SLDS

Effective data governance enhances the quality and security of the data collected, managed, and reported with an early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS). In this webinar, representatives from Kansas and South Carolina will share how they have worked to establish overarching goals and plans for the governance of their ECIDS. Learn more about how these states have collaborated with partners to organize their governance structures, identify roles and responsibilities, and develop policies and processes for managing and making decisions about collective information assets.

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Applying to college can be daunting, especially for students who are the first in their families to apply. Using SLDS data to simplify the process can help ease that challenge. Such uses of data have a direct effect on students and also provide opportunities for cross-sector partnerships. Representatives from Iowa, Idaho, and North Dakota explain how they use SLDS data to support college admissions and share lessons learned about implementing a college admissions program using SLDS data.

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Representatives from state and local education agencies in Tennessee and Virginia discuss challenges to stakeholders using SLDS data as well as practical strategies for building capacity in people, processes, and technology. The speakers also share lessons learned and resources available to help improve data quality, collection, comparability, and utility.

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Early warning systems put critical information into the hands of educators and their students. Panelists from Michigan present that state's approach to supporting schools and districts implementing the evidence-based Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System (EWIMS) and the online application MiEWIMS. Presenters from Massachusetts share their state's Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS), which has provided risk data to schools and districts for students for more than a decade and was expanded to include predictions for students’ postsecondary outcomes.

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Representatives from Ohio, Minnesota, and Virginia detail how linking workforce data with education data can help states measure the impact of education on employment outcomes. The panelists discuss reasons to link education data and employment data as well as approaches to using the linked data.

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This webinar highlights work done by states extending the use of their SLDS to look at postsecondary and workforce outcomes across state borders. Representatives from New Jersey, Kentucky and Illinois discuss the benefits and governance of multi-state collaboration and provide examples of their reports.

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This webinar showcases how two states have leveraged regional education agencies to expand their capacity to engage stakeholders, build buy-in, understand data needs, and train users on SLDS resources. The Texas Education Agency relies on 20 regional Education Service Centers to support and train more than 1,200 local education agencies across the state. The Ohio Department of Education shares its work with Regional Education Agencies to define, develop, and deploy statewide training on data resources, reports, and advanced metrics.

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This webinar focuses on the challenges of protecting student data by using data suppression while publishing meaningful and transparent public reports. Presenters the from the Delaware and Kansas State Departments of Education and PTAC discuss approaches and best practices for sharing education data with public stakeholders and the role of data governance in managing the process and policies.

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Many states are looking for alternatives to using free and reduced-priced lunch eligibility data as a proxy for student poverty. Representatives from Hawai'i, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia share how they are working toward a more accurate measure for identifying student poverty. They discuss their experiences and processes for calculating student poverty measures.

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Data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) can be used not only for federal reporting compliance, but also to gain insights into diversity and equity within schools and districts. In preparation for the release of the 2020-2021 CRDC results, CRDC staff discuss reporting and analysis ideas using the CRDC data. They also highlight Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) Connections related to CRDC data.

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This webinar explores how data governance practices in Indiana and Washington have evolved to encompass and support their SLDS systems as they have grown and matured. Representatives from Indiana share how their cross-agency data sharing and research in the Management Performance Hub (MPH) is facilitated by legislation, interagency agreements, and data governance. Representatives from the state of Washington share their work to build out more mature data governance practices through data sharing agreements, relationship building, and continuous process improvement practices.

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Representatives from two states discuss new approaches for reporting P-20W+ (early childhood through workforce) outcomes using SLDS data. The Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center incorporates cost-of-living information into workforce outcomes reports and uses a rigorous process for gathering stakeholder input and ideas to inform how SLDS data are published. Iowa's Student Outcomes website includes the groundbreaking report on Noncredit Career and Technical Education Employment Outcomes, as well as dashboards and reports reflecting outcomes for a wide range of education and training programs.

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Three states discuss how they are using American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds for data systems, data strategies, and IT infrastructure, while also highlighting challenges and successes in meeting deadlines and public reporting requirements. Louisiana demonstrates how it uses ARP ESSER funds for data systems. New Hampshire shows how it meets public reporting requirements. Montana highlights challenges in meeting federal deadlines to spend these funds and shares strategies for meeting those deadlines successfully.

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Many SLDS projects are working to strengthen linkages between education and workforce data while also improving how students move from their education programs into the workforce. Digital credentials are learner and employment records (LERs) that give individuals agency over their own digital portfolios of competencies and skills. Representatives from North Dakota and Alabama share how they are making it easier to transfer skills and competencies and understand what skills are in high demand.

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This webinar highlights analysis and reporting of postsecondary outcomes projects from three states (Iowa, Montana, and Indiana). Each state explores how various postsecondary outcomes have shifted from pre- to post-COVID-19 and discusses the implications of these trends for their state’s SLDS.

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Representatives from the federal Office for Civil Rights discuss changes to the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) and how state education agencies (SEAs) can support their local education agencies (LEAs) in submitting the required data. Additionally, representatives from state agencies in Michigan and Colorado share how they help school districts submit and certify data to the CRDC and share potential roadblocks and barriers.

