By popular demand, this session was a chance to talk with your colleagues about a variety of issues surrounding the development, maintenance, and use of longitudinal data systems. Participants could join a table with a particular topic, or suggest their own.

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

With 4.5 million students, the State of Texas needed a faster, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient way to exchange student records and transcripts. In 2007, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) procured an electronic record/transcript system from the National Transcript Center (NTC) who created a state specific version of their web-based application called the Texas student Records Electronic eXchange system (TREx). TREx went live in fall 2007 and delivers both PK-12 records *and* High School transcripts. TREx has already made an enormous positive impact across the state - for students, LEAs, and TEA. This session described how Texas approached this project and identified many of the strategic questions an SEA should consider when implementing a PK-20 electronic record/transcript system.

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Electronic Record and Transcript Exchange (853 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 explored the challenge faced by the U.S. Department of Education's Performance Information Management Service (PIMS) to evaluate the quality of the data being collected and stored in EDFacts and the steps PIMS is taking to provide top quality data for the federal education program offices and others to access EDFacts. The presenters focused on the processes and tools being used to evaluate data quality, the efforts to develop a business rule repository, and other actions and policies supporting data quality.

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

Presenters provided an update on the "Statewide Tools for Teaching Excellence" project, funded by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, to develop and implement a system of "actionable" indicators for Texas schools that helps them focus on critical outcomes and processes related to student achievement and school improvement.

The Condition of Education 2008 was recently released. The report summarizes important trends and developments in education using the latest available data from many National Center for Education Statistics surveys and other sources. The report includes 43 indicators on: (1) participation in education, (2) learner outcomes, (3) student effort and academic progress, (4) contexts of elementary and secondary education, and (5) contexts of postsecondary education. This session highlighted key findings and issues.

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Findings From The Condition of Education 2008 (3.61 MB)

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

The state has many responsibilities in managing education. One of the most often overlooked roles is the creation, maintenance, and sustaining of multiple communities within the education environment across multiple levels. The state has to be able to work with vendors, accreditation agencies, auditing agencies, post-secondary education, and the K-12 community to provide for the best possible education of a student. The problem is, how do we do this? Presenters discussed what Wyoming has done to address this issue.

When implementing an interoperability solution, the need for well defined and followed data governance, data processes and data quality best practices becomes apparent along with the need to conduct an assessment and put in place measures for success and growth. In this session presenters explored the web-based tools that are available to assist and guide you in assessing and planning a growth model plan to achieve success.

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

Some of us have already done it, many of us are currently doing it, and most of the rest of us are planning to do it sometime in the near future. With so many of us working to improve or enhance the longitudinal dimension of our education information systems, what are some of the major issues we need to consider up front and along the way?

What resources are currently available to inform the effective planning, implementation and utilization of these systems, and help us make our high profile projects more successful? The Longitudinal Data System (LDS) Task Force has been working on a guide for the past six months and would like to offer some preliminary findings and information. This session examined some of the important questions and considerations that face those who must design, build, and/or facilitate the use of LDSs.

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Longitudinal Data Systems: A Preliminary Look at Issues, Research, Best Practices, and Resources (279 KB)

Sessions in Forum track:

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