IPEDS TOOLS Mary Ann Coughlin Springfield College Sponsored by: Association for Institutional Research & National Center for Education Statistics

IPEDS Tools

Tools Demonstration of IPEDS web-based tools: College Opportunities On-Line (COOL) Executive Peer Tool & IPEDS Data Feedback Report Peer Analysis System and Dataset Cutting Tool

College Opportunities On-Line COOL

IPEDS COOL Is a direct link to information on over 7,000 postsecondary institutions in the United States. COOL includes colleges, universities, and community colleges, as well as trade and technical schools. College Opportunities On-Line was authorized by Congress in 1998 to help college students, future students, and their parents understand the differences between colleges and how much it costs to attend college.

IPEDS COOL So while COOL is designed to help college students, future students, and their families understand the differences between colleges and how much it costs to attend college; The tool can also be used by decision- makers to provide access to data on comparison institutions.

IPEDS COOL -- Demonstration Let’s take a brief tour of IPEDS COOL.

Benefits & Short-Comings IPEDS COOL has both benefits and short-comings. Benefits: IPEDS COOL provides information on more postsecondary institutions and more types of postsecondary institutions than any other source currently available. Plus, COOL provides three years of price information - more than any other source currently available. IPEDS COOL provides valid and reliable information on comparison institutions. COOL can be thought of as being an on-line fact book that is publicly available on almost all institutions of higher education.

Benefits & Short-Comings Short-Comings This tool provides only limited access to variables that are available within IPEDS. While the fact that COOL invites comparison of institutions is a benefit, the tools that it provides for comparisons are weak and make up its major short- coming. For example, three years of price information enables trend analysis comparing the price of attending the institution over the last 3 years. You can select a group of schools using shared characteristics, and compare price of attendance and student financial aid awards across the group. However, you must select each institution and record this data. COOL does not provide a direct comparison table.

Benefits & Short-Comings As a result, academic planners and decision makers need a more advanced tool that provides access to more IPEDS data and enables direct comparisons across multiple institutions. NCES provides two such tools for IPEDS data: The Executive Peer Tool (ExPT), and The Peer Analysis System (PAS).

What’s Next for COOL A new version of COOL is under development. This next generation of COOL will allow the user the ability to compare up to four institutions side by side. Completely new layout and graphical interface. Due to be released in May 2006!!! Data elements on COOL do change. Our mission statements were added to COOL. Recently, the default rates on Financial Aid have been added. Some discussion has occurred about the College Affordability Index appearing in COOL.

Executive Peer Tool ExPT

Executive Peer Tool (ExPT) and IPEDS Data Feedback Reports The Executive Peer Tool was developed as part of the project that developed the IPEDS Data Feedback Reports. Before we review the ExPT, we need to describe the Data Feedback Report. The report came from an NPEC project. A report that is designed to be useful to institutional executives for comparative purposes. They provide each institution a context for examining their IPEDS data based upon their comparison group. Part of the goal of the project was to help improve the quality and comparability of IPEDS data.

Background Some background: In 2004, the first data feedback reports were distributed as the capstone to the NPEC IPEDS Data Feedback Project. The original report consisted of 10 graphs. The comparison group used in this first report was based on an algorithm and was not appropriate for many institutions. The first generation of the ExPT was released with these reports and allowed users to recreate their data feedback report with their own customized comparison group.

Background Some background: In October of 2005, the second iteration of the data feedback reports were released. The second report consists of 12 graphs. Two new figures: completions by award level and price data over time. Other minor changes to data and graphs In this second iteration, institutions were given the opportunity to submit a customized comparison group to be used in the report. The second generation of the ExPT was also released in October and allows the user to recreate their data feedback report with customized comparison groups. These reports have evolved from an NPEC project to an annual part of the IPEDS process.

Executive Peer Tool (ExPT) How does ExPT work? ExPT leads the user through a simple, step-by- step process. The user must complete five steps: 1) identify a focus institution, 2) pick comparison institutions (up to 100 allowed), 3) pick the data they want (up to 8 variables at a time), 4) view a statistical report (summary data and graph); and 5) view statistical data for all institutions in the comparison group.

ExPT -- Demonstration Let’s take a brief tour of ExPT.

