Forum Annual Report 2008-09

National Cooperative Education Statistics System
National Forum on Education Statistics

Summary
2008–09

Officers

Chairperson: Bruce Dacey, Delaware Department of Education
Vice–Chair: Linda Rocks, Bossier Parish Schools (LA)
Past Chair: Susan VanGorden, Lakota Local School District (OH)

Standing Committees

National Education Statistics Agenda Committee (NESAC)
Chair: Helene Bettencourt, Massachusetts Department of El/Sec Education
Vice–Chair: David Weinberger, Yonkers Public Schools (NY)

Policies, Programs and Implementation (PPI)
Chair: James Haessly, School District of Waukesha (WI)
Vice-Chair: Vince Meyer, Wyoming Department of Education

Technology (TECH)
Chair: Tom Purwin, Jersey City Public Schools (NJ)
Vice–Chair: Patsy Eiland, Alabama Department of Education

Completed Task Forces & Publications

Forum Guide to Metadata: The Meaning Behind Education Data
Purpose: The purpose of this guide is to empower people to more effectively use data as information. To accomplish this, the publication explains what metadata are; why metadata are critical to the development of sound education data systems; what components comprise a metadata system; what value metadata bring to data management and use; and how to implement and use a metadata system.

Tom Ogle (chair), Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Sonya Edwards, California Department of Education
Kathy Gosa, Kansas State Department of Education
Tom Saka, Hawaii Department of Education
Steve Smith, Cambridge Public Schools (MA)
Mike Strozeski, Richardson Independent School District (TX)
Consultant: Tom Szuba, Quality Information Partners
Project Officer: Ghedam Bairu, National Center for Education Statistics

Education Data Model Version 1 (PK–12)
Purpose: This resource is a catalogue of the data used in PK–12 education, which focuses on teaching, learning, and the business of schools districts. The Data Model takes into account data elements, categories of data elements, the education process, definitions and semantics, as well as relationships among data elements. The Data Model website includes supporting documents, usage vignettes, a web-based tool for browsing the Data Model, and links to open source tools that can be used for viewing, exploring, and applying the model.

E. Glenn McClain (co–chair), Platte Valley School District, Weld Re–7 (CO)
Jeff Stowe (co–chair), Arizona Department of Education
Jill Abbott, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
Shawn Bay, eScholar
Pam Birkeland, Helena Public Schools (MT)
Bethann Canada, Virginia Department of Education
Laurie Collins, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
Cory Curl, Tennessee Department of Education
Alicia Diaz, Southern Regional Education Board
Bertha Doar, Rockwood School District (MO)
Sonya Edwards, California Department of Education
Patricia Eiland, Alabama Department of Education
Larry Fruth, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
M. Francie Gilmore–Dunn, Mississippi Department of Education
Kathy Gosa, Kansas Department of Education
Stephen Hockett, U.S. Department of Education
Lee Hoffman, National Center for Education Statistics
Alexander Jackl, ESP Solutions Group
Steve King, ESP Solutions Group
Don Knezek, International Society for Technology in Education
Derrick Lindsay, Mississippi Department of Education
Katherine Long, Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Blair Loudat, North Clackamas Schools (OR)
Tim Magner, US Department of Education
Stephen Metcalf, Orange-Windsor Supervisory Union (VT)
Michael Patterson, Chicago Public Schools (IL)
Lee Rabbitt, North Kingston School Department
Mark Reichert, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
Linda Rocks, Bossier Parish Schools
Robert Rodosky, Jefferson County Public Schools (KY)
Sarah Schallar Ruano, Kforce Government Solutions
Ross Santy, US Department of Education
Michael Strozeski, Richardson Independent School District (TX)
Charlene Swanson, New York State Education Department
Dave Uhlig, Charlottesville City Public Schools
Peter Waldschmidt, Tetra Data Corporation
David Weinberger, Yonkers Public Schools (NY)
Bonnie Wilkerson, Northbrook School District 27 (IL)
Raymond Yeagley, Northwest Evaluation Association
Consultant: Vicente Paredes, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
Project Officer: Kashka Kubzdela, National Center for Education Statistics

Every School Day Counts: The Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Attendance Data
Purpose: This document includes an exhaustive and mutually-exclusive list of attendance codes to provide the basis for accurate comparisons between districts and states. The product also presents real-life examples of how attendance information has been used by school districts.

William Smith (chair), Sioux Falls School District (SD)
Janet Emerick, Lake Central School Corporation (IN)
M. Francie Gilmore–Dunn, Mississippi Department of Education
Patricia High, Oklahoma State Department of Education
Brad James, Vermont Department of Education
Alvin Larson, Meriden Board of Education (CT)
Nancy Blair Loudat, North Clackamas Schools (OR)
Kristina Martin, Macomb Intermediate School District (MI)
Janice Petro, Colorado Department of Education
Linda Rocks, Bossier Parish Schools (LA)
Consultant: Alyssa Alston, Council of Chief State School Officers
Project Officer: Lee Hoffman, National Center for Education Statistics

Managing and Identity Crisis: Forum Guide to Implementing New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories
Purpose: This best–practice guide was developed to assist state and local education agencies in their implementation of the new federal race and ethnicity categories—thereby reducing redundant efforts within and across states, improving data comparability, and minimizing reporting burden. It serves as a toolkit from which users may select and adopt strategies that will help them quickly begin the process of implementation in their agencies.

