Data Inventory
The MLDS Data Inventory is a comprehensive list of the data elements contained in the Maryland Longitudinal Data System. Under Maryland law (Education Article § 24-704(g)(6), Annotated Code of Maryland) the MLDS Governing Board is required to create an inventory of the individual student and workforce data maintained, proposed to be maintained, or removed from the System.
The data in the Data Inventory are categorized by the data partner that provided the data element to the MLDS. To better understand the data inventory and the information provided about the data elements, please review the Glossary of Data Inventory Terms below.
View the MLDS Center Data Inventory.Page Navigation
- Substantive Changes to the MLDS Data Inventory
- Process
- Student Data
- Workforce Data
- Data Gaps
- Data Limitations
- Glossary of Data Inventory Terms
Substantive Changes to the MLDS Data Inventory
The MLDS Governing Board annually reviews the MLDS Data Inventory for data elements identified for inclusion or removal.
The MLDS Data Inventory is also reviewed when any substantive changes are approved.
The following is a list of substantive changes to the data inventory.
- Substantive Changes to the MLDS Data Inventory March 2023
- Substantive Changes to the MLDS Data Inventory March 2022
- Substantive Changes to the MLDS Data Inventory June 2021
Click here to see the Substantive Changes Archive.
Process
The MLDS Center works collaboratively with each data partner to determine the data elements to be included in the data inventory. As part of the Data Governance Advisory Board (Data GAB) charter, Data GAB members review and identify data elements for inclusion in or removal from the data inventory. All data must be relevant to the Research Agenda or generally identified as necessary for evaluating federal or State supported education programs. Data elements identified for inclusion or removal in the System are presented to the Governing Board for approval. Once approved, the requirements are developed with the data partner and included in the data collection calendar.
Student Data
State law (Education Article § 24-701, Annotated Code of Maryland) defines student data to mean data relating to student performance, including the following:
- State and national assessments;
- Course-taking and completion;
- Grade point average;
- Remediation;
- Retention;
- Degree, diploma, or credential attainment;
- Enrollment;
- Demographic data;
- Juvenile delinquency records;
- Elementary and Secondary school disciplinary records;
- Child welfare data;
- License, industry certificate, or vocational certificate;
- Personally identifiable information; and
- Student disability data by specific disability category.
The law specifically prohibits the MLDS Center from collecting medical and health records.
Workforce Data
State law (Education Article § 24-701, Annotated Code of Maryland) defines workforce data as data relating to:
- Employment status;
- Wage information;
- Geographic location of employment;
- Employer information; and
- Personally identifiable information.
There are specific legal requirements affecting whether certain workforce records can be maintained and for how long they can be linked to an educational record. The MLDS Center has established procedures for managing those requirements.
Data Gaps
The MLDS contains a wealth of valuable information for reporting and analysis. Nonetheless, there are gaps in the data that impact the Center's reporting and research capabilities. The most recent Gap Analysis documents are listed below.
- MLDS Center Gap Analysis September 2024
- MLDS Center Gap Analysis September 2023
- MLDS Center Gap Analysis June 2022
Data Limitations
As with all types of data, longitudinal data like those in the MLDS are subject to various limitations. These limitations may be for a particular data collection during one year or may be related to multiple collections that cover many years.
Glossary of Data Inventory Terms
- Data Partner: A State agency, an industry certifier, or other entity that originally collects student and workforce data and provides that data to the Center under Education Article, § 24-707, Annotated Code of Maryland.
- CEDS Element ID: The Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) unique identifier. CEDS is a national effort to develop common data standards for education data.
- Sector: Sector identifies the category of the data element. The eight sectors are: Early Childhood Education; K-12 Education; Adult Education; Justice Involved Youth; Child Welfare; Postsecondary Education; Other Completions and Credentials; and Workforce. MVA data is identified as an Internal sector.
- Source: Describes the given name for a data element provided to the MLDS. This may be the name used by the data partner or a standard name used by CEDS. Note: The same element name may appear multiple times, as we receive the same element from multiple sources.
- Element Name: Describes the given name for a data element provided to the MLDS. This may be the name used by the partner agency or a standard name used by CEDS. Note: The same element name may appear multiple times, as we receive the same element from multiple sources.
- First Available Collection Year: The first year the MLDS Center obtained the data for the MLDS. The year is indicated by the ending year of the data for the collection year. 2008 is considered the 2007-2008 collection year, but the months covered may differ by collections.
- Last Available Collection Year: The most recent year the MLDS Center obtained the data for the MLDS. This may also indicate the end of a data collection. The year is indicated by the ending year of the data for the collection year. 2008 is considered the 2007-2008 collection year, but the months covered may differ by collections.
- Data Usage: An indication of a data element's availability. The data element is either available for use in research or only used by internal IT staff for identity resolution.
- Description: A statement about the data element that provides additional information related to how the data element is collected, used, or defined in the MLDS.