STATS-DC

5–A California's Geography of Poverty and Its Effect on K-12 Education Outcomes

Stephen Gervais, San Bernardino City Unified School District, California

California serves more than 6 million K-12 students in over 10,000 schools in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Adjusting for the cost-of-living, California also has a poverty rate that is one of the highest in the nation. Making sense of this information through traditional means is challenging. This presentation will use mapping and spatial analysis to examine California's geography of poverty and help visualize the connection between poverty and low academic achievement in K-12 schools. Spatial methods for grouping and classifying data will be shared that can be used to develop actionable information at the statewide, regional, and local levels.

Complexity: Entry Level

5–B Unlocking IEP Data through Interoperability

Monica Hogan, Boston Public Schools
Sean Casey, Ed-Fi Alliance
Shannon Kerlick, Ed-Fi Alliance

How can we better understand the experiences of students with disabilities -- from referral to special ed through receiving services – and triangulate those with academic achievement and other student indicators? We spend so much money as a nation on special ed services, but do we really know what's effective and how to scale it? Generally, no -- because there's limited ability to do that kind of research at this point at the local level. You can use state reported and federally reported data points, but what will really make the difference is the ability to dig into the more detailed data that a district has in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Bringing interoperable data, including assessment data, can help us ensure that students are getting the accommodations that they need in order to be successful. This panel will discuss efforts to bring this data together and provide insights for teachers and administrators.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

5–C Getting Free Help with Your Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS)

Corey Chatis, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems State Support Team
Jonathon Attridge, Tennessee Department of Education
Jeff Falter, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Carla Howe, State Longitudinal Data System State Support Team

Do you wish you could get free, experienced help with the complicated work of planning, enhancing, using, and sustaining a statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS)? Well, you can! Join this session to learn about SLDS resources and how the SLDS State Support Team (SST), a group of technical assistance experts, can support your work and connect you with other states that have accomplished what you aim to achieve. Two states will share how SST have helped them. The SST is available at no cost to your state, regardless of whether or not you have a grant.

Complexity: Entry Level

5–D Approaches to Making Geographic Cost Adjustment Indices for Education

Stephen Q. Cornman, U.S. Department of Education
Lori Taylor, Texas A&M University
Jim Dewey, Florida Polytechnic University
Marie Marcum, U.S. Department of Education

This session will explore geographic cost adjustment indexes that can facilitate comparison of educational expenditures across school districts/local educational agencies or states. Typical educational expenditure data identify dollar amounts without any geographic adjustments and do not reflect the actual purchasing power of the school district or state. There is very high demand for an index that provides geographic cost adjustment factors to facilitate cross-area comparisons at the state, county, and school district levels. This session will discuss various geographic cost adjustment indexes, including the Comparable Wage Index for Teachers (CWIFT); the Florida Price Level Index (FPLI); and a new approach developed by BLS applying the relationship between wages and bundles of occupational skills to creation of an education-focused wage index.

Recently NCES and the Census Bureau developed the Comparable Wage Index for Teachers (CWIFT), which is a measure of the systematic, regional variations in the salaries of college graduates who are not K-12 educators (in this context, those with occupations or employers in elementary or secondary education). This geographic cost adjustment index was applied to data and findings of the Congressionally mandated report entitled the Study on the Title I Formula that analyzes the Title I, Part A formula and the formula's impact on local education agencies (LEAs). The Florida Price Level Index (FPLI) methodology is an index solution developed and produced at Florida Polytechnic University and has been used for the District Cost Differential in the Florida Education Finance Program since 2003. The FPLI uses establishment wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Occupational Employment Survey (OES) to estimate an index of relative wages across 67 Florida counties.

The new approach developed by BLS studies the relationship between wages and bundles of occupational skills and tasks. BLS applies that relationship.

Complexity: Advanced Level

5–E FERPA 201: So You Think You Know FERPA?

Ross Lemke, U.S. Department of Education
Eric Gray, U.S. Department of Education
Frank Miller, U.S. Department of Education

Are you a FERPA expert? Come test your knowledge against the experts from Department of Education's Privacy Technical Assistance Center. This session will challenge your knowledge of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, and give participants a chance to not only discuss these difficult scenarios, but bring their own stumpers to the experts for answers!