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With data breaches and cyber-attacks against educational institutions occurring with terrifying regularity, schools should take appropriate steps to safeguard sensitive data and student records from threats like hackers and ransomware. During this session, the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) of the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) will partner with the Hawai'i Department of Education and Hawai'i P-20 Partnerships for Education to share lessons learned for cybersecurity preparedness and provide real world insight on how to create strong, resilient cyber incident management and recovery processes.

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Education policies and needs are constantly changing. Responding to these changes and remaining relevant are priorities for states and their education data systems. Iowa shares its approach to adapting its postsecondary admissions criteria in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevada discusses its plan and progress toward transitioning to a cloud platform.

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As SLDSs continue to grow with additional years of data, new data sources, and expanding programs, it is critical to ensure that records are accurately linked so that individuals’ data can be integrated correctly within the system. Representatives from Rhode Island and Virginia discuss their strategies for resolving multiple IDs, as well as how they review and continuously improve those processes.

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As competition for qualified staff continues to increase among state agencies, many agencies are finding it increasingly difficult to locate and retain quality staff. As a result, state agencies are struggling to have the knowledge and skills needed to move forward in a timely fashion the development, or enhancements to their education data systems. This webinar will feature 3 states highlighting their experiences and strategies of staff retention, along with how they help grow staff abilities and knowledge.

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SLDS efforts to improve student outcomes and support education interventions rely on information about the interrelation of P-20W+ (early childhood through workforce) outcomes. Presenters from three states share how their SLDS projects have begun to measure and predict education outcomes. Maryland will discuss how it identifies persisting students-who are still enrolled, but have not earned a diploma on their expected graduation date-including examining the unique characteristics and outcomes for these students. Montana will present its work to establish an Early Warning System for Dropouts statewide and establish a research agenda to study this applied analytics tool. Mississippi will share how it develops actionable information for educators based on its analysis of K12 data on postsecondary outcomes.

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Adult education programs help adults build skills and earn credentials that lead to postsecondary education, sustainable employment, and economic self-sufficiency. Integrating adult education data into a state's SLDS allows for descriptive statistics of program participation and outcomes analysis. This webinar features the National Association of State Directors of Adult Education (NASDAE) as well as Kentucky and Rhode Island's analyses of adult education participation and outcome data.

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The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted state programs and forced services to expand dramatically as large numbers of people were unable to work or attend school. Educators and workforce professionals have responded by finding ways to engage students and workers and to apply information in new ways. Representatives from Colorado, Illinois, and Michigan share their most critical lessons; the changes they have made as a result of the pandemic; and the implications for data, data systems, and evidence-based decisionmaking going forward.

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Representatives from Pennsylvania and Montana share their approaches to augmenting multiple SLDS federal grants with other awards to achieve interconnected infrastructure and research visions. They discuss sustained leadership support, project management and governance structures, infrastructure and technology design, and staff capacity. Additionally, federal program officers provide contextual insights.

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Representatives from the SLDS Program Office and the IES-funded Cost Analysis in Practice (CAP) Project discuss the importance of cost analysis as a component of SLDS sustainability; the steps involved; and technical assistance, tools, and other resources available to support state SLDS programs completing cost analyses.

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Since November 2020, the CEDS Data Warehouse Expansion Project has provided support and guidance for states and territories to implement or expand their own versions of the CEDS Data Warehouse. Representatives from 17 states and other organizations meet regularly to expand the data warehouse for three use cases: special education, adult education, and school-level poverty data. This webinar highlights the outputs of each use case available through the CEDS Open Source Community, including expansions to CEDS elements and the data model as well as code to build reports.

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Sixteen FY19 SLDS grantees are participating in a voluntary, exploratory project to connect student and school-level data with Spatially Interpolated Demographic Estimates (SIDE)-modeled poverty data from U.S. Census household surveys. Representatives from South Carolina and Virginia share their experiences with the project, including the preparation, requirements, and data needed to obtain and use SIDE data.

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This webinar focuses on considerations for the initial and ongoing design and development of an early childhood integrated system (ECIDS). Representatives from North Carolina and Utah will discuss how their systems have evolved over time, key infrastructure decisions, and plans for future enhancements.

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The use of data to identify and address inequities in education has long been a focus for educational leaders. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) creates a unique opportunity for states to revisit how to accomplish this work. The extensive data systems available to state education extend the opportunity to expand how states identify inequities. Representatives from Kentucky and Washington will showcase how they identified relevant indicators of equity in preparation for developing new equity dashboards and reports, as well as how stakeholders have been involved in the decisions about which indicators to use, and how to work to develop the dashboards and reports will be supported by FY2019 SLDS funds.

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Representatives from Rhode Island and Utah discuss how they have identified and are addressing data quality issues within their K12 and P-20W+ SLDSs.

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Apprenticeship data can be a valuable source of information to help SLDS programs determine student outcomes and the impact of education in a state. Representatives from Iowa, Kentucky, and North Dakota describe their processes for including apprenticeship data in their SLDSs, what motivated them to acquire the data, and how they use the data.

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The pandemic has changed the way students across the country are educated, and these changes have uncovered new and exacerbated existing issues of equity within education. This webinar will explore how two states’ SLDS data work has helped them to better identify and understand issues of equity. Wisconsin and Virginia will also share their plans and approaches to address the inequities identified and what they have learned about inequities in outcomes and access due to the pandemic.

