Presenters from the Fordham Institute and Nancy Smith of the Data Quality Campaign discussed challenges and new ideas in developing education data systems for the 21st century. They summarized national trends, discussed the next steps, and outlined the road into the future.

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Next Generation Data Conversations: From Building to Using Data to Improve Student Achievement (135 KB)

Sessions in LDS track:

I-A, II-A, III-A, IV-A, V-A, VI-A, VII-A, VIII-A, IX-A, X-A, XI-A, and XI-D

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI) employed cross-agency efforts to create a LDS while simultaneously building the department's internal capacity to develop, maintain and disseminate information gained from multiple agency sources. WDPI built infrastructure and acquired tools to build a portal for role-based access to data, analytic reports and evidence-based resources. The system will provide a rich resource for improving student achievement. By building internal capacity, WDPI will be able to focus effort where it believes the greatest need exists, for example, providing rural and small schools access to data and analytics that are normally cost prohibitive. This session focused on lessons learned in this endeavor.

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Wisconsin LDS: Building Internal Capacity to Increase Equity (16 KB)

Sessions in Statewide LDS track:

I-B, II-B, III-B, IV-B, V-B, VI-B, VII-B, VIII-B, IX-B, X-B, and XI-B

This session focused on the accomplishments of SY 2006–07 and plans for the SY 2007–08 (and beyond) CSPR. Topics included the use of these data, the involvement of ED program offices, and lessons learned from the SY 2006–07 pre-population of ESS data. Participants had the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed SY 2007–08 CSPR package and provide suggestions to improve the CSPR online collection process.

Sessions in EDEN/EDFacts track:

I-C, II-C, III-C, IV-C, V-C, VI-C, VII-C, VIII-C, IX-C, X-C, XI-C, and XII-C

This segment more deeply examined education data using geographic visualization and analysis by tightening the geographic scale and beginning to make ties to other kinds of community data. Dr. Hogrebe led the audience into research he and colleagues are conducting in the St. Louis region utilizing CCD and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's school, teacher, and student variables in the St. Louis region. Mr. Carlisle, GIS Manager for Forsyth County Schools in Georgia, took us to the student location level and demonstrated ways of maintaining confidentiality while using GIS to perform better resource planning based on student attributes and educational needs. He also placed this use of GIS into a broader context of the operations of the district.

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Deeper Into Data and Geographic Scope: National, State, and Local
Insights (1.78 MB)

Sessions in GIS strand:

I-F, II-F, III-F, and IV-F

Sessions in Federal track:

I-F, II-F, III-F, IV-D, IV-F, V-D, V-E, V-F, VI-D, VI-F,VII-D, VIII-E, X-E, and XI-E

Educators and policy makers who are charged with developing state visions for educational data systems need to consider the short-term and long-term impact of students as "digital citizens." While the current focus is on the operational management and accountability of student data, learners are already in multiple other "data systems" before they even enter these systems being developed by schools and states. This session brought together best practices and representatives from Health and Human Services, Criminal Justice, Higher Education, Children Services, Labor Departments, etc. for a conversation around looking at learners as digital citizens and how we might collectively develop systems that address these larger data needs.

Sessions in SIF track:

II-G, III-G, IV-G, V-G, VI-G, VII-G, VIII-G, IX-G, X-G, XI-G, and XII-G

This session gave an overview of the Forum on Education Statistics' guide to implementing the 1997 race and ethnicity standards in data collection, individual records, and federal reporting. The Guide is intended as a resource for schools and school districts.

Sessions in Forum track:

II-H, II-I, III-H, III-I, IV-H, IV-I, V-I, and X-H

The Forum's Crisis Data Management Task Force is finalizing a resource to assist educational agencies in providing educational instruction and services to displaced students. Hurricane Katrina showed the education community that it was not fully prepared to follow displaced students during a crisis. Education agencies can take what was learned from past crises to prepare, at least in the data sense, for another crisis. The Task Force has been developing a resource on managing data on displaced students before, during, and after a crisis. Please join us for an update on the progress of this Task Force resource and find out how you can provide input.

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Collecting and Maintaining Data on Displaced Students: Before, During, and After a Crisis (432 KB)

Sessions in Forum track:

II-H, II-I, III-H, III-I, IV-H, IV-I, V-I, and X-H