We cannot continue to ask students – and their families – to make one of the largest and most important investments of their lives without clearer information about what their time and money will yield. In partnership with RTI International (RTI), operating in an independent capacity, IHEP is gathering expert insights needed to support making that critically needed information available through a student-level data network (SLDN). Implementing a Student-Level Data Network (Part II): Insights from Institutional Representatives is the second brief in a series to support the modernization of our postsecondary data infrastructure.
Building the SLDN outlined in pending federal legislation will require the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to make key decisions around design, construction, and implementation. Implementing a Student-Level Data Network (Part II): Insights from Institutional Representatives shares perspectives from 12 experts from diverse institutional backgrounds, including public two-year, private nonprofit four-year, and private for-profit four-year institutions, as well as individuals who work in public system and association offices. The representatives reflected on example file layouts and data collection models with an eye to what data are available for all students, when data are available for reporting, and other key factors that could streamline data submission or reduce reporting burdens.