Wyoming

The following profile is a representation of the Wyoming 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 Wyoming Statewide Longitudinal Data System (WSLDS)[1] is Wyoming’s public education state longitudinal data system (SLDS)[2] governed by the Data Governance Body, a three-tiered governance structure composed of members of the institutions that provide data to the WSLDS and the state departments and agencies that administer and oversee education policy efforts in Wyoming. The WSLDS, in the process of creation for the purpose of collecting and analyzing Wyoming’s public education data at the individual, course, institution, and system levels, will aggregate data records from the breadth of the Wyoming 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.

Wyoming is one of three states that has not 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.

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Evaluation Criteria

This review assesses the overall quality of the WLSDS 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)[3] ranking. This report considers each of these criteria pertaining to WSLDS and provides contact information to the departments and individuals who maintain and manage the SLDS.

[1] The Wyoming Statewide Longitudinal Data System will provide policymakers and educators the type of information they need to assess the effects of educational reform policies and program efforts http://ets.wyo.gov/inside-ets/p20w-statewide-longitudinal-data-system

[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

[3] 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 WSLDS is governed by the Data Governance Body[1], a three tiered governance structure comprised of representatives from the institutions that provide data to the WSLDS and the state agencies and offices that oversee and administer education policy efforts in the state. The three tiers, the P20 Advisory Board, the Data Governance Board, and the Agency Data Steward Working Group, work together to govern, manage, and maintain the WSLDS.

The P20 Advisory Board is the senior authority within the Data Governance Body. It is comprised of the State Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Governor, who set the general direction and application of the SLDS data and resources. This board provides vision and direction to the Data Governance Board and reviews recommendations and questions from the Data Governance Body regarding the longitudinal data system.

The Data Governance Board (DGB)[2] establishes the procedures and policies regarding the collection and use of the data contained in the WSLDS. The DGB is comprised of representatives from the education institutions that provide data to the WSLDS, as well as the Wyoming Office of the Governor (WOG), the Wyoming School Board Association (WSBA), the Wyoming Superintendent’s Association (WSA), the Wyoming Education Coordination Council (WECC), and Wyoming School Districts. The responsibilities of the DGB are provided below:

Ensure privacy and confidentiality of data
Develop and recommend data retention policies
Adjudicate approved data retention policies
Create scope and process around data ownership, including liability issues
Develop and implement a research plan to incorporate the interests of all WSLDS stakeholders
Identify appropriate policy questions the WSLDS should able to answer
Set priority of data requests
Recommend policy for handling of data requests
Recommend change management and dispute resolution policies
Make recommendations to the P20 Advisory Board, such as legislative changes and new members to the DGB
Address issues, questions and recommendations from the Agency Data Steward Working Groups and refer policy issues with recommendations to the P20 Advisory Board
Develop recommendations for data access and use policies
Enforce approved data access and use policies
Ensure approved data governance policies are being followed

The Agency Data Steward Working Group (ADSWG)[3] follows and enforces the policies and procedures set by the DGB. It is composed of representatives from the education institutions, state departments and agencies that provide data to the WSLDS. The responsibilities of the ADSWG are provided below:

Identify the system of record for required data inclusion
Develop and monitor WSLDS data definitions
Regularly evaluate the quality of the data going into the WSLDS, including raw data set reviews, aggregate data set reviews, and report reviews
Manage small cell rules, permission matrices, and role descriptions for the WSLDS technical team
Report design and validation with the WSLDS technical team
Identify opportunities to share and re-use data in accordance with policies implement by the DGB
Manage tactical access questions, personally identifiable information agreements, and sandboxes between agencies
Provide the DGB with recommendations
Manage correction process and notifications regarding dispute resolution and change management
Track federal and state legislation involving data elements and translate this impact to the WSLDS

The Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) established the infrastructure of the WSLDS.[4] It is still in the process of finalizing the WSLDS and will continue to maintain the data system after it is completed. The ETS works with of the state agencies and education institutions that provide data to the WSLDS to ensure they collect and provide data appropriately to the data system.

