Products
Aggregated Data
PLANNED PHASE 4 EXPANSION: When fully operational, NCLDS will provide cross-sector data tables and visualizations at levels of aggregation that mask individual data and therefore allow for unrestricted, public sharing.
One of NCLDS’s partners—the Common Follow-Up System—already provides tables for selected high school-to-workforce data questions, and another partner—the Early Childhood Integrated Data System—already provides tables for selected cross-program early childhood questions.
On-Request Datasets
When fully operational, NCLDS will provide a fully online tool for making requests for cross-sector, longitudinal, deidentified, record-level, and linked datasets (when time and resources allow, NCLDS also will attempt to fulfill cross-sector but non-linked data requests). In the meantime, those interested in requesting custom, cross-sector datasets should begin by completing a Data Request Form.
For single-sector data requests (e.g., K12 data only, UNC System data only, etc.), reach out directly to your sector of interest.
Research-Ready Datasets
PLANNED PHASE 4 EXPANSION: Preparing custom datasets sometimes can be time-consuming. In response, NCLDS Contributors are in the process of creating pre-prepared, record-level, de-identified, and linkable datasets comprising their most frequently requested data elements. Because these datasets are pre-prepared, the time required to fulfill requests for them will be shorter than the time required to create custom datasets.
To help Data Requesters determine whether their data needs can be met by research-ready datasets, any data element listed in the online Data Inventory (Data Dictionary) that is included in a research-ready dataset will have an RRD indicator. In addition, NCLDS will provide on this site full lists of the data elements available in each Contributor’s research-ready dataset as they become available.
Because NCLDS is a cross-sector data tool, research-ready datasets will not become available via NCLDS until at least two such datasets are shared with NCLDS.
Projected initial research-ready datasets:
- UNC System Office data
- NC Community College System data
Data Portals for Practitioners
PLANNED PHASE 4 EXPANSION: NCLDS Contributors are working with NCLDS to prepare special cross-sector, longitudinal data products tailor-made for Practitioner audiences.
Once available, Practitioners can access these data products via an access-restricted portal that will protect data privacy and security.
Services
Matching/Linking
NCLDS matches data on an as-needed, project-specific basis only, and only once a Data Request has been approved by all of the Contributors that manage the data included in the Request, appropriate legal agreements have been signed by all parties, and the privacy and security measures provided by the data recipient have been verified.
For more information about some of the approaches NCLDS takes to matching data, explore some of the How NCLDS Works briefs about this topic.
Services for Data Contributors
PLANNED PHASE 3 EXPANSION: NCLDS is in the process now of determining additional data services it can provide for Contributors.