Data Warehouse Improvements and Refreshers

As you may know, the folks at ESE have been working on substantial improvements to both the front-end (user interface) and back-end (report processing speed) of the Education Data Warehouse. The new and old systems will run in parallel starting mid-August. For staff who need a refresher on the current system and/or would like to learn more about the new system, there will be several Data Warehouse Refresher workshops offered in August.

These no-cost workshops are intended for staff who have had previous Data Warehouse training (or have explored it independently) but need additional support in the use of this tool. The workshop will provide a structured environment in which to explore data using the pre-defined reports in the Data Warehouse, including the new Growth Model and reports. Information will be shared about summer 2011 improvements and changes to the Data Warehouse interface and functionality. Participants will access their own district or school’s data, get time-saving tips and will have an opportunity to run and save reports for use in the planning for the 2011-2012 school year.

Monday, August 22 at Bourne High School, 8:30-11:30 am
REGISTER: http://cccollaborativeorg.dependable-hosting.com/professionaldevelopment/index.asp?CategoryID=26#94

Monday, August 22 at Bourne High School, 12:00-2:45 pm
REGISTER: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhaWVhhRUxYVTFvT1M3U2hERWt5Vnc6MA

Tuesday, August 23 at Norton Middle School, 8:30-11:30 am OR 12:15-3:15 pm
REGISTER: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhaWVhhRUxYVTFvT1M3U2hERWt5Vnc6MA

All courses will be taught by Laura Tilton, Southeast DSAC Data Specialist and held in air-conditioned PC computer labs.

It's that time of year!

As the school year winds down, it's also a busy time of year data-wise! The MEPA data were released earlier this month, and the MCAS raw data files and roster files (embargoed!) were placed in DropBoxes at the end of last week. The end of this week will bring new preliminary data in the Data Warehouse, the MEPA-MCAS crosswalks in DropBoxes. If you missed the webinar last week on MCAS Reporting, the PowerPoint presentation can be found in the MCAS Reporting section of the MCAS Service Center.

Last week's conference call on EDW improvements provided of an insight into the improvements being made to the system. (PowerPoint to be posted soon on the ESE Web site.) Some features we can look forward to include:

• Faster report generation due to back-end improvements


• Interface enhancements including reports in a separate window, prompts directly on the report itself, and links to pre-run reports in DropBoxes


• MEPA and CD status data will be in EDW


• Faster access to appropriate prompts (for example, less scrolling to get to the district's name)


• On-screen previews of sample reports so users know what the report looks like before it is run

I don't have details about what features will be available when (I believe the goal is late summer), but I do know that we will see a few of the improvements in this week's EDW release. In addition, the new system and the old system will co-exist for a while as folks get used to the new system.

As a reminder, I am offering a Data Warehouse "Getting Started" workshop on June 29 and a "Refresher" course on August 22 (in Bourne). The refresher course will include any information about the "new" system that is available at that time. Spots are still available and you can sign up through the Cape Cod Collaborative.

Data Warehouse Workshops and Refresher Courses?

Currently I have scheduled a Data Warehouse: Basics and More course in Bourne on June 29, and a Data Warehouse Refresher course on August 22. (These are offered through the Cape Cod Collaborative but are open to all districts in the region at no cost, please click the links above to sign up.)

If there is a need for additional Data Warehouse workshops or refresher courses in other parts of the region, I'll be happy to offer them as needed. Please contact me (laura.tilton@dsacma.org) with your DW training needs and I'll keep you informed about upcoming regional training opportunities.

Spots available in Data Warehouse Refresher course 8/26 at READS Collaborative

Thursday, August 26
Data Warehouse Refresher
READS Collaborative (8:30-11:30), Middleborough
Registration Contact: Mary Keeler @ READS Collaborative, mkeeler@readscollab.org

This session is intended for staff who have had previous Data Warehouse training (or have explored it independently) but need additional support in the use of this tool. The workshop will provide a structured environment in which to explore data using the pre-defined reports in the Data Warehouse, including the new Growth Model reports. Participants will access their own district or school’s data, get time-saving tips, and will have an opportunity to run and save reports for use in planning for the 2010-2011 school year.

Summer Data Warehouse Workshops and Refresher Courses

The following Data Warehouse courses are being offered (at no or nominal cost) in the Southeast region over the summer, and seats are limited. All workshops will be taught by Laura Tilton, Southeast DSAC Data Specialist. Participants must have been granted access to the Data Warehouse via the DESE security portal prior to arrival at these workshops.

Tuesday, July 13
Data Warehouse Refresher
Duxbury High School (8:30-11:30 with optional afternoon support)
Registration Contact: Laura Tilton, laura.tilton@dsacma.org
This session is intended for staff who have had previous Data Warehouse training (or have explored it independently) but need additional support in the use of this tool. The workshop will provide a structured environment in which to explore data using the pre-defined reports in the Data Warehouse, including the new Growth Model reports. Participants will access their own district or school’s data, and will have time to run and save reports for use in planning for the 2010-2011 school year.

Wednesday, August 11
Data Warehouse Basics and More (8:00 am - 1:00 pm with snack break)
sponsored by the Bi-County Collaborative (Franklin, MA) location TBA
Registration Contact: Joni Larsen @ Bi-County Collaborative, jlarsen@bicounty.org
This workshop will combine the essential elements of the DW101 and DW201 courses from the ESE, including the cycle of inquiry and use of the pre-defined reports. The new Student Growth Model reports will also be explored. While sample data will be used for the introductory activities, participants will have the opportunity to begin to investigate data for their own schools/districts.

Monday, August 16
Data Warehouse Refresher (see description above)
Bourne High School (8:30-11:30)
Registration Contact: Sheila Murray @ Cape Cod Collaborative, s.murray.ccc@comcast.net

Thursday, August 26
Data Warehouse Refresher (see description above)
READS Collaborative (8:30-11:30), Middleborough
Registration Contact: Mary Keeler @ READS Collaborative, mkeeler@readscollab.org

Data Warehouse "Refresher"?

I was thinking that some folks may be in need of a "refresher" on the Data Warehouse after the preliminary data is released in August. Please let me know if you or others in your district would be interested in taking part in a "refresher" workshop in August 2010. These would likely be half-day (morning or afternoon) sessions where folks could come and work in their own data warehouse accounts...there would be some instruction but also an opportunity for independent work time with support from me. If this is going to be a need, I'd like to try to be able to support it efficiently rather than juggling lots of "Help! How do I ..." calls and e-mails.

I'll look forward to hearing your feedback, either via e-mail (laura.tilton@dsacma.org) or through the online form. Thanks!