Providing Access to the Federal Information Base for Evidence-Based Decision Making July, 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings Marilyn Seastrom and Jennifer Nielsen National Center for Education Statistics

WHY WAS THE INVENTORY CREATED? To improve the coordination of data collections across program offices To minimize respondent burden To ensure responsible data management at ED To achieve data transparency with the public about ED data To comply with OMB Information Quality Act Directive M-13-13 (May 9, 2013); and more recently, OMB Directive M-19-15 (April 24, 2019) 2

WHAT IS IN THE ED DATA INVENTORY? Metadata about each data collection and Variables in individual data collections. HOW IS IT POPULATED? 95% from OMB Information Collection Request (2013-2019 manual process) Response rates and variable information added after collection Modelled after ICPSR data catalogue 3

What is included? Series description—Dataset Title, File Name, Location, and Format Studies—Scope, Access notes, Data files, Methodology Variables—Name, Label, Extended Definition, Value Labels, File Name Name of the Series investigator Description of the Series and list of Studies included in the Series List of Series files and information on files including: File Name Dataset Title File Location File Format Study Name Search function which can be used to: List all variables in the Series Search for variables using keyword 4

Drawing information from the OMB Information Clearance Request (Phase 1) The Cross-Agency Priorities Team provided funds for ED to develop an electronic template of fixed and open fields that: Produces the OMB ICR Internally tags the metadata entries Extracts tagged fields after the ICR is approved Extracted information electronically updates the ED Inventory 5

Drawing information from the OMB Information Clearance Request (Phases 1-4): NEXT STEPS Test ICR Template in NCES, IES, and another office in ED Adapt and test electronic ICR template in other Departments Provide documentation for government-wide implementation 6

Tuesday 9:25-10:10 Session 311 No. 29 Convention Center Hall C ED DATA INVENTORY http://datainventory.ed.gov/ FOR MORE INFORMATION Marilyn.Seastrom@ed.gov 9