Data Collection
An overview of how data are collected and used in
Washington state.
Objectives
 List reasons why data are collected.
 Describe how data are collected and what
happens after collection.
 Identify ways in which data are reported to
stakeholders.
Why are data collected?
Data are used by educators at every level of the
system.
 Federal and state agencies use data to set policy and guide
funding recommendations.
 School administrators use data to select curriculum,
support programs, determine staffing, and repair facilities.
 Teachers use data on students and courses to make
instructional decisions.
Why are data collected?
Some federal laws require data collection.
The special education November child count determines the
funding received by school districts.
 Active, compliant special education students on November 1
 Least restrictive environment status
 Disability, gender, and bilingual status
Why are data collected?
Some federal laws require data collection.
The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) gathers data on key
education and civil rights issues in our nation’s public schools
for use by the U. S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil
Rights.
 Students that passed Algebra in grades 9-12
 Discipline records for students in all subgroups
 Students that took AP, SAT and ACT tests
Why are data collected?
Some state laws and regulations require data
collection.
The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of
all permanent laws now in force. Examples of RCWs that
drive data collection include:
 Chapter 28A.210 RCW Health – Screening and requirements –
Immunization Program.
 Chapter 28A.180 Transitional bilingual instruction program –
Guidelines and rules.
Why are data collected?
Some state laws and regulations require data
collection.
Regulations are a source of primary law in Washington State.
The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) arranges these
by subject or agency. Examples of WACs that drive data
collection include:
 Chapter 180-16 State support of public schools WAC Section 210:
Identifies Kindergarten through grade three students to classroom
teacher ratio requirement.
 Chapter 180-51 High School graduation requirements WAC Section
115: Identifies procedures for granting high school graduation credits
for students with special educational needs.
Why are data collected?
Most data are used locally by teachers, schools, and
districts.
Data-informed decisions are the heart of work with students
and families. For example, data can be used to determine:
 How to direct local levy dollars.
 The number of staff needed for a program.
 Plan instruction based on results of formative assessment.
How are data collected?
Some data are submitted to the Comprehensive
Education Data and Research System (CEDARS).
 CEDARS is a warehouse of educational data.
 Districts report 15 files of data including courses, students and
teachers, absences, and discipline.
 Course data includes standardized state course codes.
 Student data includes demographics, enrollment information,
schedules, grades and program participation.
 Teacher data includes demographics, certificates, and schedules.
How are data collected?
Most districts use a student information system,
such as Skyward, to collect data for CEDARS.
Student
Information
System
Data Files
Extracted
CEDARS
Submission
 Student name, identification
number, address, demographics
 Attendance
 Coursework and grades
 Discipline
Validations
Add to
Database
How are data collected?
The data are extracted into fifteen files that are
submitted at least monthly to OSPI.
Student
Information
System
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Data Files
Extracted
School codes
Student demographics
Student school enrollment
Courses offered
Student schedules
Student transcripts
Limited English proficiency
Special education
CEDARS
Submission
Validations
Add to
Database
9. Student programs
10. Staff demographics & certificate numbers
11. Staff schedules
12. Student ethnicity
13. Student race
14. Student absences
15. Student discipline
How are data collected?
A zipped folder that contains the data files is
submitted to CEDARS.
Student
Information
System




Data Files
Extracted
CEDARS
Submission
Validations
Add to
Database
File names and layout are specified in the CEDARS Data Manual.
The 15 files come to OSPI in a zipped (compressed) file.
Some vendors support and perform the data extract and submission process.
The Secure File Transport Protocol (SFTP) process ensures the data are sent
securely.
How are data collected?
The files are run through three validation processes
to identify any errors.
Student
Information
System
Data Files
Extracted
CEDARS
Submission
Validations
Add to
Database

Example errors include
 Structural Errors: named incorrectly, wrong headers, too few or too many
files
 Business submission exceptions or errors
 Logical Deletes: after a new submission has been checked for errors, CEDARS
deletes any records from previous submissions that it cannot identify in the
new submission

Data may need to be corrected and resubmitted.
How are data collected?
Files are then loaded into the CEDARS database for
use in reports.
Student
Information
System
Data Files
Extracted
CEDARS
Submission
Validations
Add to
Database
How are data collected?
Other data are collected through school
apportionment and financial services.
P223 and P223H
 Enrollment data that are reported to OSPI monthly.
 Determines state apportionment (funding) for basic and special
education.
S275
 Provides a record of certificated and classified employees of the
school districts and educational service districts of the state of
Washington.
How are data collected?
Some data are used to populate applications in the
Education Data System (EDS). Additional data are
then added by districts.
Adjusted Cohort Graduation Application (P210)
 Provides graduation and dropout statistics for Washington’s counties,
districts and schools.
Annual CTE Student Enrollment Review (P210 Voc)
 Provides data for the Career and Technical Education end of year
report.
Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT)
 Determines the highly qualified status of teachers.
How are data reported?
Similar to CEDARS, OSPI reports data to the federal
government, using the Education Data Exchange
Network (EDEN).
 EDEN collects data required for federal reports such as special
education, safe and drug free schools, and the National Center for
Education Statistics’ Common Core of Data.
How are data reported?
Some data are reported to the public.
Report Card and K-12 Data and Reports on the OSPI website




Demographic and teacher information
Dropout rates
Test scores
Other data from CEDARS
Department of Health Annual School Report
 Vaccination compliance for K-12 students
 The assessment of district student health services tracks student
health conditions and their severity levels.
How are data reported?
Schools and districts depend on the data they
submitted.
Reports are created for school improvement, planning
decisions for school boards, and grant applications.
How are data reported?
Other requests are made by private citizens.
 Educational researchers
 Legislators and policy makers
 Public disclosure requests
Review
 List reasons why data are collected.
 Describe how data are collected and what
happens after collection.
 Identify ways in which data are reported to
stakeholders.
Want more?
Visit http://www.k12.wa.us/CEDARS/dataquality/
Discussion
 How does a culture of data quality affect the
collection and use of data?
 What are the effects on data reporting and
use from a data element you capture or
collect? For example, what happens to the
attendance data a teacher reports in his or her
classroom?