Overview

A project funded by the US Department of EducationCoordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers

An overview of NEDMThe National Education Data Model

Hugh WalkupBeth Young

Shadd Schutte

7-27-2010, NCES Conference

• 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

What is NEDM?

“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

• 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

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

What Does NEDM Do?

• 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

Who NEDM?

1. So everyone doesn’t have to start from scratch.

2. So databases can talk to each other.3. So we can decide what data we need and how to use it.

4. So we can align with existing definitions, datasets, and reporting requirements.

5. So our data systems support our processes and inform their improvement.

Why NEDM?

• 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

Why Now?

• 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

NEDM is NOT…

NEDM: What is new since the release in March 2010

• Forum Questions• Common Attributes• Expanded NEDM Views

• 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

Uses

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

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

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.

• 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

Applicability

For More Information

For up to date information of the model, and feedback:www.educationdatamodel.org

View the official website at:http://www.nces.ed.gov/forum/datamodel/index.aspx

Hugh.Walkup@ed.gov bethyoung@qi-partners.com

Shadd.Schutte@choicep20.com