Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Student data is one of the most powerful ways to improve student learning. Recent state legislation is going to make it easier to access certain student data. The 2018-19 Accountability Report Card will share information about students’ college and career readiness (CCR), and for the first time, the report card will also include data about Career and Technical Education (CTE), according to Mai Choua Thao*, DPI’s CTE data consultant.
Thao is well-equipped to help manage the change process. She previously worked as the data manager with the Wisconsin Elections Commission where she maintained a system of more than 4 million voter records.
In previous years, submission of CTE information has been manual, which has led to a higher probability of errors. “That’s why the more automated the system is, the better,” says Thao of the coming process change. “We’ve added error warnings and validations that should improve accuracy.” Plus, the new process for submitting CTE data will eliminate the need to include student demographic information since it’s already in the Roster system, the state’s database of courses.
Student information system (SIS) vendors are busy creating user-friendly forms on which district personnel will be trained later this year to enter CTE information. At the state level, those same vendors are working with us to make sure the information that is entered at the district level flows seamlessly into the state’s WISEdata Roster System.
This fall, webinars featuring Thao will offer an online overview of the new process as well as scenarios to help guide the district-level CTE data person. In the meantime, we are urging these same people to introduce themselves to the Roster team at their school or district to find out what their role will be.
Thao herself is a resource for CTE coordinators. “I really enjoy working with our CTE coordinators because they are as passionate as I am!” she says.
Watch the CTE Data homepage for information as it becomes available.
*pronunciation—first name: my choo’-uh; last name: tao