to implement education reform and improve the quality of education for our children,” Gov. Christine Gregoire said in a statement on the new funds.

Thanks to the Early Learning Community for highlighting this development.

Early Ed in K-12 Reform News: A key Senate committee discussed how early learning could fit into the reform of federal K-12 laws and Early Ed Watch has a good overview. (You can also watch a webcast of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing.)