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Forum Curriculum for Improving Education Data
NCES 2007-808
May 2007

Lesson: Data Entry Issues


Participants:

Data Steward/Coordinator

Description

This lesson describes both the many factors that contribute to inaccurate data entry and various approaches available to prevent such errors.

Objectives

  • Identify ergonomic, furniture placement, and other physical environment issues related to accurate and secure data entry and the solutions to data entry problems.
  • Identify different types of business rules for facilitating the production of high-quality data.
  • Develop useful and effective business rules for facilitating the production of high-quality data.
  • Explain the importance of data-error checking and how it can be accomplished during data entry.

Instructor Preparation

  • Understand the differences between and similarities of
    • Data entry standards
    • Data entry guidelines
    • Data entry procedures
    • Business rules
  • Have a single copy of the following learning resources (which can be found in the Lesson Resources column at the top of this page) for each participant:
    • The Flow of Education Data
    • Quality Data Culture Concept Map
    • Data Entry Practices Assessment
    • Sample Business Rules

Essential Learnings

  • Data entry provides the first opportunity to check for and correct data errors.
  • Many tools are helpful in assuring staff who enter data that the data are accurate and timely:
    • Data dictionary
    • Data entry standards
    • Data entry guidelines
    • Data entry procedures
    • Business Rules
  • Security issues associated with data entry need to be addressed both with careful planning and ongoing professional development for all staff entering data.

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