VT Census Case Studies : North Carolina K-12 Education

Created and last modified by ziemer on 12 Aug 2015

Variables included in the Dataset:

K-12

  • Demographics
  • School
  • District
  • Attendance/Dropout
  • Grades/GPA
  • Courses
  • Test scores
  • ACT/SAT
  • Disciplinary action
  • Teacher info (salaries, etc.)

Higher Education

  • Demographics
  • Type of college
  • Enrollment
  • Courses
  • Major
  • Grades
  • Tuition/Scholarships

Workforce

  • Demographics
  • Salary
  • Industry

Link: https://childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu/research/nc-education-data-center/

 

Date Inventory Completed: 5/22/15

Screening

  • Is there data available for 2013?
  • Can we access the data by August 15th?

Does this dataset appear to meet our needs for the Census study? YES

Explanation: We currently have many of these datasets. However, it does not appear at this time that K-12 education data can be linked with higher education or workforce data. North Carolina has received a grant to create a P-20W longitudinal education system, however, this system is not yet operational: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/data/ncp-20w/

Full Inventory 

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of the organization collecting the data?

North Carolina Education Research Data Center is "an ongoing project was established in 2000 through a partnership with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to store and manage data on the state’s public schools, students and teachers. The Data Center provides researchers and the broader policy community with ready access to the data that they need for policy-oriented research."


  • Who else uses the data? (make a note if they sell the data to companies)

Researchers, policy-makers, government agencies


Description

  • What is the general topic of the data?
  • K-12 Student Information
  • Higher Education Student Information
  • Workforce Information
  • Longitudinal Education Information (includes K-12, Higher Ed, and/or Workforce)

 

  • What are the earliest and latest dates for which data is available?

1995-2014, but it depends on the dataset. Some data is only available starting at 2006 (e.g., student level demographics and attendance). 2014 is available for most of the data, however, we do not currently have that data.

  • How soon after a reference period ends can a data source be prepared and provided?

Less than one year.


Method

  • What is the data collection method (portal, other)?

Electronic

  • What is the raw source of the collected data (teacher, superintendent)?

One approved data person per site: http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/data/management/policies/quality/dmg-2008-004-dq.pdf


Selectivity (conversely, the representativeness)

  • What is the universe (e.g., population) that the data represents?

Public schools and charter schools


Stability/Coherence

  • Note any changes to the universe of data being captured (e.g., including private schools).

Any changes are noted in the codebooks.

  • Note any changes to the data capture method or sources of data.

In the codebooks, there is a description of discrepancies between the years in which the data are collected. NCDPI does not collect the same variables each year. To the greatest extent possible, the NCERDC has ensured that in year-to-year comparisons, variables are named, labeled, and formatted consistently so that, for example, “learning disabled” in the 2001 files is coded the same way as “learning disabled” in the 2000 files.  However, sometimes NCDPI changed the way that variables were categorized.  For example, Parent Educational Attainment has more categories in the 2000 file than it does in the 2001 file.   The range of the test scores and proficiency cutoff levels for End of Grade tests vary across years:  the range of scores for End of Grade 3 math test in 2001 differs from the range of scores for End of Grade 3 math test in 2000.  Such year-to-year changes are noted in this codebook.


Metadata

  • Is there a description of each variable in the source along with their valid values? 

Yes

  • Are there unique IDs for unique elements that can be used for linking data?

Yes, student ids can also be linked to classes and teachers.

  • Can K-12 be linked to higher ed or higher ed to workforce? 

Yes: http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/data/ncp-20w/

 

Accuracy

  • Any known sources of error? 

Missing data, data entry errors, inconsistencies across datasets (e.g., in terms of a student's demographics)

  • Describe any quality control checks performed by the state (or data manager).

LEA and school codes are standardized for merging with other files. NCERDC performs internal consistency checks and validity checks for each file.


Accessibility

  • How is the school-level data accessed (note if it needs to be screen scraped)?

http://www.ncschoolreportcard.org/src/. No screen scraping necessary because we already have the data.


  • How is the student-level data accessed?

The NCERDC data on students, teachers, and schools are available for research purposes only. Must submit a proposal and a data request form. The NCERDC will give higher priority to proposals that meet the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction priorities.

  • Note if IRB is needed or any other restrictions on accessing data. 

Data use agreement: https://childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu/pdfs/projects/NCERDC_Termsofagreement.pdf. Must submit an IRB.


  • Any records or fields collected, but not included in data source? 

They collect the home address of the students, but only report their location at the census block level.

  • Cost? - One time or annual or project based payment? 

The standard fee is $2210 but may be more if more data is needed.


Privacy and security

  • Note any confidentiality policies or legal limitations other than FERPA: 

Must sign a confidentiality agreement

  • What do they consider personally identifiable information?  

Data at the individual level.


Research

  • What research has been done with this dataset? 

Research topics have included the minority achievement gap, the shortage of qualified teachers, the consequences of school accountability and choice, the academic performance of at-risk children, and problem behavior in schools.


Describe any other notes you have or any gaps/concerns you see with this dataset:

State Exchange of Education Data (SEED) is a pilot project that will enable states to track, monitor, and share information for transfer students who cross state lines. Charter states currently participating in this project include Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia*, Kentucky*, North Carolina*, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/data/seed/