Improving the Quality, Access, and Use of Data in Education to Improve Student Achievement

1
Improving the Quality, Access, and Use of Data in
Education to Improve Student Achievement

• 2006 U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Education and Workforce Summit
• October 5, 2006, Dallas, Texas
• Tom Lindsley

2
Introducing The Data Quality Campaign

• Purpose Build Support and Political Will Among
  Policymakers to
• Fully develop high-quality longitudinal data
  systems in every state by 2009
• Increase understanding and promote the valuable
  uses of longitudinal and financial data to
  improve student achievement
• Promote, develop, and use common data standards
  and efficient data transfer and exchange

3
The Power of Longitudinal Data
JL

• Longitudinal Data data gathered on the same
  student from year to year makes it possible to
• Follow individual student academic growth
• Determine the value-added of specific programs
• Identify consistently high-performing
  schools/classrooms/systems worthy of study

4
The Power of Longitudinal Data

• Longitudinal data gives you the power to answer
  questions about
• Student academic growth
• Whether students are on track to later success
• School effectiveness with well-prepared and
  poorly-prepared students
• Student mobility and attrition
• The impact of teacher preparation and training
  programs on student achievement
• Focus school systems on preparing a higher
  percentage of students to succeed in rigorous
  high school courses, college and challenging
  jobs.

5
10 Essential Elements of State Longitudinal Data
Systems

• A unique statewide student identifier
• Student-level enrollment, demographic and program
  participation information
• The ability to match individual students test
  records from year to year to measure academic
  growth
• Information on untested students
• A teacher identifier system with the ability to
  match teachers to students
• Student-level transcript information, including
  information on courses completed and grades
  earned
• Student-level college readiness test scores
• Student-level dropout and graduation data
• The ability to match student records between the
  pre-K12 and higher education systems
• A state data audit system assessing data quality,
  accuracy, and reliability

6
Fundamental Design (not so) Future Issues
regarding Quality Data Systems

• Fundamental Design Issues
• Privacy Protection
• Data Architecture
• Data Warehousing
• Interoperability
• Portability
• Professional Development around Data Processes
  and Use
• Researcher Access
• Future Issues
• Connect school performance with spending
• Connect school performance to employment and
  other systems
• Transfer records across systems and states

7
DQC Managing Partners
Achieve, Inc Alliance for Excellent
Education Council of Chief State School
Officers Education Commission of the States The
Education Trust National Association of State
Boards of Education National Association of
System Heads National Center for Educational
Accountability National Center for Higher
Education Mgt Systems National Governors Assoc.
Center for Best Practices Schools
Interoperability Framework Association Standard
Poors School Evaluation Services State Education
Technology Directors Association State Higher
Education Executive Officers

The campaign is supported by The Bill Melinda
Gates Foundation and managed by the National
Center for Educational Accountability.
8
Data Quality Campaign Approach

• Build Policymaker understanding and will to
  invest in and use quality data infrastructures
• Success Stories
• Recognition of leadership
• Provide tools, materials and information
• Examples of the powerful use of data to inform
  policy practice
• ToolKits for various audiences on uses of data to
  improve achievement
• Quarterly Issue Meetings
• Create national forum to ensure collaboration,
  develop consensus and reduce duplication of
  effort
• Leverage existing efforts to maximize impact
• Collaborate/communicate through national
  partnership whenever possible
• One-stop resource center www.DataQualityCampaign
  .org

9
State of the State Data Systems

• This map shows how many of these essential
  elements each state currently has based on
  responses to the 2005 NCEA data system survey.
  The 06 results are being analyzed now.

10
Policy Implications of Survey Results

• Does your system have the data in 2005-06 to
  address these issues using student-level
  longitudinal data?
• Identify which schools produce the strongest
  academic growth for their students. (21 states
  can)
• Know what achievement levels in middle school
  indicate that a student is on track to succeed in
  rigorous courses in high school. (3 states can)
• Calculate each school's graduation rate,
  according to the 2005 National Governor's
  Association graduation compact? (15 states can)
• Determine which high school performance
  indicators (e.g., enrollment in rigorous courses
  or performance on state tests) are the best
  predictors of students' success in college or the
  workplace. (2 states can)
• Identify the percentage of high school graduates
  who go on to college take remedial courses. (8
  states can)
• Identify which teacher preparation programs
  produce the graduates whose students have the
  strongest academic growth. (5 states can)

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Campaign Resources

• www.DataQualityCampaign.org
• White Paper Brochure on Building State
  Longitudinal Data Systems
• State Data Systems Survey Results
• Calendar of Data-Focused Events Meetings
• Resource Center highlighting existing work on
  data quality and use

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Action Steps for Business Leaders Coalitions

• Advocate for the building and maintenance of
  state longitudinal data systems.
• Offer core business expertise in data
  analysis/use to educators and school system
  managers to help change the culture of data use
  in schools.
• Base philanthropic funding and evaluation
  activities on school data to reinforce the power
  of data-based decision (practice what you preach
  and dont leave your business acumen at the
  school door!).

13
Contact the DQC

• Tom Lindsley
• National Center for Educational Accountability
• Washington DC Office Director
• tlindsley_at_just4kids.org
• Aimee R. Guidera
• National Center for Educational Accountability
• DQC Project Director
• aguidera_at_just4kids.org