Complexity: Intermediate Level

5–F Early Childhood Homelessness State Profiles 2018: Use of Education Data for Policymakers and the General Public

Amy Yamashiro, U.S. Department of Education
Marsha Basloe, Child Care Services Association
Mandy Sorge, National Governors Association
Barbara Duffield, School House Connection

Education data from the Early Childhood Homelessness State Profiles 2018 have been shared with all 50+ U.S. Governors and through interviews and press releases by Sesame Street's homeless muppet, Lily. After a brief overview of the impetus for developing the state profiles, the first panelist will discuss their use to inform policy at the state level starting with North Carolina. The next two panelists will shift the focus to how these data were used at the national level with policymakers and the general public. After brief remarks by the chair, the panel will open to a general discussion.

Complexity: Entry Level

5–G Forum Guide to Data Governance

Georgia Hughes-Webb, National Forum on Education Statistics

The National Forum on Education Statistics is developing a new resource that will feature data governance best practices for federal, state, and local education agencies. This resource will highlight examples from agencies that have implemented effective data governance programs, discuss common challenges and solutions, and provide links to existing data governance resources that agencies have found particularly useful. Join this interactive presentation to discuss and share best practices on topics such as the management, collection, use, and communication of education data; effective data sharing; data privacy; and methods for reviewing and modifying data governance processes to meet technological advances and changing needs.

Complexity: Entry Level

Download Zipped Adobe Presentation:

• Forum Guide to Data Governance (1.78 MB)

5–H Incorporating Unemployment Insurance Wage Data Into Your SLDS

John Sabel, State of Washington Education Research and Data Center

The Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage data is a vital resource for a state's SLDS, as employment outcome is one of key measurements for evaluating public policy. UI wage data can be used to measure employment status and earnings for any student cohort that can be defined, such as for high school leavers or college graduates. Rich as it is, UI wage data can be challenging to link into a SLDS. This session will present how Washington State has overcome these difficulties in its own P20W SLDS through the use of sophisticated algorithms. Lessons learned and potential improvements will also be discussed.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

5–J "Insight": Leveraging SLDS Resources and Agency Collaboration to Provide a 360Degree View of Student Learning in North Dakota's K-12 Public Schools

Tracy Korsmo, North Dakota Information Technology Department
Ross Roemmich, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
Gregory Carlson, North Dakota University System
Walli Tarzi, Otis Educational Systems, Inc.

This presentation showcases North Dakota's interactive "Insights" public education dashboards (https://insights.nd.gov/), created collaboratively through the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, North Dakota University System, and North Dakota Information Technology Department in consultation with Otis Educational Systems, Inc. Public dashboards leverage SLDS resources, providing a 360 degree view of the public K-12 student learning experience featuring metrics including NDSA proficiency and participation, graduation rates, student assessment proficiency growth, student engagement, NAEP performance, per-pupil expenditures, and postsecondary enrollment. State, district, and school measures with demographic displays and available data exports facilitate analysis of student subgroups and grade level comparisons.

Complexity: Advanced Level

Download Zipped Adobe Presentation:

• "Insight": Leveraging SLDS Resources and Agency Collaboration to Provide a 360Degree View of Student Learning in North Dakota's K-12 Public Schools (832 KB)

5–K Project Nessie:  Improving SEA Interoperability is a Reality NOT a Myth!

Bob Swiggum, Georgia Department of Education
Kimberly Gondwe, Council of Chief State School Officers
Tricia Farris, AEM Corporation
Jim Campbell, AEM Corporation

Through Project Nessie, the Council of Chief State School Officers is partnering with the State Education Technology Directors Association to strategically align both organizations' efforts on improving State Education Agency data and system interoperability by expanding adoption of standards (i.e. Ed-Fi, CEDS), solutions, and practices necessary to impact the education community broadly. This session will provide an overview of the work that is shaped by a shared belief in improving data interoperability as a key element in improving student outcomes. Bring your questions, excitement for data interoperability, and love of mythical sea creatures!

Complexity: Entry Level