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The Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) Data Warehouse is an open source model for storing P-20W+ (early childhood through workforce) data for a variety of uses. This webinar highlights South Carolina’s work to align with CEDS as well as the plans for leveraging this alignment to install and use the EDFacts data reporting automation tool called Generate. South Carolina will demonstrate tools they have developed locally that assist them in effectively aligning their data definitions with CEDS, enabling them to efficiently document their data system.

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Effectively implementing and managing an SLDS requires close collaboration between information technology and program area staff. Many states are or are considering using agile processes to gain flexibility and increase productivity. Representatives from Maine, Illinois, and Nebraska discuss their strategies, lessons learned, and future plans for agile development and project management processes.

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Many states are modernizing their SLDS infrastructure to take advantage of technological advances, realize cost savings, and streamline their work. Some states use cloud computing as part of their modernization efforts. Representatives from Arizona, Maine, and Minnesota discuss how they are implementing cloud technology, the decisions they have made, and benefits and challenges they have found.

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This webinar provides information on the Business Rules Single Inventory (BRSI) tool that is used to facilitate EDFacts reporting and file submissions. The BRSI enables SEAs to identify and correct data quality issues proactively and prior to submission and can be used by SEAs to understand when and where to tackle data quality issues within the greater SLDS ecosystem. Presenters define data quality dimensions, business rules, and the BRSI.

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This webinar showcases three states' unique approaches to research projects that support SLDS sustainability and data use through research programs and processes. Maryland presents its synthetic data project to increase the usefulness and accessibility of SLDS data to researchers, policy analysts, and stakeholders. Pennsylvania discusses its approach to supporting researchers through the Education Research Scholars Program. New Jersey describes its plans to provide research grants to external researchers and establish an internship and training program for staff, students, and emerging scholars.

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Members of the National Forum on Education Statistics discuss the Forum Guide to Data Governance, which highlights multiple ways that data governance programs can benefit education agencies. SEA and LEA practitioners share best practices and lessons learned from states and schools.

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Increasing data use and stakeholder buy-in is critical for SLDS sustainability. Two states, Arizona and Montana have developed partnerships to further increase their capacity to use data and facilitate buy-in of their SLDS as a key data resource. Arizona Department of Education highlights how their partnerships with Arizona State University and the Helios Education Foundation have increased their analytical and reporting capacity. Montana’s Office of Public Instruction shares their work with Montana Council of Deans of Education (MCDE) as a catalyst for projects involving using data and the Montana SLDS to support teacher preparation programs and instructional decisionmaking.

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The Data Maturity Model provides a roadmap and method for evaluating SLDS practices in order to maximize the value of the data system, understand a system’s current state, and determine where the system needs to go. This webinar includes an overview of the Data Maturity Model and presentations from three states that participated in the development and pilot implementation of the model.

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This webinar features states that have established research partnerships to address key education issues. Representatives will share how and why their partnerships were formed, the research topics addressed, and how data are shared to support the research.

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This webinar highlights why and how states are creating geocoded data visualizations. Presenters from the NCES, Utah, and Nevada showcase report examples and share the processes and tools they used to create them.

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As the severe impacts of recent weather events continue to disrupt the provision of educational services to students, crisis data management remains an important topic of interest for education agencies. Furthermore, many states, districts, and schools are utilizing crisis management practices to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on the education community. Members of the National Forum on Education Statistics and education agency practitioners provide best practices, current efforts, and lessons learned during the pandemic.

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IES's Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Policymaking (Using Data) grant program seeks to expand state education agencies' use of their SLDSs to provide evidence when making policy decisions. This webinar is a partnership between the SLDS Grant Program and the National Center for Education Research (NCER) to provide helpful information as states identify and develop proposals in response to this grant opportunity.

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Cybersecurity remains a priority for education agencies that have moved to remote working and learning in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Remote methods of working and learning present unique challenges to cybersecurity, as well as new opportunities to strengthen cybersecurity practices. Steven Hernandez, chief information security officer for the U.S. Department of Education, provides information on the security implications of virtual education technologies and shares best practices for securing agency information and data while working and learning remotely.

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Early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDSs) can help state leaders and stakeholders answer essential policy and program questions. However, for a variety of reasons, states are finding that ECIDS data are not being used to their fullest potential. Representatives from Minnesota and Wisconsin discuss their progress toward developing ECIDSs, the essential policy and program questions their systems can answer, reports that their systems generate, and how they train users to use ECIDS data.

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In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, states, schools, and families are working to implement and/or scale virtual learning solutions. This unprecedented need requires quick but responsible action to develop strategies to support educators and students as they adapt to new modes of working and learning. This webinar features members of the National Forum on Education Statistics as they discuss the Forum Guide to Elementary/Secondary Virtual Education Data, which addresses the impact of virtual education on established data elements and methods of data collection. Representatives from SEAs and LEAs that have recently moved to virtual learning share best practices and lessons learned.

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The School Courses for the Exchange of Data (SCED) is a voluntary, standardized classification system that can help education agencies share information about courses offered to students from preschool through high school. Technical assistance providers and state and local education agency representatives offer an overview of SCED and describe how states have used SCED to facilitate data use.

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Data use is increasingly becoming central to the school planning and improvement process, and educators must be prepared to understand and incorporate data into their classrooms. As a result, states must create necessary supports to facilitate this process. Representatives from the Hawaii and Maryland discuss how they have built institutional support for and incorporated instructional support data use such as data literacy training, curricular support materials, and more into their agency’s strategic priorities.

