We are coming up on the second annual Virginia Longitudinal Data System Insights Conference. This is kind of a big deal since it is our second conference and we have a little more to talk about in terms of research outcomes. This is still very much a work in progress, but VLDS is here to stay.

I will be speaking a number of times. First, as part of an opening panel on VLDS. Second, the impact of VLDS on legislation leading to HB886 that requires high schools, school divisions, colleges and universities to link to the outcomes and student performance data on our website. Third, I will be discussing the upcoming release of our mid-career wage outcomes data and other data products.

There are lots of other sessions to attend if you are not interested in hearing me. College and Career Readiness, Teacher Preparation, Career and Technical Education, Workforce Education, and other topics. It will be another great event.

The second annual Insights Conference will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Conference Center. The conference theme, “Bridging the Data Divide,” will emphasize how the Virginia Longitudinal Data System (VLDS) is bridging the data divide among citizens, researchers, and policymakers by providing a single point of access for educational and workforce information. The conference will open at 8:00 AM with registration, a networking breakfast and a demonstration of VLDS. Sessions will run from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM with a break for lunch. For more information and registration, please see: http://www.cit.org/insights-conference/

The objectives of the Insights Conference:

• Link communities of data providers and data consumers
• Celebrate and build the future of VLDS
• Inspire stakeholders to provide insights to citizens