Florida EduData R&D Hub

Advancing insight and innovation across Florida’s education system

The Case for a Modern Education R&D Infrastructure

Florida invests $31.5B annually in education. To turn that investment into measurable student success and workforce development, the state needs secure, integrated data systems that power rapid learning, innovation, and accountability.

Unlike sectors transformed by systematic research and development (R&D), such as medicine and technology, education still lacks the infrastructure to efficiently identify, develop, and scale what works.

What is the Florida EduData R&D Hub?

The Florida EduData R&D Hub is a secure, centralized, statewide education R&D system administered by the University of Florida Lastinger Center that transforms Florida’s longitudinal education data into actionable insights and innovation.

Built on UF’s privacy-first data architecture, the processing power of the HiPerGator 4 supercomputer, and the Lastinger Data Lagoon, the Hub will accelerate research, evaluation, decision-making and development to improve student achievement and workforce outcomes.

EduData R&D Hub Proposal

Read the draft proposal for Florida to make a concerted effort to enhance its own infrastructure to support education R&D and secure its position as a national leader in educational quality and innovation.

Read the R&D Hub Draft Proposal

Why is Florida positioned to lead?

  • Established data foundation: Florida’s Education Data Warehouse and public dashboards already provide cradle-to-career data visibility.
  • Progress monitoring: The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) made Florida the first state in the nation to enable individual-level student growth measurement.
  • Trusted data stewardship: UF’s enterprise-grade privacy, security, and compliance frameworks undergird the Lastinger Data Lagoon and enable responsible, deidentified access.
  • Supercomputer capacity: HiPerGator offers unparalleled computing to drive advanced analytics and research at scale.
  • Established agreements: UF Lastinger Center’s GADRRS agreement streamlines secure data sharing across FDOE and 50 districts and counting, setting a “gold standard” for protection.
  • Active partnerships: University and industry teams are already advancing AI development, evaluation, and educator supports.

Pillars of Impact

AI-powered student supports: Evaluate and deploy tools that personalize learning, close gaps, and prepare students for high-demand skills.

Data-driven educator growth: Replace generic professional learning with competency-based pathways tailored by real-time evidence.

Workforce alignment: Expand wage and occupation data elements to directly link education pathways to economic needs.

Data visualization theaters: Regional data decision hubs allow leaders to test strategies, identify best practices, and scale what works.

Smarter investments: Fast, transparent ROI analysis to maximize taxpayer value and accelerate improvement.

For More Information

For more information or to see how you can get involved, please contact:

Phil Poekert, Ph.D.
poekert@coe.ufl.edu
Director, UF Lastinger Center
College of Education
University of Florida

How does it work?

Secure data integration: Deidentified, birth-to-postsecondary data accessible for authorized R&D, aligned with state and federal requirements for privacy, security, and ethics.

Public research agenda: Stakeholder-informed priorities focused on timely, actionable questions for policymakers and educators.

High-performance analysis: State university faculty and HiPerGator enable rigorous statistical modeling to evaluate programs, technologies, and ROI.

Field partnerships: Work with parents, schools, and early learning providers, including lab schools and charter schools, to catalyze innovation and experimentation. 

Usability and impact: Findings published in accessible formats for families, educators, leaders, and legislators.

Policy Proposals

Define education R&D in statute: Establish a statewide vision prioritizing innovation and continuous improvement.

Ensure state agency capacity: Add dedicated data management staff to strengthen and modernize secure reporting.

Enhance workforce data: Expand employer records (hourly pay, location, occupation) to evaluate job readiness and economic outcomes.

Establish the Florida EduData R&D Hub at the UF Lastinger Center to:

  • Collaborate with FDOE to modernize the current system and R&D infrastructure.
  • Coordinate governance: Establish an inter-agency, cross-sector steering committee. 
  • Prioritize access: Leverage the Lastinger Data Lagoon to enable responsible, deidentified access for authorized partners to data from the Education Data Warehouse.
  • Publish and support: Deliver usable findings and regional technical assistance for decisions and policy.

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