2022 has been quite the year for IDC, one of growth, change, and reconnection. It was also a time to reconnect in person with our state partners after so long. In 2022, we became data quality influencers in Nashville at ii22, dove into the SPP/APR and connections between indicators in Lexington, and began the process of self-reflection as more states entered a DMS cohort.
2023 brings new opportunities to further strengthen our collaboration and to promote strong data quality. As we now know, this year will bring the new EDPass system, along with new processes to follow and new opportunities to endorse and improve data quality and data use. Also, as you may have heard in the EDFacts Modernization December Update Webinar, the Department of Education holds clear expectations for Part B data managers to work more closely with EDFacts coordinators in this new system. I hope you are as excited to explore these new partnerships with EDPass as I am.
For some states, these changes may be relatively easy to implement. For others, they will require a serious reorganization of people and processes. To that end, there are two important housekeeping items related to EDPass that all states should consider so they can start the new year off on the right foot.
- Work with your state’s EDFacts coordinator now to determine which roles each individual will need in the new system. These may include the rights to view data, upload files, add data notes, complete metadata surveys, or submit data for IDEA review.
- Have all affected staff create individual EDPass log in information at Login.gov. The new system will require multi-factor identification through Login.gov, which individuals need to set up before the EDPass manager can create their account.
Finally, to facilitate conversations about roles and subsequent process changes, IDC has created a brief interactive resource, EDFacts Modernization: Planning Questions to Consider. We hope that the questions in this resource will help spark conversation and make the work of determining where your processes need to change a bit easier. As the year progresses, we are also planning to foster collaboration with EDFacts coordinators in order to continue to improve communication and data quality in support of IDEA Part B data
I wish you all the best in the new year and look forward to continuing to learn and grow together.
- Audrey Rudick