REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR TEXAS LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES
Each year, Texas Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required to report a significant amount of data about their students.
The penalties for not reporting or reporting inaccurately can be strict, but using a data standard can make the whole thing easier.
The data that is reported is used for the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report. The State Performance Plan is mandated in order to demonstrate Texas’ efforts to implement the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004.
What Happens if an LEA Fails to Report or Reports Inaccurate Data?
State law requires that LEAs, including Texas Charter Schools, provide valid and reliable data, according to TEA. Data that is submitted through TEASE applications is considered to be certified and final and is used for annual determinations analysis. Failure to report data or submission of inaccurate data is handled by the Division of Special Education and the Division of Program Monitoring and Intervention.
The Division of School Improvement has implemented a data validation monitoring system (DVM) for the student assessment, student discipline, and student leaver program areas in order to ensure that the data is accurate. The division reviews and follows up with districts identified for potential data inaccuracies, anomalies, and irregularities. Districts identified as having potentially inaccurate information must participate in activities that help to determine why the district was identified, determine which campuses may have been involved in the identification, determine the frequency and the source of data inaccuracies, and evaluate the effectiveness of policies, procedures, and data tracking systems. Based on the findings, the LEA may be required to participate in an intervention program in order to increase the accuracy of their reporting.
What Are the Reporting Requirements?
The state requires different reports during different times of the year. Here is a listing of some of the information that TEA requires the LEAs to report, how it must be submitted, and when the reports are due.
Reported through PEIMS
– Graduation Rate: Due on the last Friday in October
– Dropout Rate: Include in the fall collection on the last Friday in October
– Suspension/ Expulsion rates: Discipline data is submitted for the summer collection
– Least restrictive environment, ages 6-21: The educational placement data for this report is included in the fall collection in October
– Least restrictive environment, ages 3-5: This educational placement data is also submitted through PEIMS in the fall collection
– Disproportionality within program: This student demographic data is submitted in the fall collection in October
– Disproportionality by specific disability: This student demographic data is also submitted through PEIMS in the fall collection in October
Reported Through TEASE
– Early childhood outcomes: The data for this report is submitted via a TEA Secure Environment (TEASE) application. The application window is from March to August
– Compliance with timely initial evaluation timelines: The compliance data for this report is submitted from June – August
– Compliance with early childhood transition timelines: The compliance data for this report is also submitted from June – August
– Compliance with secondary transition IEP requirements: The compliance data for this report is submitted from April – August
– Post-school outcomes: The exit survey information for the Grade 12 exit report is submitted via TEASE application during April – August. The information for the year out follow up is obtained through the post-school outcomes survey, which is conducted in the spring
Other
– Participation and proficiency rates on statewide assessments: LEAs must submit test answer documents after test administration of Reading and Math, grades 3-8, 10 each spring
– Parent participation: Parent surveys are conducted in the spring
What Is a Data Standard and How Can It Make Reporting Easier?
Texas Education Data Standards (TEDS) are xml-based standards for the required collection of data. It makes the reporting of this data easier because it includes all data elements, code tables, business rules, and data validations needed for LEA education data. As explained by Ed-Fi, until recently, education data systems were cut off from each other and unable to provide a complete view of what was going on in the classroom. This is because every piece of educational technology operated with its own “language” when storing and managing data. According to TEA’s website, the cost to LEAs of meeting the state’s reporting requirements was around $323 million annually, statewide, and educators rarely saw the data in a timely manner or a useful format. They certainly didn’t receive it in time to be able to use it to make necessary changes to their classroom instruction.
The Ed-Fi and other education data standards, including TEDS, provide rules for the collection, management, and organization of educational data so that it can be shared in a meaningful way. TEDS Texas Student Data System (TSDS) not only makes it easier for TEA to respond more quickly and effectively to changing reporting requirements, but it also makes providing LEA data to TEA easier and more cost-effective, as well. Additionally, it provides educators with a more complete look at where their students, school, and district are when it comes to student achievement.
In the 2016-2017 school year, all 1,200 LEAs began using the TSDS PEIMS, with dashboards available to any LEAs who wanted one. Ed-Fi, which provides another education data standards tool, is currently used by school districts in 30 states, impacting 1.9 million teachers and involving the data of 30.9 million students. The Ed-Fi alliance states that in addition to providing states and schools with a way to integrate all of their data, across systems, it also works with ed-tech developers to make collecting and disseminating that data even easier and more fine-tuned to each state’s unique requirements.
Our team of educational software development experts can help you to meet any reporting requirements.