I see an inherent clash in the requirements being discussed on the forum today:
- On one hand,
schools are not to ask for demographic information. (Thank you, Val, for
posting this link.)
- On the other hand, schools are to collect demographic information, into the
Statewide Longitudinal Data System.
- When demographic information exists for a particular student in the SLDS, the ability must exist
to share data from preschool through postsecondary education data systems. Therefore it appears that other schools to which a student applies would have access to this data.
The specific data to be collected and stored is: US DoE factsheet, July 2009.
To receive State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, a state must provide an assurance that it will establish a longitudinal data system that includes the 12 elements described in the America COMPETES Act, and any data system developed with Statewide longitudinal data system funds must include at least these 12 elements. The elements are:
1.An unique identifier for every student that does not permit a student to be individually identified (except as permitted by federal and state law);
2.The school enrollment history, demographic characteristics, and program participation record of every student;
3.Information on when a student enrolls, transfers, drops out, or graduates from a school;
4.Students scores on tests required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;
5.Information on students who are not tested, by grade and subject;
6.Students scores on tests measuring whether they're ready for college;
7.A way to identify teachers and to match teachers to their students;
8.Information from students' transcripts, specifically courses taken and grades earned;
9.Data on students' success in college, including whether they enrolled in remedial courses;
10.Data on whether K-12 students are prepared to succeed in college;
11.A system of auditing data for quality, validity, and reliability; and
12.The ability to share data from preschool through postsecondary education data systems.
While DeVos might inherit this, it was created under a different administration.
