Concurrent Session VIII Presentations

Thursday, February 24, 2011
1:30 - 2:30

VIII–A: The Student Academic Indicators for Learning (SAIL) Early Warning System in the Milwaukee Public Schools

Bradley Carl, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
Ron Carr, Milwaukee Public Schools (Wisconsin)
Chuck Breithaupt, VersiFit Technologies, LLC

This presentation will provide an overview of the Student Academic Indicators for the Learning (SAIL) electronic reporting system being rolled out this year in Milwaukee. SAIL is an "early warning" system that identifies students in middle and high school grades at risk of either (a) failing to graduate from high school on time or (b) graduating, but with low levels of college and workforce readiness. The presentation will address both the research behind the SAIL system as well as how findings have been incorporated into a live reporting system.

Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:

Student Academic Indicators for Learning (2.69 MB)

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VIII–B: Texas School Readiness Certification System

Lilie Elizondo-Limas, Texas Education Agency
Thomas L. Waxley, The Children's Learning Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

The Texas School Readiness Certification System (SRCS) evaluates the effectiveness of pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and community-based child care programs in preparing children for kindergarten. The SRCS was adopted by the P-16 Council in 2006.

When classrooms earn certification, they receive the Texas School Ready!™ seal, which is posted in the early childhood education center or school. The seal has the year the certification was awarded. This powerful seal tells parents, the community, and others that the children who graduated from these classrooms went to public kindergarten with the fundamental skills in place to be successful.

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VIII–C: Nebraska Data Reporting System: Sharing the Foundation

Christopher Cassel, Nebraska Department of Education
John Luddy and Nick Brougham, Aspect Software, Inc.

Nebraska's Data Reporting System (DRS) integrates data from various collection systems for longitudinal analysis and reporting using modern business intelligence technologies. The technological components of the DRS can be obtained from the Nebraska Department of Education, complete with sample data. Some state education agencies have already obtained a copy of the DRS components for the purpose of jumpstarting their longitudinal reporting efforts. This presentation will describe Nebraska's DRS, with an emphasis on how state and local education agencies can leverage DRS components or expand their understanding of the underlying technology.

Download Zipped PowerPoint and PDF Presentations:

Nebraska Data Reporting System (DRS) (378 KB)
Nebraska Data Reporting System (DRS) – Sharing the Foundation (4.24 MB)

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VIII–D: Creating Reports Using Longitudinal Data: How States Can Present Information to Support Student Learning and School System Improvement

Rebecca Shah, Data Quality Campaign
Chrys Dougherty, National Center for Educational Achievement
Deborah Jonas, Virginia Department of Education
Lee Holcombe, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

For data to be actionable, they must be timely, user-friendly, and meet the informational needs of the end user. States have historically collected and presented snapshot data on student performance, but increasingly they are producing robust and actionable reports based on longitudinal data that answer critical questions confronting education stakeholders. Hear from leading states that are harnessing the power of longitudinal data to inform decisions at all levels of the education system to increase student success. This session will also discuss the six key categories of longitudinal reports and analyses that states should consider to ensure longitudinal data are not only collected but also used to support continuous improvement.

Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:

How States Can Present Information To Support Student Success (3.56 MB)

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VIII–E: What Do You Need for Your Student-Teacher Linkages?

Larry Fruth, SIF Association

Many of the educational reform initiatives rely on the ability to effectively utilize information from the developing statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) to improve student achievement. In these developing systems it is important to address the needed teacher-student data linkages. Without the consistency in "teacher of record," the linkage is currently defined differently across districts and the identification, distribution, etc. of effective teachers will continue to be unequal across schools/districts. This will be a group discussion session on what is needed by marketplace products locally or at the state agency level to support your student-teacher data linkages.

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VIII–F: Riding the Data Quality Snowball: Kansas' Use of Annual Re-certification Professional Development to Sustain Data Quality Momentum

Kateri Grillot, Kansas State Department of Education

Kansas is in its fourth year of offering a free Data Quality Certification program to school and district staff. Each year participants are required to renew their certifications. Find out how Kansas has adapted this re-certification requirement to keep participants actively engaged while responding to rapid program growth. Kansas' approach to data reporting changes will be discussed, along with modifications that have been required since the program's inception. Retention rates will be shared along with strategies that Kansas has adopted in the last year to ensure data-quality professional development remains highly relevant and easily accessible to school and district staff.

Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:

Riding the Data Quality Snowball (816 KB)

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VIII–G: The District of Columbia's Longitudinal Data System: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned

Gretchen Guffy, Nancy Sharkey, and Thomas Fontenot; District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education

The District of Columbia's (DC) longitudinal data system (LDS) project faced a significant challenge during Year 3 of the U.S. Department of Education-awarded LDS grant: the termination of the contract with the prime vendor due to perpetual vendor under-performance and missed deadlines. However, following an external assessment of the system that included an analysis of the technology platform, capabilities, and functionality of the system and overall program direction, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has achieved several major accomplishments, including the near 100 percent assignment of unique student identifiers (USIs) for all students in K-12 public education in DC. The LDS team has also integrated additional data into the warehouse, including multi-year enrollment data, direct certification data, and assessment data from 2001-2010. The session aims to provide an overview of "what happened" but, more importantly, how the LDS team, in spite of significant roadblocks and challenges, successfully turned the project around.

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VIII–H: Data Governance Behind the Scenes: What's Under the Hood?

Bobbi Stettner-Eaton, U.S. Department of Education

As states move toward more coordinated longitudinal data systems, the need for data governance becomes more pronounced. This session will take you behind the scenes in examining state data governance websites and how their operation facilitates the work of data governance. Several states will demonstrate and discuss their websites, as well as the newly launched data governance website used by the U.S. Department of Education. Participants will have ample opportunities to ask their state peers what has worked well and what hasn't.

Download Zipped PowerPoint Presentation:

Data Governance Behind the Scenes: What's Under Hood (1.69 MB)

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VIII–I: Public Domain Clearinghouse Update

Emily Anthony, National Center for Education Statistics
Jeff Sellers, National Center for Education Statistics State Support Team

An update will be provided on the development of a Public Domain Clearinghouse (PDC) for states. "Public domain" resources refer to tools and products developed by states or for states that are openly available, non-proprietary, and not subject to copyright protection. The Clearinghouse provides a platform for all states to post, learn about, and adopt non-proprietary SLDS-related products that have been developed by other states.

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