Mississippi

The following profile is a representation of the Mississippi public education state longitudinal data system (SLDS) as presented through publicly available resources of public primary, secondary and higher education, information made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Data Quality Campaign, published research articles, other third party internet resources (as noted), and direct contact with state and federal public education officials.   It is not a formal program evaluation.

The information provided is intended for use by academic researchers, state and federal public education policy makers, educators, and student households.

Introduction Evaluation Criteria Governance and Maintenance Data Providers
Funding Researcher Access Public User Portal Legal Statues
DQC Contact Schematic State Response
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Introduction

The Mississippi LifeTracks Data System (MLT)[1] is Mississippi’s public education state longitudinal data system (SLDS)[2] governed by the MLT Governing Board, an intergovernmental committee comprised of the members from each of the state agencies and institutions that contribute to the MLT. The MLT, created for the purpose of collecting and analyzing Mississippi’s public education data at the individual, course, institution, and system levels, aggregates data records from the breadth of the Mississippi public education systems. The combined data collection systems are part a nation-wide effort to record granular public education detail over time in order to document the entirety of students’ education experience. This information is intended to be available for analysis and public policy consideration for the purpose of producing improvements in student learning at elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and higher education levels, and to optimize labor market outcomes, individually and generally.

Mississippi is one of the 47 states having received public funding to create a state longitudinal data system (SLDS). Despite state-to-state differences, each SLDS shares a common purpose of supporting research and analysis with the intent of informing individual, household, and public policy decisions based on standardized criteria.

[1] The Mississippi LifeTracks Data System enables state agencies to link early childhood, education, and workforce data to answer questions critical to understanding Mississippi’s future education workforce needs https://lifetracks.ms.gov/Default.aspx

[2] State longitudinal data systems are intended to enhance the ability of states to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, and use education data https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/about_SLDS.asp

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Evaluation Criteria

This review assesses the overall quality of the MLT as an SLDS by considering the nature of the organization maintaining the data system, those agencies and institutions providing inputs to the data system, and to which agencies and institutions the data systems’ outputs are available. The assessment also considers the data system’s funding mechanisms, internal and external researcher data accessibility, the quality of the data system’s public user interface (dashboard), and the data system’s current Data Quality Campaign (DQC)[1] ranking. This report considers each of these criteria pertaining to MLT and provides contact information to the departments and individuals who maintain and manage the SLDS.

[1] The Data Quality Campaign is a national, nonprofit organization leading the effort to bring every part of the education community together to empower educators, parents, and policymakers with quality information to make decisions that ensure students excel http://dataqualitycampaign.org/

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Governance and Maintenance

The MLT is governed by the MLT Governing Board[1], a committee comprised of the representatives from the state agencies and institutions whose data systems provide data records to the MLT. The members of the board include:

  • Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES)[2]
  • Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education (MIHE)[3]
  • Mississippi Department of Health (MDH)[4]
  • Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)[5]
  • Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDC)[6]
  • Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS)[7]
  • Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB)[8]
  • Mississippi Development Authority (MDA)[9]
  • Office of Governor
  • Mississippi Department of Education (MDE)[10]

The MLT Governing Board is authorized to develop and promulgate all rules and regulations governing the activities of the MLT in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. It oversees NSPARC[11], an interdisciplinary research center at Mississippi State University that acts as a project manager and system developer for the MLT. The Board’s responsibilities are listed below:[12]

  • Identify critical research and policy questions that need to be addressed by the MLT
  • Identify reports and other information that should be available to education and workforce entities and other public stakeholders
  • Develop a funding mechanism for sustaining the MLT
  • Define and maintain standards for privacy, confidentiality, and security of data
  • Perform other advisory functions that are necessary for the successful continuation and management of the MLT

NSPARC coordinates activities for data sharing and reporting across all education institutions in Mississippi. It develops, implements, and expands the MLT to link student achievement information from early learning to workforce outcomes. The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (MDITS) provides overall leadership and data center hosting to the MLT.

