Forum Guide to Data Quality

Foreword

The Forum is pleased to present the Forum Guide to Data Quality. The purpose of this document is to provide best practices from districts and states for maintaining quality data as these agencies regularly review and revise their methods for working with education data and their quality, as well as their expectations for all staff who are responsible for education data and their quality. This document also highlights U.S. Department of Education (ED) efforts to improve data quality. The information will help districts and states seeking to improve or further develop their policies and practices related to data quality.

Publication Objectives

This resource aims to help agencies

• understand how quality data are defined;
• maintain data quality; and
• improve and develop policies and practices related to data quality.

Intended Audience

The primary audience for this publication is staff at schools, LEAs, SEAs, and the federal government whose responsibilities include any aspect of collecting, reporting, analyzing, or using education data.

Organization of This Resource

This resource includes the following three parts:

• Part One includes three chapters that cover key aspects of data quality.
• Chapter 1 defines data quality and discusses the importance of quality data.
• Chapter 2 discusses building a culture of quality data in an education agency.
• Chapter 3 focuses on best practices for agencies to achieve quality data.
• Part Two offers case studies from local and state education agencies.
• Part Three offers tip sheets for key stakeholders who help to ensure quality data.

National Forum on Education Statistics

The work of the Forum is a key aspect of the Cooperative System. The Cooperative System was established to produce and maintain, with the cooperation of the states, comparable and uniform education information and data that are useful for policymaking at the federal, state, and local levels. To assist in meeting this goal, NCES within IES—a part of ED—established the Forum to improve the collection, reporting, and use of elementary and secondary education statistics. The Forum includes approximately 120 representatives from SEAs, LEAs, the federal government, and other organizations with an interest in education data. The Forum deals with issues in education data policy, sponsors innovations in data collection and reporting, and provides technical assistance to improve state and local data systems.

Development of Forum Products

Members of the Forum establish working groups to develop guides in data-related areas of interest to federal, state, and local education agencies. They are assisted in this work by NCES, but the content comes from the collective experience of working group members who review all products iteratively throughout the development process. After the working group completes the content and reviews a document a final time, publications are subject to examination by members of the Forum standing committee that sponsors the project. Finally, Forum members review and formally vote to approve all documents before publication. NCES provides final review and approval before online publication. The information and opinions published in Forum products do not represent the policies or views of ED, IES, or NCES. Readers may modify, customize, or reproduce any or all parts of this document.