Data Quality Institute Washington DC February 8-10, 2006 Minnesota’s Perspective on Standardizing the Postsecondary Nontraditional Performance Indicators: Connecting The Ideal to the Data and Making it Real Data Quality Institute Washington DC February 8-10, 2006 Pradeep Kotamraju, Ph.D. System Director, Perkins Federal Grant Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Why Standardization in Perkins A Balanced Data and Accountability System Permits: The developing of a common framework of measures Moving beyond compliance and into continuous improvement Research and evaluation When Previously Unconnected Accountability Results are Linked: To Make CTE Student Achievement Results Visible Learning can be seen as a measure of accountability Initiation of organizational and behavioral change Alignment of multiple stakeholder interests

Perkins Non-Traditional Measures: The Elements Under Discussion Identifying Occupations as Non-Traditional Data Sources for Identifying Non-Traditional Occupations Updating Lists of Non-Traditional Occupations Identifying Programs as Non-Traditional Inclusion of Students (4P1) Defining Completion Inclusion of Students (4P2) Reporting Completion Rates Reporting: Cross-sectional or Longitudinal

Perkins Non-Traditional Measures: The Elements Under Discussion What are Non-Traditional Occupations? Coverage Crosswalks Currency What are Non-Traditional Programs?

Perkins Non-Traditional Measures: The Elements Under Discussion Who is a Non-Traditional Student? Participant vs. Concentrator Under- vs. Over-represented non-traditional sub-populations How is Non-Traditional Completion Defined and Reported? Sequence of Unrelated CTE courses Sequence of Related CTE courses (CTE approved programs) Career Clusters or Pathways Received Degree or Credential Cross-sectional Cohorts (Current Practice) Entry Cohorts Exit Cohorts

Perkins Standardization and Accountability: What Needs to Be Addressed? Suggestion: Have the Next Steps Working Group address the coverage, crosswalk and currency issues as they relate to the Perkins nontraditional indicators and provide to all states the basic frame of reference Have the Next Steps Working Group, along with the Career Clusters Committee of the State Directors, provide to all states the basic frame of reference regarding the 16 career clusters and the associated Cip Codes within each career cluster

Implications and Further Developments Local Plan Development How will “Locals” Balance Standardization, the New Accountability Framework, and the Movement Towards Continuous Improvement Extent of Technical Capability How Ready are State Data Systems for the Standardization? Move Towards Standardization Does Consensus Mean Uniformity or Comparability?

Contact Information Pradeep Kotamraju Ph.D. System Director, Perkins Federal Grants Office of the Chancellor Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 500 Wells Fargo Place, 30 E. 7th Street St. Paul MN 55101 Tel No: 651-282-5569; Cell: 612-701-7561 Fax: 651-296-3214