Showing posts with label nces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nces. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Using the National Education Data Model
At the NCES STATS-DC 2008 conference I co-presented with Vince Paredes on the National Education Data Model. My portion of the presentation focused on how we have started using the National Education Data Model in our data warehousing work. This is the link to a PDF version of the paper that is the basis for my presentation content. It is hosted on a Google Site because, to my knowledge, Blogger does not support PDF attachments. The unofficial site for the National Education Data Model is hosted at http://nces.sifinfo.org/datamodel.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Reflecting on STATS-DC 2008
Over the past two days I have spent much time preparing for talks, presenting, thinking, and talking with the nation's pK-20 data leaders. LEA's, SEA's, the U.S. Department of Education, and many commercial enterprises are represented here, each with ideas about the sharing of data and information. The concept of connectedness entered my mind many times, seeming to be the gravity-binder that keeps these ideas loosely interacting like masses at great distances. I was fortunate to be invited to participate in four talks: 1) Race/Ethnicity: It's all in the codes, or is it? 2) Implementation Forum: District Level Models 3) Using the Education Data Model in Longitudinal Data Systems and 4) The Evolution of the SIF Standard--Where We Are and Where We Are Going.
For the first presentation, I presented with Judi Barnett (CSIU), Barbara Andrepont (ESP Solutions Group), and Laurie Collins (SIF Association) on the work that the SIF Association has done to decipher the collection, sharing, and reporting of race and ethnicity. The crux of the issue is that states must transition to a new model for reporting race and ethnicity as separate concepts by 2010. My conclusion from all of the background work done is that we need to encourage storing race and ethnicity data at the maximum possible resolution.
The second presentation focused on trends experienced by a panel of SIF Association members. Consensus among this group, which is not generally achieved without much deliberation, was that the market is incredibly strong for SIF (and other interoperability solutions) and that all external factors are positive.
Although some would consider data models an extremely dry topic, the third presentation was actually a lot of fun for me. For the past several weeks I have been working with Vince Paredes, the SIF Association's Data Model Architect, on using the National Education Data Model in our work. We essentially conducted a gap analysis for a data mart that we are designing for a client against the National Education Data Model. I will post the paper developed for this presentation in a separate blog entry. Vince introduced the National Data Model and its concepts, and I followed up by going through our gap analysis step-by-step.
The final session punctuating my participative responsibilities in the conference focused on the Oklahoma Department of Education's SIF Profile proof of concept. A Profile is an extension of the SIF Implementation Specification that will be used, initially by SEA's, to fine tune the SIF Data Model and interoperability business rules to meet specific needs.
Through the acts of preparing, presenting, and communicating with colleagues at this conference, I feel as if I have had my eyes opened in new ways to the accomplishments of the present, and to huge potential on the horizon.
For the first presentation, I presented with Judi Barnett (CSIU), Barbara Andrepont (ESP Solutions Group), and Laurie Collins (SIF Association) on the work that the SIF Association has done to decipher the collection, sharing, and reporting of race and ethnicity. The crux of the issue is that states must transition to a new model for reporting race and ethnicity as separate concepts by 2010. My conclusion from all of the background work done is that we need to encourage storing race and ethnicity data at the maximum possible resolution.
The second presentation focused on trends experienced by a panel of SIF Association members. Consensus among this group, which is not generally achieved without much deliberation, was that the market is incredibly strong for SIF (and other interoperability solutions) and that all external factors are positive.
Although some would consider data models an extremely dry topic, the third presentation was actually a lot of fun for me. For the past several weeks I have been working with Vince Paredes, the SIF Association's Data Model Architect, on using the National Education Data Model in our work. We essentially conducted a gap analysis for a data mart that we are designing for a client against the National Education Data Model. I will post the paper developed for this presentation in a separate blog entry. Vince introduced the National Data Model and its concepts, and I followed up by going through our gap analysis step-by-step.
The final session punctuating my participative responsibilities in the conference focused on the Oklahoma Department of Education's SIF Profile proof of concept. A Profile is an extension of the SIF Implementation Specification that will be used, initially by SEA's, to fine tune the SIF Data Model and interoperability business rules to meet specific needs.
Through the acts of preparing, presenting, and communicating with colleagues at this conference, I feel as if I have had my eyes opened in new ways to the accomplishments of the present, and to huge potential on the horizon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
STATS-DC 2008
Next week I will be attending and presenting at the STATS-DC 2008 data conference in Bethesda, MD. Both presentations that I am a part of are on the SIF track of the conference. The National Education Data Model will be the focus of one of the presentations. My role will be to discuss how we have used it in one of our projects at work. The second presentation will cover what the SIF Association has done (and is doing) about collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data. If you are coming to the conference, please attend these sessions!
