Grant Information
In their 2004 publication, Forum Guide to Building a Culture of Quality Data: A School & District Resource the National Forum on education Statistics described the need for quality data: We want trained data entry personnel who work in an environment that assists, not hinders, data entry. When people are doing important work, we want them to concentrate on the task. We do not expect, for example, the person preparing our tax returns to be eating lunch or talking on the phone with clients while entering our itemized deductions into a computer. However, those may be the conditions of a school secretary's life. And remember, bad data about a student or school can cause bigger problems than a lost tax refund. It is important to understand that "quality data" is not something that just occurs when an office clerk hits the right number on a keyboard. It is a process. We need to pay attention to the process involved because the information derived from school data is crucial. The intent of data entry and collection is to produce information that reflects reality -- that lets us know what is actually happening in a school. It is important for all staff members to understand the issues involved in data collection and data entry and to recognize that those issues reflect the values of the organization. Based on an analysis of these processes, we can work toward developing a "Culture of Quality Data" that will result in good information. Nebraska educators want to collect and publish the most reliable and useful data pliable. To further this goal we have formed the NE DATA PARTNERSHIP, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of education data in Nebraska. The Partnership is undertaking several projects to improve the quality of Nebraska education data:* Implementing the Curriculum for Improving Education Data- The Curriculum, released in the summer of 2007, provides on line and printed lesson plans, instructional handouts and resource material that will support PK-12 district and school staff in how to deal with issues pertaining to the production of high-quality data.
* Providing state-level training on improving data quality- Through a grant to the Nebraska Department of Education, additional training resources will be provided through the ESUs. The four new trainers will provide training and support for the Curriculum as will as training in state-level data systems
* Conducting an annual state data conference- The annual data conference will provide information, training and networking opportunities for PK-12 staff to improve the quality of their data. The first data conference will be April 28, 2008 in Kearney.
Curriculum for Improving Education Data