[1] The Data Governance Body is composed of representatives of the education institutions providing data to the WSLDS as well as appointees from the state agencies and offices that oversee education policy efforts in Wyoming https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2jPP75gJ-Vaam1YcVFkSGRzZFE/view

[2] The Data Governance Board establishes the procedures and policies regarding the collection and use of data contained in the WSLDS https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2jPP75gJ-Vaam1YcVFkSGRzZFE/view

[3] The Agency Data Steward Working Group follows and enforces the policies and procedures set by the DGB https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2jPP75gJ-Vaam1YcVFkSGRzZFE/view

[4] The Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services establishes and refines coordinated enterprise information systems and technology structures to increase the ability of state agencies to deliver cost effective services to the citizens of Wyoming http://ets.wyo.gov/about-us/mission-statement

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Data Providers

The ETS is building a data repository that will contain student data records provided by WSLDS partners. Once the WSLDS is completed, the ETS expects the system to have the ability to connect early learning, K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data. This data will be contained in a data warehouse and de-identified so students’ personally identifiable information is not at risk. Wyoming policymakers and legislators expect the WSLDS will provide them with a sustainable, cost-effective way to address complex problems in the Wyoming education system. Currently, the data needed to provide accurate information regarding these problems is scattered among numerous state agency data systems that lack cohesion and data interoperability. Once completed, the WSLDS is expected to receive data records from the following state agencies and institutions:[1]

Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) – K-12 student data records
Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC) – Higher education data records
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (WDWS) – Workforce data records
Wyoming Department of Family Service (WDFS) – Early learning data records
Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) – Early learning data records
Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) – Educator data records
Multiple Wyoming universities and colleges – Higher education data records

Until the ETS fully completes the WSLDS, the Wyoming Department of Education operates a K-12 longitudinal data system that provides information regarding Wyoming’s K-12 education system.[2] This K-12 SLDS collects data records from the state’s local education agencies, at the county, district, and school level.

[1] Information provided by the Workforce Quality Campaign http://www.workforcedqc.org/state-solutions/wyoming

[2] Information provided by the Wyoming Department of Education https://edu.wyoming.gov/data/

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Funding

Wyoming is one of three states that did not receive 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. It is unclear whether Wyoming did not apply for federal funding through this program or applied and was rejected by the Institute of Education Sciences. The Wyoming legislature chose to allocate state funding to the creation of the WSLDS, and resources were allocated to the ETS to build the data system.[1]

[1] Information provided by the Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services http://ets.wyo.gov/inside-ets/p20w-statewide-longitudinal-data-system

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Research Accommodation

Outside researchers interested in conducting research using the data records linked through the WSLDS must wait until the data system is completed to submit requests to the DGB. In the meantime, outside researchers may reach out to WDE if they are interested in conducting research studies that require individual, longitudinal data sets.

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Public User Portal

The WSLDS public portal does not currently exist. According to the Workforce Data Quality Campaign, the state plans to offer data views and reports by the end of 2018.[1]

[1] Information provided by the Workforce Data Quality Campaign http://www.workforcedqc.org/state-solutions/wyoming

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Legal Statutes

The Wyoming State Chief Information Officer (CIO) announced the passing of 2012 Budget Bill Section 326, Education Accountability Data Systems, which supported the efforts of establishing the WSLDS.[1] The executive summary of this section called for the development of the WSLDS infrastructure, creating of the Wyoming Data Governance Body, and the expected timeline of the data system development process.

[1] Information obtained from the Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services http://legisweb.state.wy.us/InterimCommittee/2013/04Rpt1024Appendix14.pdf

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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.

Wyoming 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

Wyoming has currently met 5 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 7 – Create reports with longitudinal statistics to guide system-level change
State Action 10 – Promote strategies to raise awareness of available data

Data Quality Campaign score: 5/10

It should be noted that the Data Quality Campaign assessed each state’s progress towards completing the state actions in 2014. At this time, Wyoming 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 8 – Develop a purposeful research agenda
State Action 9 – Implement policies and promote practices to build educators’ capacity to use 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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Contacts

Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services

Office of the Director

Phone: (307) 777-5000

Email the following link to contact the ETS: http://ets.wyo.gov/contact-us

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Schematic

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State Response

SLDS stakeholders listed under Contacts (above) have been provided a copy of this State Profile and given an opportunity to provide comments in response. No comments have been received for this state to date.