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Effectively engaging stakeholders is a key component of ensuring an SLDS is sustainable and that it continues to meet the needs of educators, policymakers, families, program staff, and the public. In this webinar, three states explain how to involve stakeholders in prioritizing processes, defining requirements, developing processes, and rolling out their data initiatives. Presenters from Illinois, Mississippi, and Hawaii will share tips and strategies that states can leverage as part of an ongoing stakeholder engagement plan.

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Representatives from the Tennessee Department of Education and two Tennessee educator preparation providers discuss how they collaborate and use data from the state’s TNAtlas system to improve the preparation and quality of educators.

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Personalized learning is a teaching strategy that tailors instruction to the needs, talents, and skills of each individual learner. Representatives from the National Forum on Education Statistics and the SLDS Grant Program share information for state and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) interested adopting personalized learning programs.

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Increasingly, new teachers are expected to acquire the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors to use longitudinal data effectively to inform their instruction. Incorporating use of the state’s SLDS into preservice educator training programs helps new teachers become familiar with the system and the types of data use they will engage in once they enter the profession. North Dakota and Montana describe how preservice teachers use their SLDSs.

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Linking education and employment data allows states to measure student outcomes as they enter the workforce during and after their education career. However, using these data may not always be intuitive. This webinar highlights three states—Kentucky, Minnesota, and Ohio—and the means by which they train their users to effectively use college and career data.

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States continue to make progress in building infrastructure and streamlining processes to collect, connect, and report information. The Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) and Ed-Fi are both engaging with states to help support this work. Representatives from CEDS, Ed-Fi, and Nebraska will share their experiences implementing Ed-Fi and CEDS tools to streamline federal reporting.

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Early warning systems use a variety of common education data and statistical models to predict student outcomes, such as the likelihood that a student will not graduate from high school. The same underlying data can help identify why a student is off track. State and local education agency representatives from Montana and Illinois share information about their early warning systems and describe how they use those systems to inform educator practice.

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Representatives from Utah, Texas, and Kansas share how they use their ECIDSs and SLDSs to address collecting and using information horizontally about children who are served in multiple early childhood programs as well as vertically for children as they move from early childhood programs to early elementary school. Experts also discuss how the Common Education Data Standards can help states integrate data across early childhood programs.

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Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), formerly Response to Intervention, is an instructional framework that includes universal screening of all students, multiple tiers of instruction and support services, and an integrated data collection and assessment system to inform decisions at each tier of instruction. Hawai'i and North Dakota will describe how they are utilizing their SLDSs to support their MTSS initiatives as part of their Instructional Support priority area. They will address how they have engaged stakeholders to determine their data needs and priorities and the operational and planned MTSS reports.

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The federal government has the authority to conduct periodic audits to review state policies and procedures around the privacy and confidentiality of student data. A representative from Indiana discusses that state's experience with a federal data audit, how the state instituted security practices, and advice on how to adequately prepare for an audit.

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The third webinar in the SLDS infrastructure series focuses on strategies associated with developing data resources such as data lakes to support modern analytic methodologies. Representatives from the Kentucky Center for Statistics share their data science perspectives and knowledge.

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Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) have become ubiquitous in Cloud and Web applications. APIs provide SLDS teams with new tools for moving data between source systems and data stores. APIs can also make services such as data validation and data processing status easily available. In this webinar, the SLDS State Support Team will share information about APIs as a tool set that can help modernize SLDS applications and processes. Representatives from Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin will share their experience, expertise, and lessons learned.

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This webinar highlights the kinds of documentation and processes that are needed to effectively sustain education data systems. Presenters from Colorado and Georgia demonstrate the documentation that they have established and how it supports their SLDS work.

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Longitudinal data systems provide a rich source for information that aids states in meeting state and federal reporting requirements. These data systems can enhance consistency, streamline reporting, and support strategic planning and data system sustainability efforts. Representatives from Georgia and Illinois discuss their efforts to help districts with their strategic planning activities to meet federal requirement for Title funding, and financial transparency based on the Illinois’s site-based expenditures legislation.

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Cloud computing offers SLDS teams with flexible and powerful computing resources that can ensure that the SLDS is always supported with sufficient, modern resources. Cloud services reduce development time and can streamline SLDS operations and maintenance. This webinar focuses on using cloud resources for migrating, storing, and reporting SLDS data. Representatives from North Dakota will share their approaches to using cloud resources to support their SLDS.

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Early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDSs) and statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) can be leveraged to support and develop a distinct count of children served in a mixed-delivery system, which allows states to understand patterns of service, inform allocation of resources, assess impact, and define the cost of programs. In this webinar, learn how three states defined and created unduplicated counts of children, as well as how each use these counts to inform planning and to make policy and programmatic changes.

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As interest in modernizing and standardizing data systems grows, an increasing number of states are using CEDS tools and engaging with Generate to better manage and use P-20W education data. This webinar explains how to get started with both CEDS and Generate, as well as how to maintain CEDS mapping and using Generate to support data reporting.

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As more stakeholders have become aware of SLDSs and the growing scope of information they contain, data requests have significantly increased. In response, states must expand their capacity to oversee these requests via formal processes, review committees, and tools to improve efficiency. Representatives from the District of Columbia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin discuss the strategies, groups, processes, and tools they have put in place to manage data requests.

