Version 4.0 of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Handbooks Online is currently available and development of version 5.0 is underway. The Handbooks Online provide guidance on consistency in data definitions and maintenance of education data, so that such data can be accurately aggregated and analyzed. In an effort to encourage more states to use the handbooks, NCES has developed a state customization tool. State personnel are able to use the customization tool to build a data dictionary by adding to, deleting from, and editing the NCES data elements and option sets. The tool offers the advantages of a built-in foundation of data elements and options sets, state control of the content update schedule, and a well-defined database hierarchy. This session provided a brief update on version 5.0 content development, and focused on the features and functionality of the customization tool.

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NCES Handbooks Online: State Customization Tool (19 KB)

Three basic questions that kept the Wisconsin development team up at night while designing the Wisconsin Longitudinal Data Systems (LDS) were (1) What should this system really do? (2) Who are the real stakeholders? and (3) How does one deal with data chaos? This case study discusses the functional, technical, and software development frameworks that are being used by the Wisconsin LDS project team for designing and developing its system. Proper conceptualization and visioning of the LDS is critical for dealing with organizational and technical barriers that commonly plague new IT projects in highly charged political environments.

Ohio was one of 14 states to receive a Statewide Longitudinal Data System grant from the Institute of Education Science (IES) in 2005. The grant funds helped the Ohio Department of Education expand its work with stakeholders. In this session, the presenters discussed progress to date on their Data-Driven Decisions for Academic Achievement (D3A2) Initiative, through which data, reports, and analyses are provided to stakeholders.

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IES State Grantee Report: Ohio's D3A2 Initiative (390 KB)

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Understanding student population dynamics in large urban school systems presents many significant challenges. However, using geospatial tools and technologies makes it possible to visualize the daily changes in student data through maps and web-based information systems. Detroit Public Schools Office of Student Transportation, and the Institute of Geospatial Research and Education at Eastern Michigan University collaborated to create a Comprehensive Student Transportation Management System that daily tracks all changes in the entire 125,000+ student database. A presentation of the data model and the customization of Environmental Systems Research Institute's ArcGIS software enabled participants to leave with a better understanding of the important role geospatial tools and technologies play in student population analyses.

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Using Geospatial Technologies to Understand Student Population Dynamics in Detroit Public Schools (17.5 MB)

This session highlighted lessons learned from various states about designing and implementing key components of longitudinal data systems. The primary topics addressed data warehouses and analysis and reporting tools, but other topics were addressed as well, with the help of audience members.

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Lessons Learned From Implementing Key Features of Statewide Data Systems (150 KB)

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This paper presents how Georgia operationalized and monitors teacher shortage/vacancies. Teacher shortage is often masked by out-of-field teaching, substitute teaching, and temporary certifications. The need for accurate teacher demand projections, identification of critical shortage areas, and compliance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements led to the development of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission's (PSC's) integrated systems for monitoring shortage. One system uses the PSC's Certification Information System and the Department of Education's Certified/Classified Personnel Information to determine shortage. The second system, the Vacancy Reporting System, involves local education agencies uploading their vacancy counts to the PSC on the 30th, 90th, and 180th day of school.

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Teacher Shortage Integrated Monitoring Systems (2.4 MB)

The establishment of a consolidated federal collection of elementary and secondary education data from the states through the Education Data Exchange Network (EDEN) is now established in the Performance Information Management Service (PIMS) within the Office for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). ED published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in April 2006 to enable the Secretary of Education to require the mandatory collection of specific Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved data collections and make that data collection enforceable under the grantmaking authority of the Secretary. This session discussed these regulations. In August 2006, ED published proposed agency guidance on the collection, maintenance, and reporting of data on the race and ethnicity of students, teachers, and education staff. This session covered the current status of this guidance. It also addressed any other data policy issues of interest. The newly appointed Director of PIMS summarized the accomplishments and lessons learned during 2006 working with the states to transmit quality education data between the states. This overview also described upcoming milestones in 2007 to fully establish EDFacts as the primary federal source of elementary and secondary education data. In closing, the presenter provided a quick overview of each EDFacts session to follow.