STATS-DC

6–A The Feasibility of Collecting School-Level Finance Data: An Evaluation of Data from the Second Year of the School-Level Finance Survey

Stephen Wheeler, U.S. Census Bureau
Stephen Q. Cornman, National Center for Education Statistics
Lei Zhou, Activate Research
Osei Ampadu, U.S. Census Bureau

This presentation will discuss findings from the second year of a two-year study that commenced in FY 2014. The presentation will discuss the results from the new School-Level Finance Survey (SLFS) report that is part of NCES's Research and Development (R&D) series of reports and focus on whether the SLFS is a viable, efficient, and cost-effective method to collect school-level finance data. This report examines the feasibility of state education agencies (SEAs) reporting finance data at the school level as part of the FY 2015 (School year 2014-15) SLFS pilot established by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

6–B Continued Focus on Evidence in Program Implementation (CANCELLED)

Victoria Hammer, U.S. Department of Education
Julie Warner, U.S. Department of Education

The Policy and Program Studies Service (PPSS) is the U.S. Department of Education's internal think-tank. PPSS provides resources to support data and evidence-based decision making at the federal, state, and local level. PPSS staff work to understand program implem entation and support data quality, transparency, and utility. This presentation will discuss how PPSS' program evaluation reports, data stories, and practitioner toolkits can help address state and local needs. Presenters will provide an overview of new evidence requirements under ESSA and how to access and use PPSS products to meet local needs.

Complexity: Entry Level

6–C Advancing Data Culture One Step at a Time

Haidee Bernstein, DaSy Center/SRI
Lisa Backer, Minnesota Department of Education
Mary Anketell, Early Intervention Technical Assistance, Pennsylvania

Join an interactive session that underscores the importance of data culture and highlights state examples. These examples will evidence how a strong data culture emphasizes collaboration as a keystone for success and empowers professionals to make decisions. State presenters will emphasize how they have promoted data culture locally through vision, beliefs, accountability, collaboration, modeling, and commitment to ongoing instructional and programmatic improvements. Resources to support local and state data culture efforts will be shared.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

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• Advancing Data Culture One Step at a Time (610 KB)

6–D The Think College Data Network: Collecting Critical Data on Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability

Clare Papay, Think College, University of Massachusetts Boston
Frank Smith, Think College, University of Massachusetts Boston

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 authorized a model demonstration program, Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) and a National Coordinating Center (NCC). The evaluation protocol implemented by the TPSID NCC was reviewed and approved by NCES, OPE, and OMB. This web-based data collection effort reflects a uniform dataset for collection of program and student variables from the TPSIDs and their partner sites across the country. This dataset is currently the largest and most comprehensive source of information on inclusive higher education for students with ID.

Complexity: Entry Level

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• The Think College Data Network: Collecting Critical Data on Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability (3.80 MB)

6–E Using SLDS Data to Reconnect Educationally Disengaged Youth

Niranjan Murali, Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Christopher (Kit) Faiella, Office of the State Superintendent of Education

The DC ReEngagement Center is a "single-door" through which educationally disengaged youth aged 16-24 can reconnect back to educational options and other critical services. This session will highlight how the DC ReEngagement Center links its student data with existing SEA data to improve programming. Examples of data linking that will be discussed include leveraging student exit data for outreach, linking student intake data to SLDS data to inform service delivery, and using attendance data to verify that students remain engaged. This session will also highlight how DC ReEngagement Center data informs the District's broader work with disconnected youth.

Complexity: Entry Level

6–F The Case for Standardizing Employment Outcome Measures

Tracy Korsmo, North Dakota Information Technology Department
Ann Kellogg, Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center
Charles McGrew, National Center for Education Statistics
Kathy Gosa, State Longitudinal Data System State Support Team

Over the past year the Employment Outcome Metrics workgroup has been collaborating to determine what it takes to have comparable metrics across states for employment outcomes. During this session, we will discuss the need and use cases for standard employment outcome measures (EOM) that are comparable across states, the pilot process we went through to identify and calculate a simple comparable EOM, the preliminary results from the states who chose to participate, and next steps.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

6–G Solving Teacher Shortage with Technology

Angel Loredo, Maine Department of Education
Dean Hupp, Hupp Info Tech

Learn how the new Maine Educator Information System (MEIS) can provide the educational community of Maine with data to assist in the identification of shortage areas. From this data, educator preparation program administrators at the various universities and colleges of Maine can develop recruitment strategies to address the shortage areas. An additional benefit is the potential dialogue between the educator, postsecondary institutions, and the Certification Team. The new functionality also provides job posting abilities at the district level and helps educators and districts find each other when the district needs and educator qualifications align. In addition, the new real time data available to institutions allows them to proactively market new programs directed at the areas most in need of qualified educators.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

6–H Creating the Capacity for Data Use in the Pacific Region

Christina Tydeman, Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific
Jan Fukada, Hawaii Department of Education
Marty Mamea, American Samoa Department of Education
Zenaida Natividad, Guam Department of Education

The remote and unique geography and cultural diversity of the Pacific region create substantial challenges for the development and use of statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS). Through a panel discussion, representatives of the Hawaii Department of Education, American Samoa Department of Education, Guam Department of Education, Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, and REL Pacific explore how - over the past 10 years - entities within the Pacific region have approached developing local readiness and capacity for implementation and use of an SLDS.

Complexity: Entry Level

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• Creating the Capacity for Data Use in the Pacific Region (456 KB)

6–J Interoperability: The Tipping Point

Eric Jansson, Ed-Fi Alliance
Melissa Aro, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Don Dailey, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, Michigan

Building infrastructure is hard work - implementing APIs, developing validation engines, rolling out data quality portals, creating dashboard tools, and building support across reluctant districts. And then, you reach the TIPPING POINT and all the hard work starts to pay off! Districts are able to use their data. Districts are excited to use their data! Tools like Xello (career planning), assessment rostering, school improvement planning, dashboards, e-cumulative folders are no longer vapor ware or big ideas but actual tools that real people are using to support their work and improve student learning. At this session you'll hear first-hand the benefits being realized and the impact of the hard work of implementation.

Complexity: Entry Level

6–K Making the Data Work: Evaluating Vermont's Universal Prekindergarten Legislation

Wendy Geller, Vermont Agency of Education
Clare Irwin, Education Development Center
Kyle DeMeo Cook, Education Development Center
Heather Mattison, Vermont Agency of Human Services

The Vermont Agencies of Education and Human Services have partnered with Education Development Center on several research and evaluation activities to better understand the implementation of and inform changes to Vermont's universal prekindergarten legislation. Vermont's mixed-delivery, universal prekindergarten model is co-administered by both agencies and provides access to 10 hours of prekindergarten education per week for all 3 and 4 year olds in the state. Through our collaboration, we have uncovered and addressed several data quality concerns. This presentation will describe our partnership, data considerations within a mixed-delivery prekindergarten model, and discuss implications for practice, policy, and research.

Complexity: Intermediate Level

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• Making the Data Work: Evaluating Vermont's Universal Prekindergarten Legislation (2.79 MB)