This Week In IPEDS (TWII)

2016 NCES National Data Institute: Deadline Approaching

With support from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) operates the NCES Data Institute: Using IPEDS, Sample Surveys, and Federal Datasets to Support Research on Postsecondary Education. The Institute is an intensive introduction to NCES datasets and research methodologies using large-scale national data sources.

The NCES Data Institute (NDI) aims to achieve four major objectives:

• Stimulate interest in using IPEDS, Sample Surveys, and other federal data to address current and future research questions in institutional research, the social sciences, and education;
• Instruct participants in the methods of using IPEDS, Sample Surveys, and other federal data to conduct analyses;
• Enhance understanding about methodological and technological issues relevant to IPEDS and national sample survey data collections;
• Encourage collaborative research studies between participants and agency staff to improve future IPEDS data collection and analysis.

The NCES Data Institute (NDI) is open to individuals looking to:

• Increase their knowledge of IPEDS and other NCES federal datasets;
• Understand how federal data are utilized in postsecondary education research; and
• Begin forming their own research questions to improve decision-making and success in higher education.

The online application process closes Thursday, March 31, 2016. For additional information and to apply, please visit https://www.airweb.org/EducationAndEvents/FaceToFaceLearning/Pages/NCESDataInstitute.aspx.

Email NCESDataInstitute@airweb.org or call 850-385-4155 x203 for NDI-related questions.

Custom Comparison Groups for the 2016 Data Feedback Report

Create or update your institution’s custom comparison group for your annual Data Feedback Report (DFR), which compares your institution’s IPEDS data with your peer institutions’ IPEDS data. A DFR is emailed to the CEO/President, IPEDS Keyholders and Coordinators around early winter. If a custom comparison group is not created, a NCES-created comparison group will be used as a default group. While creating a custom comparison group is not required, a customized group may make the DFR more useful for your campus leaders. The deadline for creating your customized comparison group is July 15, 2016.

Complete instructions for creating a comparison group can be found in the Data Collection System’s Help menu (https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/ComparisonGroupDirection.aspx). Are you unsure about which institutions to include in your comparison group? Visit Association for Institutional Research’s online tutorial and handout on suggested practices when creating comparison groups (http://www.airweb.org/EducationAndEvents/IPEDSTraining/Tutorials/Pages/CreatingComparisonGroups.aspx).

Contact the IPEDS Data Use Help Desk (866 558-0658 or ipedstools@rti.org) for assistance in creating and/or uploading your institution’s custom comparison group.

Important Upcoming Dates:
The IPEDS Spring data collection closes to Keyholders on April 6, 2016.

IPEDS Help Desk
Toll Free 1-877-225-2568
ipedshelp@rti.org