Using Big Data to Improve Students' Educational Outcomes in the Silicon Valley

Rebecca London

Sociology Department, UC Santa Cruz

Harnessing existing public agency data collections to improve the outcomes of children and youth seems like a simple and straightforward use of resources. However, there are legal, technical, and ethical barriers to cross-sector data sharing, impeding progress in this area.  This presentation will explore the Silicon Valley Regional Data Trust, a data-sharing collaborative between education, juvenile probation, child welfare, and behavioral health agencies. It will highlight the ways that big data can be harnessed for social good, and also the challenges to overcome in creating systemic and ethical change to everyday data practices in youth-serving organizations.