A Date with Data

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: Three former state data managers walk into a U.S. Department of Education-funded data center. Not ringing a bell? Relax. It’s no joke; it’s this week’s episode of

A Date with Data. Join host Amy Bitterman as she sits down with former data managers-turned-IDC’s own Kelley Blas, Kristen DeSalvatore, and Austen Ferrier. They’re discussing how they made the transition from working for states to working with states building their capacity to improve the quality of their IDEA data.

Utah: land of bees! In our last episode, we learned more about how the state is prioritizing general supervision as part of Differentiated Monitoring and Support or DMS 2.0. On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman brings it all home with Leah Voorhies, assistant superintendent of student support and state director of special education, and LauraLee Gillespie, special education coordinator of the Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPS). They’re talking about monitoring, support, and compliance with federal and state requirements. Don’t miss the conclusion of this buzzy back-and-forth.

Utah: the Beehive State. With Differentiated Monitoring and Support or DMS 2.0 in full swing, general supervision is a high priority area for every state, and Utah is no exception. In fact, you might say they’ve been as busy as bees. On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman sits down with Leah Voorhies, assistant superintendent of student support and state director of special education, and LauraLee Gillespie, special education coordinator of the Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPS). They’re sharing the story of Utah’s general supervision system and how the state uses it to monitor and support compliance with federal and state requirements. Buzz, buzz, buzz. (That’s bee for “Don’t miss it.”)

In data as in dating, the proper response can make all the difference. Nonresponse, and the bias it may create, remains a challenge for state staff charged with gathering reliable survey data with generalizable results. That’s the call. What’s the response? On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman will find out as she sits down with Heather Dunphy, Lead Education Program Specialist from the Arizona Department of Education, and IDC TA specialist Tamara Nimkoff to learn more about the persistent challenge of identifying and analyzing nonresponse bias and some of the tools available to help address it (Hint: Tamara may have written one!).

The turn of a new year is the perfect moment to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going next. We might even wish to share with others a few of the things we've learned along the way. On this inaugural 2024 installment of A Date with Data, we’re doing just that as host Amy Bitterman sits down with Amy Patterson, data manager with the Kentucky of Department of Education, and Alisha Fewkes, data manager with the Idaho Department of Education, to contemplate lessons learned and to offer a word or two of guidance to newcomers to the field.

Thoughtful planning and data use go together like a hand in a mitten…or a Mitten State. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman bundles up and heads north to learn more about Michigan’s data use and action plan process with the state Department of Education’s Jessica Brady, Aaron Darling, and Julie Trevino. They discuss the eight-step procedure Michigan designed to help districts reach their own unique data goals. So, put on your mittens and hop on the toboggan; you don’t want to miss our final episode of 2023.

Don’t want to go out? No problem. Sometimes you just want a date closer to home. In this cozy episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman is doing just that, welcoming our very own Terry Long and Chris Thacker to learn all about IDC’s edit check tools, an online resource that allows users to visualize and review SEA and LEA EDFacts 618 data files. From Child Count and Educational Environment to Discipline and Personnel data, they’ll cover it all. Join them to get close (to the edit check tools).

In a state the size of California, implementing systems for change requires a whole lot of teamwork. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman heads to the left coast to find out how Jack Brimhall, Interim Associate Director of the state’s Special Education Division, and Kishaun Thorntona, Education Program Consultant, team up with local districts to address issues of significant disproportionality with robust data and a model system for monitoring and tracking progress. Tune in to see how these golden state warriors are getting it done.

One thing we appreciate: A good friend who has our back, keeps us on the right track. In the Indiana Department of Education, that’s Angela Vaughn, Assistant Director of Monitoring and Compliance. In that role, Angela helps oversee her state’s annual LEA determination process, and, in her role, host Amy Bitterman is eager to learn more. Join us for this week’s A Date with Data where Angela describes how she and her office help Indiana LEAs use data elements and apply criteria to the determination categories to satisfy this important, and mandatory, process.

Deep canyons. Soaring mountains. Red rocks. Neighboring Utah and Arizona have plenty of landscape in common, but what about their data landscape? What role does data play in their state initiatives and priorities now and in the future? On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman takes it all in as she concludes her conversation with guests Arizona State Director of Special Education Alissa Trollinger and Utah State Director of Special Education Leah Voorhies. Don't miss part two of our guided tour through these states’ epic data quality landscapes.