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Capacity for Data Collection and Reporting

It is important for an SEA to continuously monitor progress and make adjustments to its strategies, as well as to support its LEAs in making adjustments to LEA strategies, based on impact. Describe how the SEA will ensure its capacity and the capacity of its LEAs to collect data on reporting requirements, including but not limited to the examples of reporting requirements described in the SEA's Grant Award Notification (listed in Appendix B). Describe the SEA's capacity and strategy to collect data from its LEAs (disaggregated by student group, where applicable), to the greatest extent practicable, including any steps the SEA will take to build its capacity in the future (which may include the use of ARP ESSER and other Federal COVID-19 pandemic funds at the SEA and LEA levels), on issues that may include the following:

  1. Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional time during the COVID-19 pandemic;

  2. Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and participation in advanced coursework; access to technology, including educator access to professional development on the effective use of technology; access to high-quality educators; access to school counselors, social workers, nurses, and school psychologists; and results from student, parent, and/or educator surveys);

  3. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil expenditures at the LEA and school levels);

  4. Jobs created and retained (by position type);

  5. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g., summer and afterschool programs); and

  6. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary (please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will be issued separately).

PDE has developed a reputation as a model for other states regarding collecting and reporting data from the PIMS State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), as evidenced by the frequency of requests to present at national data and SLDS conferences. PDE will modify data collections, as needed, to ensure sufficient data are being collected from LEAs to meet all federal reporting requirements. PDE will also establish PIMS trainings, documentation, supports, practices, and procedures to support ARP ESSER data collections.

Current supports include:

      • Manuals;
      • Data collection calendar;
      • Data collection type "how-to guides";
      • Virtual, live, recorded, and online trainings;
      • Access to SEA staff subject matter expert support for data review;
      • Information technology application support service help staff; and
      • Access to an LEA Sandbox test environment.

The documentation provided to LEAs also offers guidance related to PIMS business rules/edits and data validations. PDE's systems feature robust reports for LEAs and the SEA, including Accuracy Certification Statements signed by the Superintendent for each collection. PDE routinely convenes stakeholder groups to offer feedback on the data collections performed through PIMS, such as the Data Quality Network (DQN), biweekly PIMS Pilot Group, monthly PIMS vendors group, and weekly Q&A webinars for all data stewards.

PDE will coordinate efforts with LEAs and their respective SIS vendors to ensure the necessary collection of data and to allow seamless reporting during annual PIMS collections. PDE will work with SIS and other LEA system vendors to ensure they understand reporting requirements necessary to upgrade systems to meet LEA needs. ARP ESSER monitoring and reporting topics will be incorporated into monthly DQN meetings, and sessions will be included in the 2022 through 2024 Annual PDE Data Summit (as well as other opportunities to assist LEAs in meeting all ARP ESSER requirements). PDE will work with its software vendors and in-house information technology department to ensure its systems are prepared to receive additional data for ARP ESSER collection and reporting.