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As part of their data visualization efforts, several states are using geocoding to present information on their public dashboards graphically. Representatives from the District of Columbia, Michigan, and Kentucky share examples of the geocoded information they provide to their stakeholders, the technologies they use, and the challenges associated with geocoding.

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An increasing number of states are connecting data across employment and education in the interest of improving analysis and informing policy. Details of how data are linked, integrated, and managed require many choices, which can impact the flexibility, timeliness, and quality of information provided. One way states have responded to this challenge is to leverage datamarts to respond to questions and provide reports. In this webinar, three states provide datamart use cases, including how access is provided to stakeholders, the kinds of data included, and more.

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Comprehensive needs assessments (CNA) are a critical tool that help states and agencies identify needs and performance challenges, determine root causes, and set priorities for future action. Many funding programs require a CNA in order to assess how granted funds will be used. However, the CNA process is not easy. Staff time capacity, differences between local and state interests, and cost are all barriers to completing a successful CNA.

In this webinar, State Support Team members go over the basics of a CNA, including basic terminologies, what a CNA includes (and what it does not), as well as strategies to develop plans to leverage state data to make progress quickly.

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Jeffrey Thayne of Washington State’s Education Research and Data Center describes the processes and support that the center uses to ensure that research findings are communicated in ways that are understandable and actionable to improve policies and programs.

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Representatives from Illinois and Massachusetts share how they are helping internal and external stakeholders understand, interpret, and use district- and school-level financial data to compare expenditures and make informed decisions about allocating resources. They also discuss how they are meeting the financial transparency reporting requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

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An important use of interagency longitudinal data is to inform policymakers, educators, families, and other stakeholders regarding economic and education topics. States face a number of challenges in doing this, including gaps in data sources, strategies for connecting and linking, and authorization and governance, among others. The EOM Workgroup was formed in June 2018 to leverage states’ experience and existing data connections to develop products and to calculate common metrics that would be comparable across states. In this webinar, several Workgroup members discuss their current P20 landscape, connecting secondary data to employment data, and the value of comparable metrics for employment outcomes.

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Many states are receiving more research requests for data from their statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) than ever. With the volume of requests received and sensitivity of the data, these states seek to develop processes or enhance existing processes to ensure compliance with privacy regulations and concerns, transparent processes and practices, and timely responses, among others.

A formal research request process supports SLDS data use by managing the agency staff time and resources required to fulfill requests for data, ensuring that SLDS staff members know how to properly process and fulfill requests, and more. Texas representatives share how they built their research process and agenda, and the outcomes of both.

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Data conferences are helpful tools for states seeking to increase communication about their SLDS. Conferences hold other opportunities for states as well, including learning about stakeholder priorities, sharing research opportunities, and demonstrating best practices, among others.

Three states—Oklahoma, Maryland, and Georgia—share their strategies and perspectives and provide information on creating and managing state data conferences.

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Representatives from Tennessee share how they are connecting educator talent and educator preparation program (EPP) data systems to support EPPs and improve program approval and accountability. They demonstrate the Annual Reports on Educator Preparation, which include a data insights tool that supports EPPs' use of data to discover areas of strength and opportunities for continuous improvement. They also discuss how local education agencies and EPPs are using the data to improve their collaboration and practice.

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As states near the end of their SLDS grant, they must consider how to obtain the support and funding needed to sustain their data systems. In this webinar, two states, Montana and Minnesota, share their efforts to gain widespread use and funding for their SLDSs. Learn about Montana’s stakeholder survey and use of social, and Minnesota’s promotion of their SLEDS system.

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As states approach the end to their SLDS grants, how do they continue to maintain the SLDS after the grant ends? Representatives from Minnesota, Illinois, and Montana share how they approached sustainability planning, and how they're ensuring their SLDSs are sustained in the future.

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This webinar discusses how two states have implemented processes to engage their early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) users throughout the systems' development. Representatives from Georgia and Minnesota share their progress and lessons learned for integrating and using data in their ECIDSs. SLDS State Support Team experts also present information about progress on ECIDS work nationwide and resources to help state ECIDS teams build and improve their systems.

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State report cards are a vital source of information about the progress of schools, districts, and the state overall for parents, students, families, communities, policymakers, and the general public. In this webinar, representatives from Iowa, Michigan, and Georgia discuss their work to transform their state and district report cards to address new requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

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This webinar highlights approaches to enhancing the effectiveness of data collaboration efforts while impacting policy and programs in a positive way. Representatives from Wisconsin discuss integrating the results of studies into organizational culture and becoming transparent about data use, as well as how research results impact policy and programs in their state.

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EDFacts is a U.S. Department of Education initiative to collect and analyze K12 education data to inform policymaking, program management, and budget decisions. This webinar provides insights for SEA SLDS teams, program administrators, and EDFacts coordinators, and it highlights opportunities to collaborate and resources available to support and streamline the EDFacts reporting process. Representatives from the EDFacts Partner Support Center share examples of how the data are used at the federal level and reinforce the importance of quality data to inform policy and support decisionmaking.

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This webinar highlights efforts in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to establish and maintain data use training programs that are sustainable without grant funding. State representatives discuss planning the transition from grant-funded to state-supported programs and data use training strategies, delivery mechanisms, and resources required.