Strengths & Limitations of ExPT ExPT does what it was designed to do: Provides access to executives in a straight forward manner. Provides data at institution level, Data are tied directly to the Data Feedback report, and ExPT does whet your appetite for more... Which leads us to some limitations of ExPT ExPT limits you to up to 100 schools at a time in your comparison group. You have limited options for picking peer schools Data are presented based on the Data Feedback report structure. You may view data online only, eight variables at a time. Thus to expand on the IPEDS Data Feedback report you will need to use the Peer Analysis System (PAS).

Peer Analysis System PAS

Peer Analysis System The Peer Analysis System is a web-based tool that is designed to enable a user to easily retrieve data on a group of postsecondary institutions of the user’s choice. In addition, the user can compare one institution to a group of comparison institutions. The comparison institutions are selected by the user. The system allows the user to generate reports or files using selected IPEDS variables of interest.

Peer Analysis System More recently the Peer Analysis System has been updated to include two additional tools, the Executive Peer Tool, and the Dataset Cutting Tool (DCT). Earlier we looked at the Executive Peer Tool. The Dataset Cutting Tool allows: Allows dump of raw tables or Allows the user to quickly create customized datasets. This tool was designed for advanced users. In this presentation, we will focus on the Peer Analysis System.

Flow and Sequence of the Peer Tool To become proficient with the Peer Analysis System, you need to understand the flow and sequence of the Peer Analysis System. The flow and sequence of the Peer Analysis System is designed around the steps you need to complete while using the peer tool. The steps include: Select a level of access If necessary login to the peer tool Select the either the Peer Analysis System or the Dataset Cutting Tool Identify a LinchPin institution Construct a comparison group Prepare your analysis Let us look more closely at the flow of each of these steps…

Flow and Sequence of the Peer Analysis System Select the level of access that you desire to the Peer Analysis System. Three levels of access exist. Each level provides access to different years of data and as a result has different levels of security. If necessary login to the peer tool. Different login procedures are necessary for the varying levels of access.

Flow and Sequence of the Peer Analysis System Choose the Peer Analysis System by identifying a LinchPin institution A Linch Pin Institution is the institution that you want to compare to other comparison institutions. In most instances, the Linch Pin is usually your own institution. When you have selected a Linch Pin institution you have entered the Peer Analysis System. To enter the Dataset Cutting tool, you would select the link for the tool, once you had selected your level of access and logged in. Construct a comparison group Usually your predefined comparison group. Prepare your analysis Generate the reports or files.

PAS -- Demonstration Let’s take a brief tour of PAS.

Strengths As we wrap up this overview of the Peer Analysis system, let us discuss in greater detail some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Peer Analysis System. The major strength of the Peer Analysis System is as a data retrieval system. The strengths of the tool are in it’s ability to provide access to data. Of course then, a major strength of the tool is the ability to access IPEDS data “on-demand!” The support that is available for IPEDS peer tool is another major strength of the system.

Weaknesses While the tool has made progress, a weakness of the tool is in its limited ability to manipulate, format, summarize, or report the data. I, however, would argue that this is really not a weakness; rather the tool should not be expected to function as a statistical, spreadsheet, or database package. Rather, the user should use the right tool for the right job.

Weaknesses One of the major difficulties that individuals have with the Peer Tool is knowing where to find the proper variables on the various surveys. While the location of some variables are quite logical, others appear to be hiding. What you need to remember is that all the data are organized by survey, so if you are not the person that fills out the survey on your campus you may want to consult the individual who does. They should understand the structure of the files and the data. Also, go to the NCES website and look at the copies of the survey forms. You need to understand the data that you are using! Remember, data don’t speak to strangers!!

Changes & Advances! Over the past three years, newer versions of the peer tool have addressed many of the the weaknesses or idiosyncrasies of the earlier versions. Navigation is better, The presence of calculated totals aids in the selection of variables, and Report templates and forms facsimile are useful tools for viewing data. But, the flow and sequence of the Peer Tool is still awkward. As a result, the PAS is undergoing an entire redesign. A next generation of the PAS is in development and may be released as early as late Summer or Early Fall 06. This tool will be more intuitive and will provide the user with easier navigation.

Questions and Discussion