Forum Guide to Metadata - Exhibit 3.3 - Examples of metadata for the data element student birthdate

Forum Guide to Metadata
The Meaning Behind Education Data

NFES 2009-805
July 2009

Examples of metadata for the data element student birthdate

Metadata item	Example of metadata maintained for Student Birthdate
Field length	8
Element type	DT (date)
Permitted values	Student Birthdate, when collected, should not be earlier than the date that would result in the student being over age 20 if that student is enrolling in grade levels preK to 12.
Translations	These data are available to authorized viewers in the operational data system, but are otherwise encrypted (via master algorithm) and suppressed in all public reporting.
Storage location	Server = svr10079prod; database = Student_Information; table = sat_student_core; field = birth_date
Source	Student Enrollment Collection System
Target	Provided for fiscal auditing and internal management purposes, and used in data verification audit processes.
Meaning	The month, day, and year an individual was born.
Restrictions	Only users with access to individual student data are permitted to view this element.
Limitations	This item does not necessarily reflect the student's grade level.
Components/operations	The element can be compared to the current date to calculate a student's age.
Purpose/rationale	To serve as the district's principal method for determining a student's age. Also used in matching criteria to identify student.
Owner	District Registrar
Steward	Element is managed by Enrollment Specialist (Mary Smith) and backup is Senior Business Analyst (James Brown)
Time parameters	Student Birthdate is active upon assignment at enrollment and continues until all individual records are removed from the system.
Treatment	Birthdates entered in alternative formats (MM/DD/YY or name of month, day, and two-digit year) are converted into a MM/DD/YYYY format.
History	Once entered, the element is not changed for an individual student.
Retention	Five years after student has exited the school district.
Security/confidentiality	Sensitive and confidential.
Identity	Each individual may only have one birthdate on record.
Accuracy	Audited once after original entry.
Completeness/sparsity	94 percent of the 2007–2008 records loaded contain values for this field.
Value set	89 percent of the 2007–2008 records loaded contain values within the domain of permitted values.

Note: These entries are presented as examples and do not represent metadata from an actual school, district, or state data system. Some types of metadata described in this chapter are more appropriate for describing sets of data rather than individual data elements; these are not included in this exhibit.

List of Exhibits

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