Concurrent Session VIII Presentations


Thursday, July 9, 2015
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm


VIII–A: All Common Core of Data (CCD) Things Considered

Patrick Keaton and Mark Glander, National Center for Education Statistics

    Mark Glander and Patrick Keaton from Common Core of Data (CCD) will discuss how CCD data can be used to analyze various research topics. This discussion will include examples of research topics that can be developed using CCD data and considerations involved when using CCD data.

    Complexity: Entry Level

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VIII–B: Common Core of Data (CCD) Fiscal Coordinators’ Roundtable (Part 2)

Stephen Cornman, National Center for Education Statistics
Leanne Emm, Colorado Department of Education
Peggy O’Guin, California Department of Education

    This session will facilitate discussion and problem solving among state fiscal coordinators and other interested fiscal individuals. Be ready to have a “no holds barred” open discussion on various issues that state education agencies (SEAs) are facing. This is an excellent opportunity to problem solve, share ideas and information on various topics, and understand issues across all SEAs. Topics may include Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, various federal reporting, coding issues, etc.

    Complexity: Advanced Level

VIII–C: Going Public About Privacy: Telling Your Privacy Story

Georgia Hughes-Webb and Brian Nichols, West Virginia Department of Education

    In West Virginia, as in other states, there is significant skepticism from some sectors about issues of privacy and security in the state’s data systems. West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) staff has worked intentionally to publicize specific actions the department is taking to ensure privacy, from committing to be a Data Privacy Day Champion to updating data policies to posting descriptions of security strategies online. WVDE staff will share specific ideas and resources that have been helpful in communicating with various stakeholders and demonstrating the department’s commitment to privacy. This session and participants’ discussion will be helpful for attendees at any experience level.

    Complexity: Entry Level

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VIII–D: See Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) in Action From Definition to Dashboard

Rick Thompson, South Carolina State Department of Education
Troy Wheeler, Ed-Fi Alliance
Jim Goodell, Quality Information Partners, Inc.

    Agencies in search of ways to implement Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) should look to community-sourced technology, tools, and best practices. The Ed-Fi community serves as the place to exchange ideas and technology for applying CEDS in agency environments. See how states such as South Carolina and others plan to use Ed-Fi technology to carry the CEDS vocabulary through to teacher-facing applications and how implementing such tools as CEDS Align and Connect are helping reduce time/cost of on-boarding for Ed-Fi implementations.

    Complexity: Intermediate Level

VIII–E: New EDFacts Coordinators: Learning the Ropes

Joe Murphy, Elementary and Secondary Branch, National Center for Education Statistics
Robert Curtin, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
June Rhodes Maginnis, Colorado Department of Education
Tiffany Boyd, AEM Corporation

    Becoming a new EDFacts Coordinator can be like learning to drink from a fire hose. The challenges of the job can range from keeping track of all those file submissions to prioritizing the work, coordinating with other staff in your agency, learning the systems and tools, knowing where to go for help, and just learning what you don’t know. Come connect with others who are learning alongside you, and walk away with some tips and hints about how to thrive as an EDFacts Coordinator.

    Complexity: Entry Level

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VIII–F: Designing Dynamic Data Use for Districts by Districts

Bethann Canada and Elsie Dawson, Virginia Department of Education
Brooke Bell, Center for Innovative Technology

    In order to drive a statewide culture of data-driven decisionmaking, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) partnered with state local education agencies to conduct a two-year, multiphased process to identify an effective solution to meet the data needs of Virginia educators. The development of an action plan to transform the data culture in Virginia was reliant on the engagement of the “boots on the ground.” The partnership has resulted in a “for divisions by divisions” instructional improvement architecture launching soon. This presentation will provide a summary of the process and the resulting benefits of this unique partnership.

    Complexity: Intermediate Level

VIII–G: Unpacking Graduation and Dropout Rates: An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education’s Measures of High School Performance

Stephanie Miller, National Center for Education Statistics

    The U.S. Department of Education collects and publishes the average freshman graduation rate (AFGR), the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), and the event dropout rate. The presenter will provide a comprehensive overview of these measures, specifically focusing on what data components comprise each, reviewing the similarities and differences between the AFGR and ACGR, and discussing common mistakes and erroneous assumptions.

    Complexity: Entry Level

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VIII–H: Building Teacher-Student Data Linkages for Value-Added Measures

Brian Truesdale, Pennsylvania Department of Education

    Pennsylvania’s adoption of teacher-level value-added measures in 2013–14 created a need for more granular, precise data linkages. It’s no longer good enough to know which teachers teach which students in which classes. Collecting data on quantified instructional responsibility for the eligible content of the state assessments can be difficult. Online environments, subcontracted courses, regional educational entities, and interdistrict cooperatives further complicate the issue. This will only get more complicated over time as research and technology continue to disrupt educational practice. This session’s presenter will explain how Pennsylvania is meeting these challenges.

    Complexity: Intermediate Level

VIII–I: Moving Toward Evidence—Raising the Standard for Data in the District of Columbia

Jeffrey Noel, District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education

    The District of Columbia (DC) has been improving data collection, linking, and quality measures across a wide variety of domains for the last several years. In DC education, data often focuses on simple, fast techniques designed to meet communications or internal tracking needs. On the other end of the spectrum, initiatives such as the “What Works Clearinghouse” employ rigorous methodologies to perform intensive evaluations, which is not an option for every intervention or state-level initiative. Our goal is to navigate between these two extremes to improve evidence in use of data in DC. This session will explore case studies of success and failure.

    Complexity: Entry Level

VIII–J: Analyzing Administrative Datasets: Lessons Learned From EDFacts and the Civil Rights Data Collection

Joel McFarland and Sarah Newman, National Center for Education Statistics

    How can government agencies, news media, and researchers develop new policy insights by using datasets that were originally collected for program monitoring or regulatory purposes? What unique analytical challenges and opportunities do these “administrative datasets” pose? This session will share lessons learned from the National Center for Education Statistics’ expanded use of EDFacts and the Civil Rights Data Collection. Topics will include data privacy protection and data governance issues involved with coordinating multiple uses of a single dataset. In addition, this session will walk through the tradeoffs between analyzing administrative datasets and sample survey data.

    Complexity: Intermediate Level

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