Conceptual Framework. Technical Report. Improving Universe Data on Schools and School Districts

The Education Data Improvement Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is described. The conceptual framework that guided its implementation is presented. The Education Data Improvement Project was designed to promote and facilitate the reform and refinement of the Center for Education Statistics (CES) national elementary and secondary public education database. As currently implemented, the common core of data is not adequate to accomplish its purposes in providing information about schools. The Project aims to improve the comprehensiveness of the national database and to improve the timeliness of reporting by state education agencies and the CES. The guiding philosophy is to expand the existing Federal data systems and the data systems of the states to create a state-of-the-art national database. To do so, it is necessary to: (1) define existing systems; (2) identify changes to improve the systems; (3) identify basic and necessary statistics; and (4) establish content and providers for a national system that incorporates the best of existing systems. Four figures illustrate the Project goals and framework. (SLD)