Recommendations
EDC Data Reporting Recommendations
A recommended public reporting format for state education agencies (SEAs) publishing annual summative assessment results for Grades 3-8. Reporting these fields consistently supports analysis, reduces the burden of public data requests, and makes results easier for the public to find and use.
These recommendations are one of the standards the Education Data Center uses when assembling the State Assessment Data Repository. They reflect the variables most useful for longitudinal, cross-year analysis within a state.
Recommended reporting fields
One row per state-year-data level-assessment-grade-student subgroup, with the following variables.
Directory
| Variable | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| State | State name. | |
| School year | School year in which the assessment was completed. | |
| Data level | Level at which the data are reported. | State · District · School · [others as needed] |
Identifiers
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| District name | District name. |
| District code (state) | The district's unique ID as used by the SEA in its data files. |
| NCES district ID | The district's 7-digit federal identification number. |
| School name | School name. |
| School code (state) | The school's unique ID as used by the SEA in its data files. |
| NCES school ID | The school's 12-digit federal identification number. |
Assessment information
| Variable | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment name | Name of the subject-area assessment for the school year (important when different tests are given at the same grade). | |
| Assessment type | Type of assessment administered. | Regular · Alternate · Combined regular and alternate |
| Assessment language | Language in which the test is administered. | English · Spanish · [others as applicable] |
| Subject | Assessment subject area. | ELA · Math · Science · Social Studies · [others] |
| Grade | Grade level of students assessed. | G03-G08 · G38 (aggregated measure) |
Student information
| Variable | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Student group & subgroup | A group variable paired with its subgroup value. | All Students · Race/Ethnicity · Economic Status · Gender · EL Status · Disability Status · Migrant · Homeless · Foster Care · Military Connected |
| Total eligible | Number of students eligible for testing. | |
| Total tested | Number of students tested. | |
| Total valid tests | Number of scorable assessments. | |
| Participation rate | Percent of eligible students tested. |
Results
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| Lev1-Lev5 count | Number of students at each performance level (report the lowest level as Level 1, the next as Level 2, and so on). |
| Lev1-Lev5 percent | Percent of students at each performance level. |
| ProficientOrAbove count | Number of students achieving proficiency or above. |
| ProficientOrAbove percent | Percent of students achieving proficiency or above. |
| AvgScaleScore | Average (mean) scale score. |
| SD | Standard deviation of scale scores. |
| Date | Date of most recent data update. |
Supplementary information to accompany data
- The technical manual for the assessment, or a link to it.
- Whether the given year-subject data are comparable to the prior year - ideally naming the earliest school year usable as a comparability baseline.
- The cut-score values (proficiency threshold scale scores) used to determine proficiency categories.
- The reported test-score reliability for each assessment.
- The standards each assessment is aligned with.
- A codebook that defines each state variable; gives the label for each proficiency category (e.g. Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced); and states explicitly how missing and suppressed data are reported.
Why a single, comprehensive file
Compiling these fields into one file per year, with stable state and federal identifiers, is recommended because it:
- Supports more thorough analysis and evaluation by the SEA;
- Reduces the SEA's time and capacity burden of responding to public data requests for components not in the initial file;
- Reduces confusion for the public in finding the correct file when multiple files are posted; and
- Supports longitudinal analysis through stable school and district identifiers.
Adapted from the EDC memo "Recommended Public Data Reporting Format for SEA Summative Assessment Data, Grades 3-8."