Synopsis
The Working Draft outlines a new usage of existing core Ed-Fi student data properties to capture student level digital access data. SEAs want to better understand, at scale, the digital equity that exists among students based on student address, race, gender, economic status and other demographics. Additionally, taking this data and mashing it up against grades(marks), assessment results, high-school completion and dropout data could provide helpful correlations related to digital equity. The scale and quality of this data (dependent on data quality procedures/automation) can provide leverage for LEAs, SEAs and Educational Cooperatives when attempting to obtain funding to help close digital equity gaps.
General Discussion
Digital inequity has been brought into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic as many LEAs have had to quickly pivot to virtual online learning at scale. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LEAs surveyed have been collecting digital equity data using a number of methods including phone calls, surveys, Google forms, etc. Some are planning to capture this data during online registration for the 20/21 school year. LEAs would like a common repository that makes it easy to collect this information and run reports off of. The SIS is the best candidate for this as it is the LEA ‘operating system’ that already collects student data points and is wired to send data to the Ed-Fi API.
Use Cases
The initial data points targeted by Ed-Fi SEAs for collection include:
- If the student has reliable internet access in their residential environment
- If the student has access to a dedicated Desktop/laptop, tablet, Chromebook for their school assignments
(e.g. the student’s own device for usage during the school day and for homework versus having to share a device between siblings, parents, etc.)
Using the existing Ed-Fi version 3.x API ODS, SEAs plan to utilize the /studentEducationOrganizationAssociation aggregate and specifically the data property array studentIndicators. Student Information Systems (SIS) will need to add the appropriate data fields within their systems (if currently not already in place) and then wire this to their Ed-Fi API connector.
Implementation - Student Digital Equity Data Submission via Ed-Fi API
The SEA group consciously decided to collect this data in a core Ed-Fi aggregate with a core data array (not an extension). The goal is to lessen the development impact for SIS vendors, LEAs and SEAs though there is some development and integration testing work, the goal was to minimize impact.
The existing data aggregate /studentEducationOrganizationAssociation (SEOA) and studentIndicators array will be used for this collection.
Two of the primary properties within SEOA capture the educationOrganizationReference (in Wisconsin this is the school id, other implementations might use the LEA id) and the studentReference. This allows for critical connections across the data model when executing analysis.
Figure 1: /studentEducationOrganizationAssociation education organization & student references
The studentIndicators array was the consensus spot for the placement of the digital equity data. The studentCharacteristics array was ruled out after discussion as it is used for capturing boolean information and meant to collect traditional demographics tied to a student’s home situation. There is a strong case The studentIndicators array is defined as indicators to influence more effective education or intervention. Therefore, the group felt that the digital equity collection aligned better to the studentIndicators definition.
Figure 2: /studentEducationOrganizationAssociation studentIndicators
Other data properties already collected in some LEA/SEA implementations can be leveraged for data mash-ups mentioned earlier in the document. Right now assessment outcomes don’t come in via the Wisconsin WISEdata Ed-Fi API pipeline. Projects are currently underway to begin collecting assessment outcomes via the API in future school years. Right now that data comes into our Data Warehouse via file loads.
Figure 3: Examples of other data properties within SEOA that aid in digital equity analysis:
Data Elements
- InternetAccessInResidence
- InternetAccessTypeInResidence
- InternetPerformance
- DigitalDevice
- DeviceAccess
InternetAccessInResidence
StudentIndicator.IndicatorName | StudentIndicator.Indicator |
---|---|
InternetAccessInResidence | Yes - Internet Access In Residence |
No - Not Available | |
No - Not Affordable | |
No - Other |
InternetAccessTypeInResidence
StudentIndicator.IndicatorName | StudentIndicator.Indicator |
---|---|
InternetAccessTypeInResidence | ResidentialBroadband (e.g. DSL, Cable, Fiber) |
CellularNetwork | |
SchoolProvidedHotSpot | |
Satellite | |
Dial-up | |
None |
InternetPerformance
StudentIndicator.IndicatorName | StudentIndicator.Indicator |
---|---|
InternetPerformance | Very Good |
Good | |
Not Good | |
Bad |
DigitalDevice
StudentIndicator.IndicatorName | StudentIndicator.Indicator |
---|---|
DigitalDevice | Desktop/Laptop |
Tablet | |
Chromebook | |
SmartPhone | |
None |
DeviceAccess
StudentIndicator.IndicatorName | StudentIndicator.Indicator |
---|---|
DeviceAccess | Personal - Dedicated (one person per machine) |
Personal - Shared (sharing among others in household) | |
School Provided - Dedicated | |
School Provided - Shared | |
None |