Bethann Canada (chair), Virginia Department of Education
Helene Bettencourt, Massachusetts Department of Education
Lavan Dukes, Florida Department of Education
Carol Jones, Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information
Carmen Jordan, Arkansas Department of Education
Blair Loudat, North Clackamas Schools (OR)
Eric McCormick, Alaska Dept. of Education & Early Development
John Metcalfe, Fremont County School District #1 (WY)
David Patton, Omaha Public Schools (NE)
Madalyn Quinlan, Montana Office of Public Instruction
Thomas Stella, Everett Public Schools (MA)
Consultants: Oona Cheung and Anthony Garofano, Quality Information Partners
Project Officer: Lee Hoffman, National Center for Education Statistics

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2008-09 Task Forces

Crisis Data Management Task Force
Purpose: This task force is developing guidelines that can be used by elementary and secondary education agencies to establish policies and procedures for collecting and managing education data before, during, and after a crisis. This includes scenarios in which the agency is directly or indirectly (e.g., only receiving displaced students) impacted by a disaster.

Linda Rocks (chair), Bossier Parish Schools (LA)
Challis Breithaupt, Maryland State Department of Education
Derrick Lindsay, Mississippi Department of Education
Steve Shiever, Crescent Public Schools, OK
Allen Schulenberg, Louisiana Department of Education
Pat Sullivan, Texas Education Agency
Earl Watkins, formerly of Jackson Public School District (MS)
Consultant: Beth Young, Quality Information Partners
Project Officer: Ghedam Bairu, National Center for Education Statistics

Data Ethics Task Force
Purpose: This task force is developing a Code of Ethics for a broad range of stakeholders in the education data community. The Code will address ethical issues focused on the management and use of education data, with particular emphasis on individually identifiable student and staff data. Supporting text will be specific enough to make ethical principles understandable and actionable for staff in an education organization.

Tom Purwin (chair), Jersey City Public Schools (NJ)
Cheryl McMurtrey, Mountain Home School District 193 (ID)
Stephen Metcalf, Montpelier School District (VT)
Janice Petro, Colorado Department of Education
Lee Rabbit, North Kingstown School Department (RI)
David Uhlig, Charlottesville City Public Schools (VA)
Consultant: Tom Szuba, Quality Information Partners
Project Officer: Stephen Cornman, National Center for Education Statistics

Longitudinal Data Systems Task Force
Purpose: This task force is developing a document with lessons learned and effective approaches to designing, implementing, maintaining, and using longitudinal data systems – including various aspects of the project, such as stakeholder involvement, needs assessment, procurement and RFP writing, governance, and data use. This resource is intended to tie together the many existing resources available on LDSs and to help decisionmakers, education experts, and system developers to effectively assemble the many pieces of the LDS puzzle.

Bruce Dacey (chair), Delaware Department of Education
Nancy Burke, Century Elementary Grafton Public School District (ND)
Corey Chatis, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (formerly of the Tennessee Department of Education)
Laurie Collins, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
Thomas Cosgrove, Office of the State Superintendent of Education (DC)
Khaled Falah, formerly of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (DC)
Maureen Matthews, Council of Chief State School Officers
Pat Sherrill, U.S. Department of Education
Nancy Smith, InfoSynthesis & Organization (formerly of the Data Quality Campaign)
Steve Smith, Cambridge Public Schools (MA)
Susan VanGorden, Lakota Local School District (OH)
Raymond Yeagley, Northwest Evaluation Association
Consultant: Anthony Garofano, Quality Information Partners
Project Officer: Tate Gould, National Center for Education Statistics

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Web Activities

Activity on the Forum website continued to increase during the 2008-2009 year. Between June 2008 and May 2009, the Forum webpage had 94,829 page views (7,902/month) and Forum publications were downloaded (as PDF files) or viewed (as publication web pages) 86,929 times (7,244/month).

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Member Activities

• The Forum welcomed the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) as a new associate member. The DQC is a national, collaborative effort to encourage state policymakers to improve the collection, availability, and use of high–quality education data. Since its establishment in 2005, the campaign has been at the forefront of a national movement to promote the implementation of longitudinal data systems (LDSs). DQC seeks to increase understanding among policymakers and educators on how to use longitudinal student–level data to improve student outcomes. To this end, it provides useful tools and resources to help states create successful LDSs, improve data quality, and increase access to and the use of these valuable data. At the same time, the DQC seeks to facilitate greater coordination and agreement between organizations in order to reduce duplication of efforts.
• The Forum welcomed the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) as a new associate member. SHEEO is a nonprofit, nationwide association of the chief executive officers from statewide coordinating boards and governing boards of postsecondary education. The association's mission is to help its members and the states develop and sustain excellent systems of higher education. To achieve this goal, SHEEO provides a united voice and leadership on public policy issues for higher education through activities such as organizing professional development meetings; maintaining regular systems of communication and providing ready access to relevant studies and publications; serving as a liaison between the states and the federal government; studying higher education policy issues and publishing reports to inform the field; and implementing projects to enhance higher education in the states.

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Meetings

• Summer 2008 Meeting: July 28–29, 2008 in Bethesda, MD
• Winter 2009 Meeting: February 16–17, 2009 in Seattle WA
• Summer 2009 Meeting: July 27–29, 2009 in Bethesda, MD

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Publications of the National Forum on Education Statistics do not undergo the formal review required for products of the National Center for Education Statistics. The information and opinions published here are the product of the National Forum on Education Statistics and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the U.S. Department of Education or the National Center for Education Statistics.