Michigan’s Center for Educational Performance and

Information (CEPI)

P-20 Data Connection Projects

American Recovery and Reinvestment ActState Fiscal Stabilization Fund

Overview

Public and private sources of funding are now beginning to require recipients to track longitudinal “results.”

- Push for comprehensive tracking of a student’s academic progress over time to better understand how the inputs (funding, programs, policies, etc.) impact learning over time

• No Child Left Behind Act

• Private foundations

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)

• $1.3 billion from State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to support education (P-20)

• The Four Assurances: CEPI’s focus is on “Improving Collection and Use of Data”

• America Competes Act – primary focus on systems containing elements of data and system-wide exchange processes from the Data Quality Campaign

• All ARRA sub-grantees require continued focus on data interoperability, P-20 connections and SLDS

America Competes Act

12 Essential Elements of a SLDS:

1. A unique statewide student identifier that does not permit a student to be individually identified by users of the system

2. Student-level enrollment, demographic and program participation information

3. Yearly test records of individual students with respect to assessments under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

4. Information on students not tested by grade and subject

5. A teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students

6. Student-level transcript information, including information on courses completed and grades earned

7. Student-level college readiness test scores

8. Student-level information about the points at which students exit, transfer in, transfer out, drop out, or complete P-20 education programs

9. The capacity to communicate with higher education data systems

10. Information regarding the extent to which students transition successfully from secondary school to postsecondary education, including whether students enroll in remedial coursework

11. Other information determined necessary to address alignment and adequate preparation for success in postsecondary education

12. A state data audit system assessing data quality, validity and reliability

P-20 Data Connection Projects

Overview Michigan is focused on ensuring that all students receive services that ensure

that they become career and college and ready.

Push for comprehensive tracking of a student’s academic progress over time to better understand how the inputs (funding, programs, policies, etc.) impact learning over time.

In the data world, this requires gathering and linking education information longitudinally, beginning at pre-kindergarten and tracking progress through postsecondary education (P-20).

The Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) was tasked with creating and managing the Michigan Statewide Longitudinal Data System (MSLDS) for the P-20 data connections.

CEPI’s work regarding the P-20 education data connection is currently focused on six critical projects.

6 Critical Projects

1. Unique Identifier Extension

2. E-Transcripts

3. Postsecondary Student-Level Data Collection

4. National Student Clearinghouse Data

5. Michigan Statewide Longitudinal Data System

6. Reporting of P-20 Data

Project #1: Unique Identifier Extension Goal: With the longitudinal tracking of student-level education

data, the state-assigned unique identifier previously assigned to PK-12 students must now follow the student into his/her postsecondary institution.

Solution: The Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Request for Unique Identification Code (UIC) Collection via the Michigan Student Database System (MSDS) to enable authorized staff members at postsecondary institutions to match existing student UICs, or acquire new UICs for students who have not previously been identified in the MSDS.

Status: Convened a workgroup from the onset, which determined the users of the system, the core field matching criteria and timelines. Matching criteria and weights did not have to change. Had frequent communication and training. Performed pilot testing before launch. All public and some independent IHEs are acquiring and using the UIC.

Web site: http://www.michigan.gov/cepi/0,4546,7-113-57943---,00.html.

Project #2: E-Transcripts Goal: The electronic transcript will carry the unique identifier from

high schools to IHEs. This will help to ensure the correct unique identifier is assigned to the student at the IHE.

Solution: Create the Michigan e-Transcript Initiative and partner with Parchment, Inc. (formerly Docufide, Inc.) to provide all high schools and IHEs with the electronic exchange of transcripts with the unique identifier included.

Benefits: Correct UIC is moving from high school into postsecondary and electronic transcripts creates efficiencies and cost savings to send, receive and process the transcript.

Status: 100% of public IHEs are receiving these e-Transcripts. 99% of our public high schools are registered to become senders. Almost a half million transcripts have been sent by MI high schools and the Initiative is only in its third year.

Web site: http://www.michigan.gov/cepi/0,4546,7-113-54112---,00.html.

Project #3: Postsecondary Data Collection Goal: Collect postsecondary student-level data

Solution: All public IHEs will upload student academic record data to the state via the Student Transcript and Academic Record Repository (STARR) Application. The data uploaded to the STARR will be pulled into the MSLDS to make the P-20 data connection. Analysis of the STARR data will allow reporting of postsecondary outcomes for each PK-12 school district.

Status: Convened a workgroup from the onset, which determined the data elements to collect, XML collection and timelines. Had frequent communication and training. Performed pilot testing before launch. All public and some independent IHEs are participating in the STARR data collection.

Web site: http://www.michigan.gov/cepi/0,4546,7-113-57943---,00.html.

Project #4: NSC Data Goal: To fully meet the requirements of a statewide

longitudinal data system, it is necessary to acquire data on high school students who attend an IHE outside of their home state. Thus, it is necessary to access the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data to determine the status of Michigan high school graduates who continue their education either out of state or at a non-STARR participating in-State institution.

Solution: Upload high school graduate data from CEPI to the NSC to locate MI students.

Status: The NSC data helps to fill the gaps from the STARR data collection. Uploads to NSC are during the summer to capture graduates/completers.

Project #5: MSLDS

Goal: To develop a system to connect the disparate data sets to create a P-20 education data connection.

Solution: Create the Michigan Statewide Longitudinal Data System (MSLDS) in coordination with a vendor to link, for example, PK-12 data to STARR and NSC data.

Status: Significant milestones have been met and work continues with adding new datasets.

