Roles and Responsibilities

Attributes and Qualities of Forum Members

As representatives to the Forum, Forum members are expected to be actively engaged in Forum activities and contribute valuable perspective and experience concerning their agency’s education data needs. Forum members share common attributes, including, but not limited to

  • experience with and knowledge of education data;
  • a firm understanding of data issues, standards, privacy, and research;
  • a willingness to learn about changes and innovations in education data;
  • the ability to use data to support continuous improvement to education systems; and
  • the ability to reach out and share Forum materials and knowledge on data-related issues with colleagues.

State Education Agency (SEA) Liaisons

SEA representatives contribute valuable perspective and experience concerning state education data needs. An SEA representative is formally appointed by the Chief State School Officer (CSSO) of each of the states and is expected to speak on behalf of the member’s agency regarding education data issues. The SEA representative is expected to participate in all Forum meetings as a full member and is authorized to hold office in the Forum and vote on issues that come before the Forum. The SEA representative may designate a permanent alternate representative who will attend meetings and manage other Forum responsibilities in the representative’s absence. In the absence of the SEA representative, the permanent alternate representative has the same voting and participation rights as a full member, but is not eligible to hold elected office. An SEA representative’s responsibilities include

  • acting as a representative in the coordination and promotion of federal data collections at the state level and in other matters concerning the Cooperative System to promote the efficiency, quality, and usefulness of data;
  • designating coordinators for NCES data collections to promote cooperation with federal data collections;
  • maintaining contact and working in coordination with the member’s home state LEA liaison on data issues;
  • attending and participating in Forum meetings and the STATS-DC Data Conference;
  • serving as a member of one Forum standing committee (NESAC, PPI, or TECH);
  • volunteering to participate in the work of one or more Forum subcommittees and/or working groups;
  • reviewing and providing comments on Forum products during the Forum resource development and review process, including coordinating the review of Forum products in collaboration with subject matter experts in the member’s agency;
  • voting on any resources and issues that may come before the full Forum for approval;
  • regularly reviewing the Forum website and its resources; and
  • promoting and disseminating Forum products to staff of the member’s agency, to LEAs, and to subject matter experts within the member’s home state through relevant state and local activities, networks, and professional meetings.

Local Education Agency (LEA) Liaisons

LEA representatives contribute valuable perspective and experience concerning local education data needs. An LEA representative is formally appointed by the CSSO of each of the states and is expected to speak on behalf of LEAs within the member’s home state regarding education data issues. The LEA representative is expected to participate in all Forum meetings as a full member and is authorized to hold office in the Forum and vote on issues that come before the Forum. An LEA representative’s responsibilities include

  • maintaining contact and working in coordination with the member’s home state SEA liaison on data issues;
  • attending and participating in Forum meetings and the STATS–DC Data Conference;
  • serving as a member of one Forum standing committee (NESAC, PPI, or TECH);
  • volunteering to participate in the work of one or more Forum subcommittees and/or working groups;
  • reviewing and providing comments on Forum products during the Forum resource development and review process, including coordinating the review of Forum products in collaboration with subject matter experts in the member’s agency;
  • voting on any resources and issues that may come before the full Forum for approval;
  • regularly reviewing the Forum website and its resources; and
  • promoting and disseminating Forum products to LEAs and subject matter experts within the member’s home state through relevant state and local activities, networks, and professional meetings.
Associate Members

Associate members participate in Forum standing committee meetings and take an active role in committee, subcommittee, and working group activities. They participate in the discussion of issues, but they do not participate in formal Forum decisionmaking, and they do not vote for Forum officers or on policies and procedures. They are not eligible to hold elected office. An associate member’s responsibilities include

  • providing the Forum with valuable input from the perspective of the associate member’s agency or organization;
  • attending and participating in Forum meetings and the STATS-DC Data Conference;
  • serving as a member of one Forum standing committee (NESAC, PPI, or TECH);
  • volunteering to participate in the work of one or more Forum subcommittees and/or working groups;
  • reviewing and providing comments on Forum products during the Forum resource development and review process, including coordinating the review of Forum products in collaboration with subject matter experts in the associate member’s agency or organization;
  • regularly reviewing the Forum website and its resources; and
  • promoting and disseminating Forum products to staff, members, and subject matter experts within the associate member’s agency or organization through relevant agency or organization activities and professional meetings.

Federal Representatives

Federal education agency representatives contribute valuable perspective and experience concerning federal education data needs. Each federal representative is expected to participate in all Forum meetings as a full member and is authorized to hold office in the Forum and vote on issues that come before the Forum. A federal representative’s responsibilities include

  • attending and participating in Forum meetings and the STATS-DC Data Conference;
  • serving as a member of one Forum standing committee (NESAC, PPI, or TECH);
  • volunteering to participate in the work of one or more Forum subcommittees and/or working groups;
  • reviewing and providing comments on Forum products during the Forum resource development and review process, including coordinating the review of Forum products in collaboration with subject matter experts in the member’s agency;
  • voting on any resources and issues that may come before the full Forum for approval;
  • regularly reviewing the Forum website and its resources; and
  • promoting and disseminating Forum products to staff and subject matter experts within the member’s agency through relevant activities, networks, and professional meetings.

