Supporting Administrative Records for Education Data
For nearly 25 years, AIR supported the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in collecting and disseminating administrative records-based education data. Administrative records data are primarily collected by an organization for nonstatistical purposes, like administering programs or providing services. These data can also be used for statistical purposes, such as developing survey sample frames and creating projections (i.e., predictions of future data based on past data).
As federal, state, and local governments seek ways to find efficiencies in their work, expanding the use of administrative records data offers a solution. Using data that are already collected to inform programs or policies provides a way to address information needs while saving money and time.
Examples of education-related administrative data collections AIR supported include ED data collections like the Common Core of Data (CCD) and EDFacts, nonfiscal and finance data collections, and those described below.
Our Work
AIR’s team—with experts in education finance, administrative records data collection and management, SAS statistical programming, and technology solutions—helped ED use administrative records-based data to meet a range of needs, including the following:
- Administering programs – AIR helped to provide the high-quality, accurate, and timely data required to run federal programs that impact how school districts across the United States are funded. We have supported Title I programs, the Impact Aid Program, the Rural Education Achievement Program, and Title IV federal student aid programs.
- Creating survey sampling frames – We helped create and review data files and documentation that provide the foundational data for studies that require samples of eligible schools and school districts from across the U.S., such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Study of Title II-A Use of Funds.
- Developing postsecondary metrics – College admissions rates, costs, and student retention and graduation outcomes are used to determine many of the national college rankings that students and families use to make important college decisions. AIR supported administering the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), which provides these and other metrics.
- Supporting law enforcement – The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) provides data that federal law enforcement agencies use to conduct investigations into potential civil rights violations. AIR conducts data quality reviews and applies privacy protection algorithms to CRDC data to ensure they are accurate and comply with privacy regulations.