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Representatives from the National Forum on Education Statistics, the Privacy Technical Assistance Center, the Regional Educational Laboratory network, and the SLDS program provide helpful information for state and local education agencies interested in working with researchers. Panelists discuss the benefits and processes for partnering with researchers to use SLDS data effectively to support states’ program goals and to address critical policy questions.

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Many states are in the process of developing or have developed a research agenda to support the use of SLDS data in meeting their strategic goals. Representatives from Mississippi and Montana discuss the progress they have made on their research agendas, how research agenda work has contributed to the overall sustainability of their SLDSs, their expectations for the future, and the lessons they have learned that can inform other states’ efforts.

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Three collaborating organizations and states discuss recent work related to integrating and using early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) data. Speakers cover the use of home visiting data, early childhood special education and early intervention data, and building analytic capacity.

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Representatives from Ohio, Georgia, and Idaho demonstrate their use of P-20W+ data to examine students' postsecondary and employment outcomes. They also discuss how they engage stakeholders to accomplish their SLDS objectives and how the continual expansion of P-20W+ data use has affected stakeholder buy-in and SLDS sustainability.

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Representatives from the National Forum on Education Statistics, the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) network, and the SLDS Grant Program provide helpful information for state and local education agencies dealing with displaced students due to extreme weather events or other crises. They discuss how to manage data for students moving into or out of an agency, privacy considerations, practitioners’ perspectives, and contact information for additional support.

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Many states are looking for ways to use SLDS data to help students explore options for secondary education and apply to colleges in their state. Representatives from Iowa and Idaho discuss using data to support college admissions, including direct admissions initiatives, readiness indicators, and aligning high school course lists with college admissions expectations. They also discuss engaging stakeholders before, during, and after development of this P-20W+ process and the benefits of cross-sector collaboration.

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In this webinar, representatives from Illinois, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island discuss what they have done to build their financial capacity reporting, the strategies they have used to create actionable financial reports, how they have engaged stakeholders, and what data visualization tools they are using. They also share lessons learned from their work and next steps.

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By understanding labor markets for educators, states can better equip educator preparation programs and school districts with information to train and manage teachers. Representatives from Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, and Ohio discuss the data sources they use to examine teacher labor markets, the analyses they have conducted thus far, and how they plan to use the information they discovered.

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This training webinar walks through the GRADS360° features that are commonly used by SLDS grantees, including project plan maintenance, budget maintenance, and grantee contacts. It also reviews additional features including workgroups, the email listserv, and the Public Domain Clearinghouse document repository.

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The Tennessee Department of Education has revamped its educator preparation provider (EPP) approval process. This webinar details the new approval process, how the state engaged stakeholders in reviewing the process, and the development of a portal that will both facilitate the process and share information with EPPs and K12 stakeholders. The webinar also discusses Tennessee's efforts to identify and use research regarding EPP attributes that might affect the future success of teachers.

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States’ SLDSs continue to grow as agencies add more years of data, integrate data from additional program areas, and form partnerships with other agencies and sectors. This increasing scope of data can provide value to a broader set of stakeholders, but these stakeholders often do not have a full understanding of the SLDS data and tools available. Representatives from Minnesota, Hawaii, and Maryland share their approaches to evaluating stakeholders’ use of the SLDS, what they have learned from these efforts, and their next steps.

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Establishing a strong culture of data sharing and use will help SLDS teams weather the impact of changes in their states and agencies over time. Stakeholders who know how to use data in decisionmaking and understand the value of data can help resolve issues related to leadership change, sustainability, and expanding data sharing. Representatives from Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington discuss vital components of their states' data cultures and how they plan to continue fostering a culture of data sharing and use.

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This webinar provides an overview of how the SLDS State Support Team (SST) and the Center for the Integration of IDEA Data Technical Assistance Center (CIID TA) collaborate to provide states the support they need. The SST and CIID TA work together to leverage complementary experience, expertise, skills, and tools to respond to states' requests. This webinar also outlines what resources are available through CIID, gives an overview of the Generate tool, and highlights Oklahoma's experience.

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Sustainable SLDS programs require the collaboration and support of partners, which may be internal or external to the SLDS program. Representatives from Iowa, Illinois, Montana, and Nebraska discuss the partners involved in SLDS work in their states and how they take advantage of these partnerships to ensure that their SLDSs endure and improve into the future.

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Representatives from Maryland, New Hampshire, and Texas describe how they have integrated local-level data—including formative assessment data and perception data—into their SLDSs. They discuss strategies and best practices for supporting educators as they use these data to inform instructional and programmatic decisions.

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Linking employment data with education data can help states measure the post-graduate outcomes of education programs. In this webinar, representatives from Connecticut and North Dakota discuss the reasons to link education data and employment data, what sources to use for employment data, and methods of linking education data with employment data. They also provide examples of employment and outcome measures from their states.

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With the increasing focus on financial transparency, a growing number of states are connecting with state and district education finance teams to determine the information needed to inform conversations around fiscal equity and return on investment for programs, schools, and students. Representatives from Illinois, Massachusetts, and West Virginia discuss how their states are working with stakeholders to gather, share, and use financial data.

