2008 Summer Training – Building and Sustaining Quality in NRS Data:  Strategies for Program Improvement

This training presented a basic summary of the NRS, clarified NRS requirements, and provided a model for State and local staff to promote using data for program improvement.  State teams had the opportunity to work on data quality and program improvement issues, which involved participants examining their data and planning an approach to address issues of their own choosing.  To examine their data, participants utilized a specially designed electronic tool based in an Excel workbook.  Ultimately, this training helped to build a foundation of knowledge and skills for NRS beginners while offering a new look on the basics and an opportunity to investigate data in more depth for NRS veterans.

The 2008 Summer Training materials are available to download below for state and local program use to improve their NRS data quality and use.  The materials include a companion guide to the training, the Excel Data Planning Tool, the PowerPoint presentation and corresponding handouts, examples of state approaches to examining data issues, and other resources.

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NRS Guide

• 1. Guide – Building and Sustaining NRS Data Quality:  A Guide to Program Improvement
  This guide provides a basic summary of the NRS and clarifies NRS requirements.  The guide also addresses two fundamental concepts - building data quality and using data for program improvement.
  
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  •  Building and Sustaining NRS Data Quality Guide

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Facilitation & Professional Development Materials

• 2. Presentation and Handouts from the 2008 Summer Training
  The PowerPoint slides and corresponding handouts are aligned with the content of the Guide, thereby providing an overview of the NRS, the three essential systems for building data quality, and how to make and sustain changes for program improvement, including an introduction to the Excel Data Planning Tool for Building and Sustaining Change.  State and local programs can personalize and use these materials for their own NRS trainings or planning meetings.
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   NRS Building and Sustaining Quality in NRS Data Presentation

   Facilitator's Notes, including NRS Jeopardy Instructions

   NRS Handouts

  NRS Jeopardy Game - 5 x 5 Gameboard

  NRS Jeopardy Game - 6 x 6 Gameboard

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Training Tools

3. Excel Data Planning Tool for Building and Sustaining Change
The Excel Data Planning Tool was designed to assist states with improving NRS data quality and can be modified to fit state and local needs.  Refer to the PowerPoint slides for further guidance in using the Data Planning Tool.

Note: The main Excel file below, Data Planning Tool for Building and Sustaining Change, contains links to the other files listed.  For the Tool to be used effectively, all files must be downloaded and saved in the same location.  If you move or rename a file then the links within the Data Planning Tool will also have the be updated to reflect any changes you  make to a file name or to the file's storage location.

 Data Planning Tool for Building and Sustaining Change

Assessment Compliance

DM Excel Template

Follow-up Compliance

Goal Setting Compliance

Innovate and Evaluate

Performance Management

Report Card

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Additional Materials

4. Other Resources: Data Tracking and Goal Setting

•  List of State Data Tracking Systems

   Examples of S.M.A.R.T. Goals

   

  5.  Contextualizing the Data Use Pyramid:  State and Local Program Examples

  Local Program Example: California, Santa Barbara Community College’s Adult Education

   Local Program Example: Tennessee, Greeneville City Adult Education

    State Example: Tennessee Division of Adult Education

   

6. Samples of Evaluation Methods and Models

The National Science Foundation

The 2002 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation

Western Michigan University Evaluation Center

  Key Evaluation Checklist

  Utilization Focused Evaluation (UE) Checklist

  Qualitative Evaluation Checklist

• 7. State PowerPoint Presentations from Tool Exercises
• During the training states were asked to use the Excel Data Planning Tool for Building and Sustaining Change to assess the state of their data quality, then identify a goal and develop a strategy for meeting and their goal.  At the conclusion of the exercise, states shared their plans for implementing and evaluating their strategies.   Below are a few of the state presentations.

  Arizona Presentation

  Illinois Presentation

  Massachusetts Presentation

• 8. Group Pictures from Trainings
• Click on any of the thumbnail images below to see a full-size image.

 

San Francisco                                                     Austin

 

 

               Bethesda

 

 

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