Overview

1. A project funded by the US Department of Education Coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers Overview An overview of NEDM The National Education Data Model Hugh Walkup Beth Young Shadd Schutte 7-27-2010, NCES Conference

2. What is NEDM? • The National Education Data Model is a P-20 data resource and a catalog of standardized core education data sets • What does that mean? • NEDM aims to create a catalog of commonly used data sets and describe the relationship between each data set • NEDM aims to create an open framework based on current standards to build education data systems • NEDM Provides: • Standard data definitions • Coding strategies • Data element standards • Relationships • Best practices “Every well built house started in the form of a definite purpose plus a definite plan in the nature of a set of blueprints”-Napoleon Hill

3. A blueprint of data available for current and future collection and reporting A framework providing Districts and States to decide with the capability to individually decide what data to collect and maintain A set of consistent data definitions and an architecture that will allow improved data quality as well as interoperability A framework for local/state/federal RFP generation NEDM Priorities

4. WhatDoes NEDM Do? • The National Education Data Model, designed to understand the information required for teaching, learning, and administrative systems can be used by • Educators • Use the Data Model to identify requirements • Perform gap analysis • Vendors • Use the Data Model to identify requirements • Extract a software-specific conceptual model • Build logical and physical models • Researchers • Prepare a research design

5. Who NEDM? • Educators/Administrators/Policymakers • Provides a research capability for educators to comprehend mass amounts of data with relative ease • Utilizing data within the core data set enables them to verify areas of need and areas of strength • Have a vested interest in creating uniform policies but would not directly use NEDM • Researchers • Having an easily navigable core data set allows researchers to create viewable data that can aid in the improvement of the education system • Data Managers • They can act as valuable points of contact that can provide insight into which information is vital to include • System Developers • So they can provide interoperable systems that can integrate data and work with NEDM to create value

6. Why NEDM? So everyone doesn’t have to start from scratch. So databases can talk to each other. So we can decide what data we need and how to use it. So we can align with existing definitions, data sets, and reporting requirements. So our data systems support our processes and inform their improvement.

7. Why Now? • Significant investments are being made in education that are tied to outcomes • Without robust education data systems that can evaluate and track outcomes we cannot measurably improve educational outcomes • The time is now to break down silos • Common definitions (Classifications, entities, attributes) • Let’s determine what we have that works and institutionalize it. • Elevate and implement best practices • Relevant data sets (SIFA, PESC, SCROM) • Determination of what data points really matter and to whom • Teachers, students, staff, parents • Relationships • Building the bridges that between data silos that have formed in our education eco systems

8. NEDM is NOT… • Responsible for telling districts or states how they should be administering their schools and education systems • A model that dictates what physical design districts and state should be using for housing data

9. NEDM: What is new since the release in March 2010 • Forum Questions • Common Attributes • Expanded NEDM Views

10. Uses • National Level • Improves research • Informs policy makers • Connects data dots • State Level • Provides decision makers with quality data • Enables better evaluation for policy makers • School Level • Makes local decision making easier • Provides reliable information that makes determining what is needed for a school to succeed

11. NEDM: Forum Questions • Forum Task Force developed Version 1.0 of NEDM • Began by collecting “data questions” of task force members and their organizations • These questions were categorized and helped build the areas of the NEDM we see today • Coming full circle be mapping these original questions with specific NEDM items

12. NEDM Common Attributes • Some NEDM items are common across entities • Examples • ID Codes, Address information, Basic demographic information • Created a “pull-out” list of these common attributes in technical view • Can use these common attributes to list out differences

13. NEDM Expanded Views • NEDM has worked to include as many of the authoritative sources as possible. • NEDM contains within its core: • SIF specification mapping • PESC data mappings • DQC mappings • NCES handbook mappings • ARRA element mappings • NEDM will also include the CDS elements • And other data sources as we continue to expand the project.

14. Applicability • NEDM appeals to education as electronic health records appeals to the healthcare industry • By digitizing education information and making it viewable in a consistent manner it is a high performance way for education officials to spend their ARRA dollars • State use of the $4.35B Race to the top fund will be a primary method of funding improved data systems

15. For More Information View the official website at: http://www.nces.ed.gov/forum/datamodel/index.aspx For up to date information of the model, and feedback: www.educationdatamodel.org Hugh.Walkup@ed.gov bethyoung@qi-partners.com Shadd.Schutte@choicep20.com