Friday, May 30, 2008
NCES Releases "The Condition of Education 2008"
This is a re-post of an IES Newsflash from ed.gov:
The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released "The Condition of Education 2008," a congressionally mandated report that provides an annual portrait of education in the United States. The 43 indicators included in this year's report cover all aspects of education, from early childhood through postsecondary education and from student achievement to school environment and resources. Among the report's findings:
* This year, public school enrollment is expected to approach about 50 million students. Total public school enrollment is projected to set new records each year from 2008 to 2017, at which time it is expected to reach 54.1 million.
* Minority students make up 43 percent of the public school enrollment overall and 48 percent in the South and 55 percent in the West.
* In 2005–06, about a third of Black students and a third of Hispanic students attended high-poverty schools compared with 4 percent of White students.
* Average reading scores of 4th- and 8th-graders were higher in 2007 than in 1992.
* Average mathematics scores increased 27 points for 4th-graders and 19 points for 8th-graders between 1990 and 2007.
* Among public high school students in the class of 2005, about three-fourths graduated on time.
* Since 1970, women's undergraduate enrollment has increased over three times as fast as men's. Currently, women make up 57 percent of undergraduate enrollment.
* In 2006, young adults with a bachelor's degree earned about $11,000 more than those with an associate’s degree, about $16,000 more than those who had completed high school, and more than twice as much than those who did not earn a high school diploma.
The full text of "The Condition of Education 2008," along with related data tables and indicators from previous years, can be viewed at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe .
The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released "The Condition of Education 2008," a congressionally mandated report that provides an annual portrait of education in the United States. The 43 indicators included in this year's report cover all aspects of education, from early childhood through postsecondary education and from student achievement to school environment and resources. Among the report's findings:
* This year, public school enrollment is expected to approach about 50 million students. Total public school enrollment is projected to set new records each year from 2008 to 2017, at which time it is expected to reach 54.1 million.
* Minority students make up 43 percent of the public school enrollment overall and 48 percent in the South and 55 percent in the West.
* In 2005–06, about a third of Black students and a third of Hispanic students attended high-poverty schools compared with 4 percent of White students.
* Average reading scores of 4th- and 8th-graders were higher in 2007 than in 1992.
* Average mathematics scores increased 27 points for 4th-graders and 19 points for 8th-graders between 1990 and 2007.
* Among public high school students in the class of 2005, about three-fourths graduated on time.
* Since 1970, women's undergraduate enrollment has increased over three times as fast as men's. Currently, women make up 57 percent of undergraduate enrollment.
* In 2006, young adults with a bachelor's degree earned about $11,000 more than those with an associate’s degree, about $16,000 more than those who had completed high school, and more than twice as much than those who did not earn a high school diploma.
The full text of "The Condition of Education 2008," along with related data tables and indicators from previous years, can be viewed at http://nces.ed.gov/programs
Thursday, May 1, 2008
National Data Model
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has developed a conceptual data model for the pK12 domain. Its primary goal is to generate dialog regarding the collection, movement, and use of data within the education system among a broad set of constituents.
Vince Paredes, SIFA's Data Model Architect, has been involved in this project extensively. At various presentations Vince has mentioned that he was initially unsure as to whether or not this type of model could be built. After evaluating different techniques the team settled on the use of a semantic approach to constructing the model. Semantic models provide rich context for data elements, implementing relationships as "first class" objects.
The data model site provides background information on the data model and includes an online viewer. You may also download the data model from the site and utilize tools like Protege and Swoop for detailed analysis and manipulation. Development of the model took place using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). At this time the data model cross-references to the NCES handbooks, but not to the SIF Data Model.
Vince Paredes, SIFA's Data Model Architect, has been involved in this project extensively. At various presentations Vince has mentioned that he was initially unsure as to whether or not this type of model could be built. After evaluating different techniques the team settled on the use of a semantic approach to constructing the model. Semantic models provide rich context for data elements, implementing relationships as "first class" objects.
The data model site provides background information on the data model and includes an online viewer. You may also download the data model from the site and utilize tools like Protege and Swoop for detailed analysis and manipulation. Development of the model took place using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). At this time the data model cross-references to the NCES handbooks, but not to the SIF Data Model.
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