Subcommittee and Working Group Chairs

Subcommittee and working group chairs oversee and coordinate work on specific topics of interest to Forum members. Responsibilities of subcommittee and working group chairs include

  • leading subcommittees or working groups at the request of the Steering Committee, the standing committees, and Forum members;
  • chairing each subcommittee or working group meeting; and
  • ensuring that all members are engaged and actively participating in the work of the subcommittee or working group.

Subcommittee and Working Group Members

Subcommittee and working group members contribute to developing Forum products on specific topics of interest to Forum members. Forum members (including associate members) with relevant experience are encouraged to volunteer to serve on Forum subcommittees and working groups, but due to constraints on the number of participants, the Forum might not be able to include all volunteers. Responsibilities of subcommittee and working group members include

  • adopting a national perspective while contributing the perspectives of the member’s agency;
  • working effectively as a team member;
  • attending and participating in all in-person and virtual meetings, and actively participating between meetings;
  • reviewing all product drafts, providing substantive comments on product drafts, and volunteering case studies and related resources;
  • supporting the timeliness of the product development process by meeting all deadlines for comments, case studies, and votes;
  • coordinating with subject matter experts in the member’s agency in soliciting best practices, case studies, and expert reviewers for product drafts; and
  • promoting and disseminating products upon publication.

Mentors

A Forum member may be assigned as a mentor to a new member. Mentor responsibilities include

  • calling the mentee to welcome her or him to the Forum, sharing a personal perspective on membership and meeting experiences, and providing a brief overview of the mentor’s role as an SEA, LEA, or associate member;
  • answering any questions the mentee has about the Forum;
  • attending the new member orientation session at the mentee’s first Forum meeting;
  • meeting with the mentee in person and introducing her or him to other members during the mentee’s first Forum meeting;
  • maintaining communication with the mentee every few months for 2 years; and
  • sharing Forum product dissemination ideas and strategies with the mentee.

Mentees

New Forum members are assigned a mentor shortly after the new member’s appointment to the Forum. Mentee responsibilities include

  • being engaged and receptive to establishing a working relationship with the mentor;
  • asking the mentor any questions the mentee may have about the Forum;
  • establishing contact with the mentee’s home state SEA/LEA liaison;
  • attending the new member orientation session at the mentee’s first Forum meeting;
  • participating in new member virtual meetings for the first 2 years;
  • reviewing the Forum website and its resources prior to the mentee’s first Forum meeting;
  • meeting with the mentor in person during the mentee’s first Forum meeting; and
  • maintaining communication with the mentor every few months for 2 years.

Forum Chair

The Forum chair is elected by Forum members for a 1-year term and works with the Steering Committee and NCES staff to oversee and coordinate all Forum activities. Responsibilities of the chair include

  • serving for 1 year as the Forum chair and representing the Forum as necessary;
  • chairing each Forum meeting;
  • chairing Steering Committee meetings;
  • developing agendas for the Forum and Steering Committee meetings with NCES staff; and
  • serving on the Steering Committee as the immediate past chair in the ensuing year.

Forum Vice Chair

The Forum vice chair is elected by Forum members for a 1-year term and works with the Steering Committee and NCES staff to oversee and coordinate all Forum activities. The Forum vice chair is often nominated and elected to become Forum chair in the year following the term of office. Responsibilities of the Forum vice chair include

  • assisting the Forum chair in meetings and in representing the Forum;
  • assisting the Forum chair in developing agendas for the Forum and Steering Committee meetings;
  • leading the editorial board for The Forum Voice;
  • serving as Forum chair in the absence of the Forum chair; and
  • reviewing the Forum Strategic Plan and recommending updates as necessary.

Standing Committee Chairs

Standing committee chairs are nominated by their committees and elected by the full Forum. The standing committee chairs work with the Steering Committee and NCES staff to oversee and coordinate the work of their specific standing committee. Responsibilities of standing committee chairs include

  • serving for 1 year as standing committee chair and representing the Forum as necessary;
  • chairing standing committee meetings;
  • reviewing reports or products of the standing committee’s working groups;
  • forwarding requests for creating working groups to the Steering Committee;
  • participating in Steering Committee meetings and representing their committees; and
  • developing agendas for the standing committee meetings in collaboration with NCES staff.

Standing Committee Vice Chairs

Standing committee vice chairs are nominated by their standing committees and elected by the full Forum for a 1-year term. The vice chairs work with standing committee chairs and NCES staff to oversee and coordinate the work of their specific standing committees. Responsibilities of standing committee vice chairs include

  • assisting the standing committee chairs in meetings and in representing the Forum;
  • assisting the standing committee chairs in developing agendas for the committee meetings;
  • serving on the editorial board for The Forum Voice;
  • participating in Steering Committee meetings and representing their committees;
  • chairing committee meetings in the absence of the chair; and
  • reviewing reports or products of the standing committee’s working groups.