[1] The Mississippi Governing Board is comprised of representatives from the state agencies and institutions who oversee the MLT https://lifetracks.ms.gov/About.aspx

[2] The Mississippi Department of Employment Security works to expand employment, improve workforce skills, and enhance in Mississippi http://mdes.ms.gov/

[3] The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education operates a strong public university system with eight distinct universities http://www.mississippi.edu/about/

[4] The Mississippi Department of Health protects and advances health throughout Mississippi https://msdh.ms.gov/

[5] The Mississippi Department of Human Services serves the state by providing a wide range of public assistance programs, social services, and support children, low-income individuals, and families http://www.mdhs.state.ms.us/#menu

[6] The Mississippi Department of Corrections actively addresses recidivism and meets offenders’ reintegration needs through re-entry, rehabilitation, and support programs http://www.mdoc.ms.gov/Pages/default.aspx

[7] The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services works to provide Mississippians with disabilities resources to find new careers, live independently, and face new challenges http://www.mdrs.ms.gov/Pages/default.aspx

[8] The Mississippi Community College Board advances the community college system to promote education and job training in Mississippi http://www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/default.aspx

[9] The Mississippi Development Authority is the state’s lead economic and community development agency that works to retain and expand business and industry within the state https://www.mississippi.org/

[10] The Mississippi Department of Education outlines the goals, objectives, and strategies for preparing students to be successful in college and the workforce http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/

[11] NSPARC is an interdisciplinary research center at Mississippi State University http://www.nsparc.msstate.edu/

[12] Information provided by the MLT Governing Board http://www.sos.ms.gov/ACCode/00000561c.pdf

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Data Providers

The data records provided by the Mississippi state agencies and institutions allow NSPARC to link early childhood, education and workforce data through the MLT. The reports provided by these linkages enable the MLT Governing Board to use research driven analysis to answer questions about Mississippi’s current and future education and workforce needs. The specific data records provided by the Mississippi agencies to the MLT are listed as below:[1]

  • Mississippi Department of Health (MDH)[2] – Early learning data records
  • Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)[3] – Early learning data records
  • Mississippi Department of Education (MDE)[4] – K-12 data records
  • Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education (MIHE)[5] – Higher education data records
  • Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB)[6] – Post-secondary data records
  • Mississippi Development Authority (MDA)[7] – Workforce data records
  • Mississippi Department of Employment Security – Workforce data records

Although NSPARC acts as the MLT project manager and report facilitator for the data system, it does not house the data warehouse that stores data records linked by the MLT. Each state agency and institution that provides data records to the MLT sends data records to the MDITS, which stores these records in its in-house data servers. NSPARC is permitted to access these data records for the purpose of linking records from the various state agencies and institutions to generate reports on students’ education achievement and workforce outcomes. The research center deidentifies all data records during this process to ensure student privacy.

[1] See ref. 11

[2] The Mississippi Department of Health protects and advances health throughout Mississippi https://msdh.ms.gov/

[3] The Mississippi Department of Human Services serves the state by providing a wide range of public assistance programs, social services, and support children, low-income individuals, and families http://www.mdhs.state.ms.us/#menu

[4] The Mississippi Department of Education outlines the goals, objectives, and strategies for preparing students to be successful in college and the workforce http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/

[5] The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education operates a strong public university system with eight distinct universities http://www.mississippi.edu/about/

[6] The Mississippi Community College Board advances the community college system to promote education and job training in Mississippi http://www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/default.aspx

[7] The Mississippi Development Authority is the state’s lead economic and community development agency that works to retain and expand business and industry within the state https://www.mississippi.org/

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Funding

MDE applied for federal funding through the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Grant program administered by the Institute of Education Sciences, an agency of the United States Department of Education, in 2009 and 2015 and was awarded three grants, the 2009 SLDS Grant, the 2009 ARRA SLDS Grant, and the 2015 SLDS Grant, for the purpose of developing the MLT. The 2009 SLDS Grant awarded Mississippi $3,387,308 for the purpose of developing the foundational components of the MLT. This funding was used to pay for the various costs associated with developing a data system, including: personnel costs, travel costs, equipment costs, contractual costs, and indirect costs. The proposed outcomes to be produced using this funding include[1]:

  • Expand existing K-12 statewide data systems
  • Integrate the systems and related data into a functional data warehouse
  • Define data and system requirements
  • Form Longitudinal Data Planning Committee

The 2009 ARRA SLDS Grant awarded Mississippi $7,569,716 for the purpose of developing and expanding the state agency data systems that provide data records to the MLT. This funding was used to pay for the various costs associated with developing a data system, including: personnel costs, travel costs, equipment costs, contractual costs, and indirect costs. The proposed outcomes to be produced using this funding include[2]:

  • Complete all elements as prescribed by the America COMPETES Act
  • Create a relational database linking all education and workforce data through a unique common identifier that does not permit an individual to be identified by users of the system
  • Develop an online one-stop portal that will provide access to the relational database and make the system universally interoperable
  • Develop the hardware and software capacity for building and hosting the relational database
  • Upgrade each partner with the appropriate infrastructure and technology for data collection, storage, and use
  • Develop and adopt a statewide, comprehensive policy on data quality assurance
  • Train state and local personnel on data entry and use to facilitate full adoption and effective use of the system
  • Include all the necessary data to link pre-school through K-20

The 2015 SDLS Grant awarded Mississippi $6,588,210 for the purpose of further developing and enhancing these supplementary data systems for the purpose of creating capabilities to conduct financial equity and returns analysis on investments into Mississippi’s public education system. This funding will be used to pay for the various costs associated with developing a data system, including: personnel costs, travel costs, equipment costs, contractual costs, and indirect costs. The proposed outcomes to be produced using this funding include[3]:

  • Create more sophisticated P-12 data dashboards that employ data analysis tools to meet the needs of data stakeholders
  • Fund start-up costs for a research center, including the salaries of researchers and support for professional development around data literacy
  • Complete the Early Childhood Education component of the MLT

[1] Information provided by the 2009 SLDS Grant Application https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/Mississippi2009.pdf

[2] Information provided by the 2009 ARRA SLDS Grant Application https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/Mississippi2009-ARRA.pdf

[3] Information provided by the 2015 SLDS Grant Application https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/MS_FY15_Abstract.pdf

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Research Accommodation

Outside researchers interested in conducting research using the data records linked through the MLT must first create an account through the MLT online portal.[1] Outside researchers must clearly specify the goal of their research efforts, the data they will need to complete this research, and explain how this research will benefit the state. Once an account is created, researchers must identify each of the state agencies and institutions from which data records will be required and receive approval from each of them to conduct the desired research. A MOU must be signed between the researcher and each state agency and institution that must provide data for the research. Once an MOU is signed, the researcher will work with NSPARC to conduct the research and ensure that all data security protocols are maintained. After the research is complete, the MLT Governing Board and involved state agencies and institutions must review and approve the research report before a finalized report may be published to the public.[2]

[1]Account request portal is located at the following site https://lifetracks.ms.gov/Account/AccountRequest.aspx

[2] Information provided by the MLT Governing Board Rules and Regulations http://www.sos.ms.gov/ACCode/00000561c.pdf

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Public User Portal

The MLT public portal is operated for the purpose of providing useful aggregate level data about various education issues to interested parties within Mississippi. These parties include administrators, educators, policy makers, parents, students and other parties interested in education outcomes within the state of Mississippi. The quality of these portals will be evaluated using several different criteria which include: the user-friendliness of the portal, the extent of data offered by the portal, whether the portal is self-sufficient or relies upon other webpages to provide information, and the extent of customizable reports that can be created using the portal[1].

MLT Public Portal Evaluation:

  • User-friendliness:
    • The home page of the portal does not explain the purpose of the MLT or a robust overview of the information that can be found in the portal. However, the portal is intuitive to navigate and provides helpful summary information about the data system and the MLT governing board. The portal also utilizes easily identifiable links to reports and data system partner reports.

