Listen and Learn From IDC's Podcast A Date with Data
Special education staff have been asking to hear from staff in other states and districts about what they're doing that's working and lessons they've learned, so we're throwing a spotlight on your IDEA data stories. Join your host, Amy Bitterman, as she chats with state and district special education staff, who, just like you, are dealing with IDEA data every day. We hope that by sharing these real experiences, you'll be able to feel more connected to colleagues in other states doing the same work, grow together, and, ultimately, improve your data quality.
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New!Commonwealths, Common Cause: Influencing the Quality of Significant Disproportionality Data
Episode 9
Release Date: September 22, 2022
Guests: Brian Coonley, Special Education and Equity Inclusion Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Jarrod Slone, Exceptional Child Specialist, Kentucky Department of Education
“Improvement begins with data.” These are words to live by and a philosophy held in common by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Brian Coonley and the Kentucky Department of Education’s Jarrod Slone.
In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman gets to the bottom of these two commonwealths' not-so-common strategies to support districts, which include a focus on increased transparency and data stewardship. Jarrod and Brian also discuss how root-cause analyses and long-term strategic planning can lead to meaningful, substantive improvement.
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Shine On, Data-Quality Influencers: A Date with Data in Idaho
Episode 8
Release Date: August 25, 2022
Guests: Alisa Fewkes, Part B Data Manager and Debi Smith, Special Populations Coordinator, Idaho Department of Education
When it comes to high-quality data, there are some questions we all ask ourselves. What does it mean to be a data-quality influencer? Am I a data-quality influencer? And, if not, what must I do to become one? To unearth the answers, our latest episode of A Date with Data visits the Gem State, where host Amy Bitterman discusses this multi-faceted issue with the Idaho Department of Education’s Alisa Fewkes and Debi Smith. They talk about polishing up a school’s and district’s ability to read and analyze data through drill-down trainings that the department offers around the state.
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Influencing the Quality of IDEA Data, from Data Collection to Communication and Use
Episode 7
Release Date: August 11, 2022
Guests: Brandon Myers, Data Specialist, Indiana Department of Education
On the newest episode of A Date with Data, we “Wander Indiana” as Host Amy Bitterman sits down with Brandon Myers, Part B Data Manager with the Indiana Department of Education. Listen in as they discuss Brandon’s work as a data-quality influencer: collecting, organizing, monitoring, and communicating information about data. Brandon also shares how he ensures that schools and stakeholders understand how the data they are required to report get used. Join us in the Hoosier state, won’t you?
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On Stage in Nashville, Tennessee: A Date with Data at ii22
Episode 6
Release Date: July 28, 2022
Guests: Amy Patterson, IDEA Part B Data Manager with the Kentucky Department of Education and Richelle Davis, Education Program Specialist with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs
In this episode of A Date with Data, we’re on stage at the 2022 IDC Interactive Institute in Music City, USA. Join us as host Amy Bitterman performs a duet with Amy Patterson, IDEA Part B Data Manager with the Kentucky Department of Education, to learn more about her role as a data-quality influencer. Up next, Amy two-steps with Richelle Davis from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for her perspective on the importance of states and districts understanding the “why” behind collecting high-quality data—including how the data drive policy and decisionmaking.
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Creating and Sustaining an Effective Partnership Between Delaware’s State Education Agency and the Parent Information Center
Episode 5
Release Date: July 7, 2022
Guests: Mary Ann Mieczkowski, former Director of Exceptional Children Resources, and Barbara Mazza, Education Associate for Exceptional Children Resources, with the Delaware Department of Education and Meedra Surratte, Executive Director of the Parent Information Center of Delaware
It's the age-old question: What’s the secret to a long-lasting, meaningful relationship? For Episode 5 of A Date with Data, we travel to the first state to find out. For 20 years, the Delaware Department of Education has partnered with the state’s Parent Information Center to better facilitate family engagement.
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Building a Culture of High-Quality IDEA Data in Wisconsin
Episode 4
Release Date: June 23, 2022
Guests: Seth Bishop, Data Analysis/Grant Evaluation Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Wisconsin is striving to embed IDEA data culture throughout the state’s Department of Public Instruction. Learn how Wisconsin is working to achieve a strong, shared data culture through initiatives such as collaborating with Title I and Every Student Succeeds Act staff to create joint federal notification reports and creating dashboards for districts to drill down into their data.
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Implications of Changes to the SPP/APR and Stakeholder Engagement Requirements in Oklahoma
Episode 3
Release Date: June 9, 2022
Guests: Ginger Elliott-Teague, Director of Data Analysis, Oklahoma State Department of Education
Amy chats with Ginger about building the capacity of districts and other stakeholders in Oklahoma to understand the changes to the SPP/APR and stakeholder engagement requirements. Ginger shares key strategies for engaging stakeholders in target setting.
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How the Pandemic and Changes to the SPP/APR Affected Arkansas’s IDEA Data
Episode 2
Release Date: May 26, 2022
Guests: Jody Fields, Part B Data Manager, Arkansas Department of Education
In this episode, we throw a spotlight on the implications of both the pandemic and the changes to the SPP/APR for FFY 2020—2025 on Arkansas’s data quality, results, and trends. Jody and Amy discuss how Arkansas mitigated the data challenges it encountered due to the pandemic and SPP/APR changes. Jody also shares the state’s strategy for successfully communicating the changes to the data and the SPP/APR indicators to districts and other stakeholders.
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Georgia’s IDEA Data Quality During the Pandemic
Episode 1
Release Date: May 12, 2022
Guests: Dawn Kemp, Part B Data Manager, and Linda Castellanos, Program Manager, Georgia Department of Education
During our first episode, we explore how the pandemic affected Georgia’s Part B 618 and SPP/APR data trends and quality. The good news? It’s far from doom and gloom. Dawn and Linda highlight many bright spots, including how they have harnessed virtual technology to improve collaboration, connectivity, and stakeholder engagement. They also focus on the positive effects the pandemic has had on Georgia’s data culture.
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