Data Integration Support Center (DISC)

Current Challenge

While many supports are available for education-specific data initiatives, integration of early childhood, workforce, justice, and social services data often requires specialized expertise across multiple sectors and data-use cases that vary by state or locality. 

Purpose

The Data Integration Support Center (DISC) supports efforts to integrate data across key sectors while protecting privacy and ensuring the usefulness, fidelity, and transparency of the data systems. DISC offers public agencies comprehensive and tailored assistance focused on planning, user-centered design, policy, privacy, and legal supports to help integrate data across sectors, including early childhood, social services, and the workforce.  

Audience Served

DISC provides public agencies with comprehensive support and legal, technical, and policy expertise to modernize integrated data systems (IDSs) through customized assistance in focus areas that are critical to the development, sustainability, and maturity of IDSs. 

Key Activities

DISC provides technical assistance relative to privacy and security, external legal support, legislative analysis and governance, and system security. DISC’s knowledgeable staff partners with agencies to navigate the variations in state laws and mitigate privacy, security, legal, and architectural risks. 

Center Director

Baron Rodriguez

Baron Rodriguez (he/him) is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of data integration, privacy, security, and data governance, particularly within the context of collaborative research involving multiple agencies.

Funder

The Data Integration and Support Center is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Project Duration

October 2022 – June 2025 

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