To help track whether students are being prepared for further education and work, many states are trying to connect their data systems from preschool through postsecondary education. But a national forum on the topic held June 13, 2006 suggests there's a long way to go. In preparation for the meeting, Peter Ewell, the vice president of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, and Hans P. L'Orange, the director of data and information management for the State Higher Education Executive Officers, wrote a report on the status of P-16 data systems. They found that only 12 states report having the capacity to match student records across various levels of education, based on information collected by the National Center on Educational Accountability, a research group based in Austin, Texas. Forum participants noted that it's difficult to get below course titles at the various levels of education to identify the content actually being taught in those courses--a critical question in determining whether students are exposed to the knowledge and skills necessary for further education and work. Most participants suggested that establishing high-quality P-16 data systems is too important an issue to let slide, although many such systems may develop incrementally.