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Federal representatives discuss the key points from the new joint policy statement, "The Integration of Early Childhood Data: State Profiles and a Report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education." The SLDS State Support Team shares ways to use the report to support states' early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) work.

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This webinar highlights the District of Columbia’s bi-directional data sharing efforts with social service agencies to better identify and support homeless students and families.

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Representatives from Maryland and North Dakota discuss educator data literacy and data use training including developing training, setting goals and themes for training, and how training is packaged and delivered to educators. They also address future challenges and lessons learned.

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Representatives from North Carolina provide an overview of the North Carolina Early Childhood Integrated Data System (NC ECIDS). NC ECIDS is the state's sole source for integrated early childhood data from selected state education, health, and social services programs. It allows the state to provide distinct counts of the number of children served between and across these early childhood state programs.

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Data governance establishes responsibility for data, organizing program area staff to collaboratively and continuously improve data quality and use through the systematic creation and enforcement of policies, roles, responsibilities, and procedures. Most states have had some form of data governance in place for several years. In this webinar, representatives from Montana and Washington discuss how data governance has evolved in their states, challenges they have faced, and tips for sustaining data governance.

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This webinar is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used early childhood data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific stakeholder questions. It features representatives from Vermont discussing Vermont Insights, an online interactive site that allows users to find and use data to understand the well-being of Vermont’s children, families, and communities. The webinar was hosted jointly by the SLDS State Support Team and the Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance Program.

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Some states are increasing structural capacity through the development of a research request process. In this webinar Arizona and Hawaii: discuss how they developed their processes, who was involved, how they engaged stakeholders, benefits and challenges, and tips for other states beginning to develop their own research request processes. View webinar

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In this webinar, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia discuss how they have supported local education agencies (LEAs) with the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). In addition, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will describe plans for the 2015–16 CRDC collection, including timeline and plans for support and tools.

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In this webinar, three states share strategies, resources, and experience about how to provide educators with capacity and supports to use data effectively. Topics include: developing user-friendly data products; incorporating local data (including perceptual data) into SLDS reporting; data literacy and use courses; data interpretation guides; establishing a common inquiry process.

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An increasing number of states are seeking to collaborate with external researchers to further their capability to fulfill their research agendas and ultimately make informed policy decisions that impact students and the workforce. This webinar showcases Rhode Island, Montana, and Wisconsin, three states that have developed successful partnerships with researchers.

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By linking employment and education data, states are able to identify successes for individuals who have higher education attainment and challenges for those who do not. This webinar focuses on the process of linking education and employment data, sources of the data, descriptions and cautions when using the data, and how states are using these data to inform effective education policy as well as economic development.

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Representatives from North Carolina discuss their state's work to build and use data from an early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS). This webinar is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used ECIDS data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific questions.

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This webinar is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used ECIDS data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific questions. This webinar provides an overview of the Minnesota Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS).

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The processes for resolving multiple-ID situations can significantly impact the quality of the data. This webinar, hosted by the SLDS Data Linking Workgroup, features state panelists from Kentucky, Washington, and Michigan sharing their processes for handling situations when multiple state IDs are created for the same student. The states also discuss how they use probabilistic matching techniques to connect records across programs and organizations where different IDs have to be brought together for common use.

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Representatives from Texas, Hawaii, and Connecticut discuss their processes for matching individual records across education and workforce agencies, how they determine the rate of successful matches, and challenges related to measuring and improving the match rate.

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States face many data management challenges while working to expand and sustain their statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs). The Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) and its associated tools can help states address these challenges as well as other common data management practices and activities. This webinar highlights the efforts and plans of two states, North Carolina and Virginia, to use CEDS to further their SLDS work.

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This webinar focuses on the use of outcomes data at both the secondary and the postsecondary levels. Maryland, Idaho, and Kentucky share information on graduation rates and employment, along with other outcomes data and the role they play in depicting the role education plays in student success.

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For nine months, the 13-state Data Use Standards Workgroup addressed the question: What do educators need to know and be able to do to effectively use data in support of student learning and success? In this webinar, workgroup members from South Dakota and Hawaii described how the workgroup identified the critical knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors that teachers and administrators need to use data well. They then hosted an interactive discussion with participants to garner feedback on how the resource can be used and improved.

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 Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Behaviors for Educators to Use Data Effectively (907 KB)

Calculating the costs of building, operating, maintaining, and using a data system is a challenging but necessary exercise for states to understand the value of an SLDS. Jeff Sellers of the State Support Team (SST) led panelists Peter Tamayo of Washington State and Brian Townsend of Vermont in a discussion of calculation methods and special considerations when estimating total cost of ownership.

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 Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Studies (1.60 MB)

Postsecondary and workforce institutions have valuable information to contribute to longitudinal data systems and also offer unique perspectives on ways to use shared data. This webinar discusses challenges and approaches to engaging postsecondary and workforce stakeholders based on the experience of SLDS projects in Washington State, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.

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Sustainability for an SLDS can take many forms, the most important of which may be showing the value of the data in informing decisions. Continued support for the SLDS requires showing that the end results are worth the significant investment of time, money, and resources. Using the experiences of Wisconsin, Texas, and Idaho, this webinar covers measuring and documenting return on investment (ROI).

