All the Data You Want Except What You Need: A New Climate for Student Data

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Data Use in Education Policy and Practice

Abstract

This paper describes the experience of an evaluation team in their effort to obtain individual student data to evaluate a statewide Virtual Advanced Placement Program. Public concern and media discussion about testing, teacher evaluation, and student confidentiality led to changes in state law and regulation without a clear plan for external program evaluation. In spite of two signed Memorandums of Agreement and 5 year data sharing plan with the State, Human Subjects approval, a spreadsheet and codebook, and development of a secure data transfer plan, the team was unable as yet to get the individual student data. Given recent concerns about potential federal legislation, this is an important topic for discussion.

Authors

• Pamela A. Sandoval, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Nicole Scarlett Fenty, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Andrea Emilia Allio, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Angela VandenBroek, Binghamton University - SUNY