Project: Maryland Longitudinal Data System

Scope:

The MLDS is a project that will design, develop, implement, and support the execution of a longitudinal data system that links student level data across prekindergarten through grade 20 (P20) and incorporates the linking of teachers to student level data from the data warehouse upon completion of cleansing transforming and ensuring data quality. The Maryland Longitudinal Data System Project (MLDS) represents an enterprise solution to the Data Quality Campaign 10 Essentials Elements of a Longitudinal Data System.

Description of Services:

Under this Task Order, Matrix Systems & Technologies, Inc. is tasked to provide project management services responsible for the day-to-day project management and planning activities in support of MLDS project. This will include creating various project plans that will deliver the project objectives, managing the activities of the project team(s), foresee, plan, organize and control the resources necessary to effectively meet the project deliverables, manage the entire project process and assure for the successful attainment of each and every goal set out at the onset of each project.

Objectives Achieved:

1. Re-engineer the current Education Data Warehouse to accommodate all new data elements that will expand upon previous Maryland Longitudinal Data System (MLDS) initiatives
2. Add modules to the Web Data Collection System to facilitate all data collection and reporting activities and increase efficiency and data quality
3. Provide advanced business analysis and reporting tools to an expanded user base
4. Plan and implement the collection of student-level course-related information allowing for the creation of virtual student records used for program evaluation, analysis, and reporting across Local school system (LSS) and school boundaries
5. Increase the capacity of the Maryland Unique Student Identification System (USIS) for the inclusion of Higher Education and state Workforce data
6. Provide the knowledge and ability to access MLDS data directly to an expanded user base.

Results Achieved:

1. Complete the linking of student data across data collections and years
2. Further reduce the silo structure of major program data collections and integrate the Special Education program with the state’s system
3. Increase capacity to provide educators and policy –makers with new and useful data reports to enhance and improve program evaluation and policy decisions
4. Open access to data repositories for schools
5. Work with local school systems to develop a standardized process of defining courses at all three levels (elementary, middle and high) and implement a data collection that will populate the MLDS with student course and performance (grades) data, adding significantly to Maryland’s capacity to use data in policy-making and evaluate student educational experiences
6. Make significant progress in converting all major data collections to the web data collection format that will be used to collect, validate and report Maryland’s data. This system includes a Statistical Process Control feature that analyzes submitted data for discrepancies from previous five-year trends, and will improve the accuracy of EDFacts files
7. Increase the capacity of MSDE to provide needed data to policy-makers, especially the State Board of Education and legislators, thereby further reinforcing the need for and value of the longitudinal data system.