The Longitudinal Data Systems (LDS) strand at the February 2007 Management Information Systems (MIS) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, included presentations from a number of SLDS Grant Program recipient states (Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin), as well as from non-grantee states (Louisiana, Washington) and a district (Boston Public Schools and their Lyndon Pilot School). Topics included: data quality; effective data and systems governance; stakeholder engagement and input into the design and development of statewide longitudinal data systems; writing requests for proposals (RFPs); linking education data systems with other administrative databases; student/parent portals with individual learning plans for grades 6-12; post-disaster data sharing between states; using data to improve student achievement at the local level; and updates on work completed to date on SLDS grant projects. During these sessions the following themes prevailed:
Data Quality and Management are major concerns in developing and maintaining longitudinal data systems and no “silver bullet” solution exists to address them. Each presenting grantee state is working to develop a program for improving and assuring data quality, and usually finds that social issues are at the root of the problem and are much harder to overcome and manage than the technical issues.
The Social Issues that states most frequently cited as obstacles to data quality, are: (1) compartmentalized program offices at state and district levels; (2) existing and not optimally effective traditions of data collection and use; (3) data quality not being relevant to the individuals entering data into systems, due to their limited access to and/or use of the data; and (4) inadequate time, funds, and training of data entry staff. In order to address these problems, states are increasingly developing solutions that revolve around changing the structure and culture of data governance, collection, and use, and providing professional development to support these efforts.
Thus far, a number of states have been Involving Stakeholders towards changes in data collections, management, use, and initiatives for improving data quality. The states that have worked diligently over time to involve state (e.g. DOE program staff) and/or local (e.g. district administrators, teachers, principals, other school staff) stakeholders in designing and implementing data systems find promising cooperation on the part of their internal and/or external stakeholders. Change management is key as the proliferating implementation of longitudinal data systems alters the business of education. Another key and rising concern verbalized by states is which stakeholders should have access to what data and in what format.
Stakeholder Specific Data Use is now becoming a stronger focal point for states and other entities building longitudinal data systems. The challenges that are increasingly surfacing in this regard include determining what information is most pertinent to each type of stakeholder (e.g. state or district administrators, principals, teachers, parents, or students), how the data should be presented to assure their use and effectively support decision making, what analytical tools should be available, how to provide access while assuring information security, and how to train the different types of stakeholders to know when to use the data and how—so that they can succeed in their part of efficiently maximizing student outcomes.
Session I | IES State Grantee Report: Data Quality |
Neal Gibson, Project Manager, Arkansas Department of Education Rick Rozzelle, Interim CIO, Tennessee Department of Education |
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Staff from two states that received 2005 Institute of Education Sciences Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grants—Arkansas and Tennessee—discussed how they are addressing the issue of data quality in their state education data systems. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:
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Session II | IES State Grantee Report: Stakeholder Involvement in Designing and Developing Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems |
John Calderone, Project Manager, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Leslie Wilson, Project Manager, Maryland Department of Education Jackie Nunn, John Hopkins University |
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States that have received the Institute of Education Sciences Statewide Longitudinal Student Data System Grants have found that a key component to making these systems work is engaging and involving the various stakeholders. This session focused on two states—Wisconsin and Maryland—and the work they've done with their internal and external stakeholders throughout the process of building their longitudinal data systems. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentations:
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Session III | Boston Public Schools’ Unique Approach to Using Data to Improve Student Achievement |
Mary Ellen Donahue, Boston Public Schools Kate Johnson, Lyndon Pilot School |
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What do school leaders need to know and do to ensure that student data are used effectively to improve instruction? Representatives from Boston Public Schools discussed their unique approach in making student data available to teachers, and showed how measurable improvement has been made in student learning.
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Session IV | IES State Grantee Report: Ohio’s D3A2 Initiative |
Beth Juillerat, Director, Office of Data Services, Ohio Department of Education Eric James, Project Manager, Ohio Department of Education |
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As a data manager, you understand and believe in the power of longitudinal systems, but in most states, educational longitudinal data have received little time in the policy and political spotlight. Hear how Florida and Pennsylvania have built champions for their data systems. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:
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Session V | IES State Grantee Report: Effective Governance Models for Managing Data Systems |
Rick Rozzelle, Interim CIO Tennessee Department of Education Trina Anderson, Student Data Manager, State of Michigan Department of Education Brian Wilmot, Chief Information Officer, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction |
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Three states that received 2005 Institute of Education Science Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grants—Tennessee, Michigan, and Wisconsin—reported on the governance structures that have helped them succeed in implementing changes required in developing a longitudinal data system. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentations:
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Session VI | Writing RFPs for State Data Systems: Lessons Learned |
Joe Egan, CIO, Washington Department of Education Meg Ropp, Director, Center for Educational Performance and Information, Michigan Beth Juillerat, Director, Office of Data Services, Ohio Department of Education |
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States are in various stages of developing statewide data systems, and most states need to write requests for proposals (RFPs) for various components of their systems. During this session, states had an opportunity to learn from peers about lessons learned while writing RFPs for data systems. Staff from Ohio, Michigan, and Washington provided first-hand do's and don'ts from their RFPs. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:
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Session VII | IES State Grantee Report: Linkages Between Education Data Systems and Other Administrative Databases |
Jay Pfeiffer, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Florida Department of Education | |
Florida maintains data exchange agreements with state agencies and organizations that maintain data of use in education communities, including state public assistance databases, state employment databases, state occupational licensure databases, and others. Agreements are maintained with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the National Student Clearinghouse. The presenter discussed the characteristics of these linkages as well as the value added to education data, including how resulting information is used. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:
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Session VIII | IES State Grantee Report: Individual Learning Plans and SLDS Update: New Data Systems in Kentucky |
Robert Hackworth, Senior Consultant, Kentucky Department of Education Mary Lowe, Business Analyst, Kentucky Department of Education |
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Beginning with the 2006–07 school year, middle and high school students in Kentucky have a new online education planning tool at their fingertips. The new web-enabled Individual Learning Plan (ILP) will help secondary students (i.e., grades 6–12) better focus their coursework on individual goals as they prepare for postsecondary studies and careers. Kentucky outlined lessons learned thus far from the continuing procurement process for the Kentucky Instructional Data System project. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:
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Session IX | Sharing Data Across States |
Lavan Dukes, Bureau Chief, Florida Department of Education Roth Aymond, IT Deputy Director, Louisiana Department of Education |
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When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, many families were displaced from Louisiana and Mississippi. Students from those states entered schools in numerous other districts in the country, with a significant percentage of those students enrolled in Florida schools. Participants heard how Florida and Louisiana were able to share information from their data systems across state lines, to track where these students enrolled and to send necessary transcripts, and learned what state education agencies must do to acquire the capacity to share data across states. Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentations: |