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In general, data governance refers to the overall management of the availability, usability, integrity, quality, and security of data. A sound data governance program includes a governing body or council, a definition and allocation of authority, a defined set of procedures, and a plan to execute those procedures. During a webinar sponsored by the SLDS Grant Program, three states experienced with P-20W data governance shared their states’ stories and offered best practices.

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 P–20 Data Governance Webinar (3.23 MB)

The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, and Oregon about stakeholder communication. The call enabled states to share strategies and lessons learned around communication with districts, program offices, and state legislatures, and resulted in an SLDS Best Practices Brief, Stakeholder Communications: Tips from the States PDF File (2.6MB). For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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  Stakeholder Communications: Tips from the States (2.6 MB)

The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Alaska, Kansas, Maine, and Massachusetts about regional data sharing. The call allowed states to hear the steps others have taken toward developing regional data sharing initiatives and included conversation around the technical and policy roadblocks each data sharing effort has encountered. Specific regional data sharing initiatives that were discussed included efforts underway in New England, the Midwest, and among the WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) states. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Arkansas, Colorado, and Connecticut about federated data models. The call addressed strategies for sharing data across agencies without the use of a "mega-warehouse," and the data sharing mechanisms, governance efforts, and challenges faced when employing a federated model. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin about postsecondary data sharing. The call addressed strategies for matching records, data architecture, feedback reports, and other data sharing mechanisms and challenges. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin about Statewide Student Information Systems (SIS). The call allowed states to hear the steps others have taken toward the adoption of a statewide system, barriers encountered and potential solutions, as well as information about vendors used and related state legislation. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS team facilitated a discussion between Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Texas about sub-grants to districts, lessons learned, and the best practices today. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin about tracking courses and grades. The call addressed aligning local and state course codes and grades, tracking information from elementary schools, and other data collection challenges. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS team facilitated a discussion with Florida, Kentucky, and Rhode Island about research consortia and how to best utilize them along with a statewide longitudinal data system. For a recording of the conversation, please contact Kristen King.

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The SLDS workgroup participants include Iowa, Ohio, Arkansas, Alaska, Delaware, Missouri, and Florida. The workgroup has calls to review growth models used by states, determine the impact that implementation has on states, and to identify best practices as growth models are implemented in states. For a recording of any of the conversations, please contact Kristen King.

Past Calls/Webinars:
Jan. 9, 2012
October 3, 2011
August 15, 2011
July 8, 2011

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The SLDS workgroup participants are Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. The workgroup has calls about strategies and best practices for addressing challenges in building a P-20/Workforce SLDS. For a recording of any of the conversations, please contact Kristen King.

Past Calls/Webinars:
July 11, 2011
May 16, 2011
April 25, 2011
March 28, 2011
January 12, 2011

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The SLDS workgroup participants include Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. The workgroup has quarterly calls about vertical and horizontal interoperability and the use of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) in their states. For a recording of any of the conversations, please contact Kristen King.

Past Calls/Webinars:
June 14, 2011
March 15, 2011
December 14, 2010
September 14, 2010
June 16, 2010
April 14, 2010

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Early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDSs) can help state leaders and stakeholders answer essential policy and program questions. However, for a variety of reasons, states are finding that ECIDS data are not being used to their fullest potential. Representatives from Minnesota and Wisconsin discuss their progress toward developing ECIDSs, the essential policy and program questions their systems can answer, reports that their systems generate, and how they train users to use ECIDS data.

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Representatives from Utah, Texas, and Kansas share how they use their ECIDSs and SLDSs to address collecting and using information horizontally about children who are served in multiple early childhood programs as well as vertically for children as they move from early childhood programs to early elementary school. Experts also discuss how the Common Education Data Standards can help states integrate data across early childhood programs.

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This webinar discusses how two states have implemented processes to engage their early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) users throughout the systems' development. Representatives from Georgia and Minnesota share their progress and lessons learned for integrating and using data in their ECIDSs. SLDS State Support Team experts also present information about progress on ECIDS work nationwide and resources to help state ECIDS teams build and improve their systems.

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Three collaborating organizations and states discuss recent work related to integrating and using early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) data. Speakers cover the use of home visiting data, early childhood special education and early intervention data, and building analytic capacity.

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Federal representatives discuss the key points from the new joint policy statement, "The Integration of Early Childhood Data: State Profiles and a Report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education." The SLDS State Support Team shares ways to use the report to support states' early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) work.

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This webinar highlights the District of Columbia’s bi-directional data sharing efforts with social service agencies to better identify and support homeless students and families.

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Representatives from North Carolina provide an overview of the North Carolina Early Childhood Integrated Data System (NC ECIDS). NC ECIDS is the state's sole source for integrated early childhood data from selected state education, health, and social services programs. It allows the state to provide distinct counts of the number of children served between and across these early childhood state programs.

View webinar

This webinar is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used early childhood data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific stakeholder questions. It features representatives from Vermont discussing Vermont Insights, an online interactive site that allows users to find and use data to understand the well-being of Vermont’s children, families, and communities. The webinar was hosted jointly by the SLDS State Support Team and the Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance Program.

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Representatives from North Carolina discuss their state's work to build and use data from an early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS). This webinar is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used ECIDS data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific questions.

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This webinar is part of a series of spotlights intended to show how some states have used ECIDS data to create data tools, reports, and other resources to answer specific questions. This webinar provides an overview of the Minnesota Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS).

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