DataQuest: Development Strategy and Technical Design

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DataQuest Development Strategy and Technical
Design

• CCSSO/OCIO Regional Meeting
• Portland, Oregon
• April 3-4, 2001

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Concept of DataQuest
• California Education Data
• Data Management Issues Relevant to DataQuest
• Development of DataQuest
• Strategy
• Data Content
• Going Live
• Demonstration
• Review of Functionalities
• Review of Technical Design

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DataQuest - Concept

• Provide easy-to-use Internet access to broad
  range of educational data for Californias K-12
  public schools
• Structure data in reports that are created
  interactively by user
• Clients are other SEA staff, school district
  staff, Legislature, parents, media, governmental
  and public agencies

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California Schools and Students
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Education Data in California

• Data collection and management are decentralized
• 50 fiscal collections
• 50 non-fiscal collections
• 50 administrative systems

• This presentation focuses on design and
  development of DataQuest to disseminate data for
  decision support

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Defining Data Management
Three Related Procedures
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Challenges of Decentralized Data Management

• No standards for managing data
• Redundant or very similar data being collected
  and managed
• Offices managing data lack resources and skills -
  collection exhausts resources
• No central place to get data
• No advocate for controlling new data collection
  mandates

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Preparing for DataQuest

• Automated edit procedures and moved them into
  front end of process (in the software)

• Improved data submission software for districts

• Saved resources in collecting and editing data
  and used them to improve how we share data

• Made data more available by
• Developing interactive Internet reporting
  (DataQuest)
• Posting complete and aggregate data files on
  Internet

• Broader distribution of data has increased data
  accuracy

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Development Strategy

• Start with our data and most popular reports
• Use modular design so that reports and topics can
  be added easily
• Include detail and aggregation in reports, so
  they can serve multiple needs
• Structure to make updating data easy
• Standardize user interface
• Provide complete data files to sophisticated
  users
• Pay attention to users and respond
• Set aside resources for outreach
• Choose high payoff expansion topics

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Approach to Expanding DataQuest

• Make strategic decisions to add data sources
• Involve data owners and setting standards
• Involve I.T. management and staff
• Build clear mainstream role
• Expand technical staff resources

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DataQuest Started With...
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Other Data in DataQuest

• Academic Performance Index (API) Reports (focal
  point of Californias Accountability Program)
• Standardized Test Results
• College Board Data - Advanced Placement Test
  Results
• Free and Reduced Price Meal Data

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Under Development

• Reports of SAT and ACT test results
• Reports of College-going data
• Special Education as a topic, with multiple
  reports
• More reports with graphs and time series reports
• More reports that user can download

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Special Features for Demonstration

• QuickQuest
• Reports that can be downloaded as files
• Drill down features
• Log of additions to DataQuest
• Graphs
• Sorting and grouping capabilities

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Contact Information

• Educational Demographics Office
• California Department of Education
• www.cde.ca.gov/demographics
• [phone]
• Donna Rothenbaum Lynn Baugher
• (Developer) (Manager)
• [phone] [phone]
• drothenb_at_cde.ca.gov lbaugher_at_cde.ca.gov