AIR Alert # 39
Title: Common Education Data Standards Initiative
Prepared: May 2011
Type: Informational
Status: Development Underway
Prepared by: Hans P. L’Orange
Summary
This Alert provides information on the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)
Initiative. CEDS creates a “common vocabulary” of definitions, formats and code sets for
a subset of key K-12 data elements, key K-12 and postsecondary transition data elements,
and IPEDS-based data elements (development underway). The goal for CEDS is
voluntary adoption and wide acceptance of the definitions and formats within and across
states in both K-12 and postsecondary sectors. The standards are being developed with
the guidance, input and participation of a broad range of education stakeholders convened
by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of
Education (USED). Version 1.0 was released in September 2010 and includes 161 data
elements and their definitions. Development of CEDS Version 2.0 is currently underway
and will build on the work done in Version 1.0 to include more postsecondary, early
childhood and workforce development elements. Opportunities will be available in the
next few months to comment on and react to Version 2.0.
Current Status
There are two aligned but separate CEDS-based activities currently underway: (1) the
NCES-convened Stakeholder Group is developing the standards including definitions of
and formats for a subset of key data elements and (2) a group of partners (“The
Consortium”) is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support CEDS
advocacy, communication, adoption and implementation efforts. This Alert focuses only
on the Stakeholder standards development process.
Version 1 of the standards was released on September 10, 2010. The focus of Version 1.0
was a subset of key elements related to three critical uses of student data: K-12 student
record exchange, electronic transcripts (among K-12 institutions and between K-12 and
postsecondary), and high school feedback reports (from postsecondary). The intent was
to start with a manageable number of elements to ensure quality, focus on critical uses
and address the key persons, places and transitions in K-12 and postsecondary sectors.
This first version of the standards was developed by the Technical Working Group
(TWG) (precursor to the Stakeholder Group) which included representatives from: State
Education Agencies (SEAs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), state higher education
organizations, institutions of higher education, USED program offices, the Council of
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Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) , the State Higher Education Executive Officers
(SHEEO), the SIF Association, the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC),
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The
TWG was responsible for prioritizing the scope of CEDS, reviewing existing data
definitions and standards, publishing draft CEDS elements for comment, incorporating
comments received and finalizing each version.
The TWG reviewed and compared existing standards (i.e., definitions, code sets, and
formats) from commonly used standards such as the NCES Handbooks, Schools
Interoperability Framework (SIF), Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC),
Education Data Exchange Network (EDEN), and the Integrated Postsecondary Education
Data System (IPEDS) for each of the CEDS elements. After review and discussion
among TWG members, draft CEDS elements were shared with education stakeholders
via the CEDS website for review and comment. The TWG and its staff reviewed and
discussed comments from the public and reached consensus on the CEDS elements in
Version 1.0.
Development of CEDS Version 2 is currently underway by a reconvened and renamed
Stakeholder Group. The group was charged with the following:
1. Focus on linkages and transitions
2. Be mindful of project scope but at a minimum, cover mandatory federal reporting
3. Build on the past by incorporating existing standards
4. Build towards the future including increased attention on postsecondary
outcomes, early childhood and connections to the workforce.
Version 2 of the CEDS development includes more comprehensive postsecondary
participation including institutional representatives. The focus for the postsecondary
component of Version 2 is on the data elements required to complete IPEDS reporting.
There is an acknowledgment that postsecondary education and data requirements are
different from K-12 and a large number of the postsecondary institutions are private
institutions, that not all of the institutions are included in state-level data systems and that
the common thread for all postsecondary institutions is IPEDS reporting. The goal is to
develop foundational data standards and not performance standards. CEDS also is not:
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Required: Adoption of any or all of the Common Education Data Standards is
entirely voluntary.
A data collection: CEDS does not collect data.
A Federal unit record system or database: CEDS is a best practice for data
standardization to enable sharing between education systems.
Solely a U.S. Department of Education under-taking: CEDS is a collaborative
effort including state and federal education agencies, districts, schools, state
higher education organizations, institutions of higher education and national
organizations.
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Implications for Institutions
Institutional Researchers will want to follow The Common Education Data Standards
development given the increased interest at institutional, state and national levels on data
sharing and interoperability across the entire PK-20/W spectrum. The CEDS data
definitions also are being incorporated into the Race to the Top and the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) reporting requirements. While these reporting
requirements are largely K-12 responsibilities, there are increasing expectations for
linkages to postsecondary data systems for the state-level systems being developed with
these funds. The standards are also likely to be referenced in several current metrics
initiatives including Complete College America and the National Governors Association
Common Completion Metrics.
Institutions should take the opportunity to review the draft standards and respond with
comments reflecting any concerns during the two public review periods detailed in the
timeline below.
Timeline
The proposed schedule for CEDS 2.0 is as follows:
Mid May
Meeting: Define Scope with Stakeholder Group
May/June
Develop draft variables and technical specifications
Late June
Stakeholder Group feedback of draft variables and
technical specifications
Early July
Draft #1 of CEDS 2.0 released to the public
July
Public review and comment
Early August
One month public comment period closes
Early August
Meeting: Review comments from first draft
August/September
Revise variables and technical specifications
Stakeholder response report
Early October
Draft #2 of CEDS 2.0 released to the public
October
Public review and comment
Early November
One month public comment period closes
Early November
Meeting: Review comments from second draft
November/December Revise variables and technical specifications
January 2012
CEDS 2.0 elements and technical specifications released
Late January
Meeting: Evaluation of version 2 and planning version 3
Additional Resources
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/ceds/
NCES website with information on the standards
development process including resource material on the NCES Handbooks, current SIF
specifications, PESC standards, and EDFacts and IPEDS reporting.
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http://commoneddatastandards.org Consortium website focused on advocacy,
communication, adoption and implementation activities. FAQs, “myth busters,” and
resource materials for different audiences are available at this site.
Additional web material is currently under development and will be available shortly
through the two sites referenced above.
Representatives on the CEDS V2.0 Stakeholder (standards development) Group can be
found at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/ceds/representatives.asp
For more information on the CEDS development process contact Beth Young at Quality
Information Partners at bethyoung@QI-PARTNERS.COM or Tate Gould (NCES) at
Tate.Gould@ed.gov
For more information on Consortium activities contact John Blegen at The State Higher
Education Executive Officers at jblegen@sheeo.org
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