 

  • Extent of data offered:
    • The portal offers reports on early learning, K-12, community college and public university student outcomes. It also links to the Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board portal which provides reports on employment outcomes. The MLT portal provides a robust array of reports on K-12 student outcomes, such as student demographics and socioeconomic conditions, academic progress and graduation rates, college enrollment rates and dropout rates. The portal also provides similar reports for community college and university students.

 

  • Self-sufficiency of the portal:
    • The MLT portal provides direct access to each of the reports listed in the early learning, K-12, and higher education sections of the portal. In addition to this information, the portal provides a link to Mississippi State Workforce Investment portal, the agency that provides employment reports.

 

  • Extent of customizable reports that can be created through the portal
    • The MLT portal allows interested parties to customize the reports available through the portal through various specifications. These include student characteristics such as gender, race, disabilities, and native language. Interested parties can also customize reports using other criteria such as school, district, and program specific outcomes for community college and university students.

[1] Information for this section was provided through analysis of the MLT portal https://lifetracks.ms.gov/Default.aspx

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The Mississippi legislature passed Miss. Code Ann. § 37-154-1 in 2013, which effectively established the purpose of the MLT as an SLDS to improve the quality of life, education and employment opportunities of Mississippi students.[1]

[1] Statute information can be found by searching through the Mississippi State Code https://courts.ms.gov/mscode/mscode.html

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DQC

The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan national advocacy organization that evaluates each state’s longitudinal data system to determine how effectively each state uses their data system for education improvement purposes. The DQC’s annual survey, Data for Action (DFA)[1], measures each state’s progress towards implementing the 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and the Ten State Actions to Ensure Effective Data Use[2], a set of elements and policy actions proposed to produce quality data systems and increase student achievement within in each state.

Mississippi has currently met each of the 10 essential elements:

  • Element 1 – Statewide student identifier
  • Element 2 – Student-level enrollment data
  • Element 3 – Student-level test data
  • Element 4 – Information on untested students
  • Element 5 – Statewide teacher identifier with a teacher-student match
  • Element 6 – Student-level course completion data
  • Element 7 – Student-level SAT, ACT, and Advanced Placement exam data
  • Element 8 – Student-level graduation and dropout data
  • Element 9 – Ability to match student-level P-12 and higher education data
  • Element 10 – State data audit system

Mississippi has currently met 4 of the 10 state actions:

  • State Action 2 – Create stable, sustainable support for longitudinal data systems
  • State Action 3 – Develop governance structures for longitudinal data systems
  • State Action 4 – Build state data repositories
  • State Action 8 – Develop a purposeful research agenda

Data Quality Campaign score: 4/10

It should be noted that the Data Quality Campaign assessed each state’s progress towards completing the state actions in 2014. At this time, Mississippi had failed to meet the following state actions:

  • State Action 1 – Link state K-12 data systems with early learning, postsecondary, workforce, and other critical state agency data systems
  • State Action 5 – Provide timely, role-based access to data
  • State Action 6 – Create progress reports with student-level data for educators, students, and parents
  • State Action 7 – Create reports with longitudinal statistics to guide system-level change
  • State Action 9 – Implement policies and promote practices to build educators’ capacity to use data
  • State Action 10 – Promote strategies to raise awareness of available data

[1] DQC’s annual survey, Data for Action (DFA), is a powerful tool to inform efforts in education to better use data in decision making. It is a series of analyses that highlight state progress and key priorities to promote the effective use of longitudinal data to improve student achievement

[2] DQC’s 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and 10 State Actions to Ensure Effective Data Use provide a roadmap for state policymakers to create a culture of effective data use in which quality data are not only collected but also used to increase student achievement

 

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Contact

NSPARC
Phone: (662) 325-9242
Email through NSPARC portal: http://www.nsparc.msstate.edu/

Mississippi Department of Education
Deborah Donovan
Director, Data Analysis and Reporting Division
Email: ddonovan@mdek12.org

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Schematic

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State Response

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