Web site: http://www.michigan.gov/cepi/0,4546,7-113-56472---,00.html.

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Project #6: Reporting of P-20 Data Goal: Have a reporting mechanism to provide consistent,

accurate, timely and user-friendly PK-12, postsecondary and P-20 education data to the public, policy makers, school administrators, teachers, parents and other key stakeholders.

Solution: Create the MiSchoolData Portal, which will provide one location for consistent and accurate education data that has a common look and feel. The data can be accessed via queries with drill-down capabilities depending on user permissions.

Status: Prior FERPA constraints on providing individual-level data to the previous educating entity has been modified to enable the MSLDS to be more useful. Determined which reports would be most beneficial per phase. Adding new reports and portal functionality frequently. The look, feel and usability continues to improve.

Web site: www.michigan.gov/mischooldata.org.

Michigan Statewide Longitudinal Data System

Overview

National Overview

From a national perspective, the goals of a SLDS are to:

Interconnect PK-12, postsecondary and workforce data systems

Create a web portal that provides transparency to the data

Make possible collaborative relationships and governance structures

Incorporate student growth as a significant factor in teacher and principal evaluation systems

Provide data to researchers and other experts Enable accurate, consistent and efficient data reporting processes

MSLDSAdditionally, Michigan has distinct and diverse uses for our SLDS:

Career and College readiness evaluations

Teacher supply and demand studies

Four-year cohort graduation and dropout rate calculations

Great Start Readiness Program evaluation

Participation in studies such as: High Scope Longitudinal Study REL Late Hire Study

MSLDS Steps Step 1: Identify the Databases

Student Data (MSDS) Adult Education Data (MAERS) School Directory (EEM) Assessment Data (MEAP, MME) Financial Data (FID) Personnel Data (REP) Postsecondary School Data (STARR, NSC) Grant Recipient Data (MEGS) Workforce Data Other

Step 2: Apply Common Identifiers Step 3: Develop a Repository Step 4: Develop extraction, transformation and loading (ETL)

Processes

State and Federal Reporting

Researcher Access to Data

Databases

MSLDS

Reportswww.michigan.gov/mischooldata

Questions that could be answered

Audience

Snapshot Longitudinal

Teachers What percentage of the students in my eighth-grade class passed the state mathematics exam last year?

Are the students in my eighth-grade class, who started the year academically behind, progressing enough to likely catch up in the next two years?

School Administrators

Did the percentage of students passing the eighth-grade mathematics exam increase over the last year?

Which teachers in our school have been most successful with students who have had trouble with mathematics in prior years? How can we learn from, replicate, and leverage their success in other classrooms?

Policymakers

How many of this year’s eighth-grade students passed the state mathematics exam?

Which of our students’ difficulties in mathematics appear to be based on concepts not learned in previous years? How do we improve instruction in early grades to ensure that students learn those concepts?

Mi School Data Portal

• Purpose of the Portal

- Comprehensive views of Michigan education data to help improve instruction and

benefit Michigan’s children

- Enable school systems to prepare a higher percentage of students to succeed in

rigorous high school courses, college and challenging jobs

- Consistent data with a common look and feel

- Public and secure access

• Grant awarded to Macomb ISD; kicked off in November 2010

- Calhoun ISD and Shiawassee RESD as partners

• Builds on Data for Student Success (D4SS) and Annual Education Report

MSLDS Advisory Council and Workgroups Overview

Workgroup Overview

• P-20 Advisory Council – Governor Granholm issued an executive order to form an advisory council to recommend policy items for review by CEPI and will help establish model data-sharing agreements, memorandums of understanding and will inform CEPI of policy implications for various MSLDS data items being used for longitudinal analysis. It will also recommend research questions and policy issues to be addressed via the MSLDS.

• PK-12 Data Workgroup – This group is to be focused on implementation challenges and issues that arise in the course of establishing an MSLDS. The focus is on its area of expertise (PK-12) with effort devoted to identifying and overcoming challenges related to linking data sets to postsecondary and workforce records. This group will analyze issues brought up by the P-20 Advisory Council, recommend strategies for addressing them and implement approaches for accomplishing the work.

Workgroup Overview

• Adult Learner Data Workgroup – This group is focused on implementation challenges and issues aligned with adult learners and the workforce as the state works to address issues driven by the P-20 Advisory Council. This group will work on data exchange issues between institutions of higher education, the adult education community and the state.

• Research Collaborative – Michigan’s state-level research collaborative will assemble researchers from across the state and the Midwest region to collaborate on and contribute to the development of a research agenda targeting needs recommended by the P-20 Advisory Council. This group will enable the organization of a broad research capacity to address state education policy questions in a more coherent fashion. This state-level research collaborative will oversee several key data tasks: 1) work with the P-20 Advisory Council to set and prioritize a state research agenda, 2) ensure that student, school and system performance are measured meaningfully, 3) the technical and human capacity to use the data effectively in local education agencies, by research audiences and centrally, 4) review research proposals requiring state data, regardless of funding source, 5) establish guidelines and standards for proposal submission with data requests, and 6) make appropriate research results available to the public through the state’s education data portal.

1. How best to display the data

2. FERPA compliance

3. How stakeholders will use the data and the implications

4. Build capacity for data use to improve education and policy

Sample P-20 Advisory Council Guidance

1. Identify new data sources

2. Facilitate getting standard identifiers on records in new data sources

3. How best to apply changes in federal/state policies

1. What should/should not be connected

2. How to minimize duplicate efforts

3. Identify new policies that can drive new reports/use

4. What data analysis would be most beneficial