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FAQ's: Data Warehousing and Data Analysis
Using the Cognos Cubes
What is a data warehouse?
A data warehouse is a home for large quantities
of data that normally reside in a number of different locations.
Generally it:
- Includes a variety of historical information
- Merges data sets that are otherwise difficult
to combine or compare
How can data warehouses
benefit schools?
- Verify and consolidate large quantities
of information in one location
- Preserve data normally discarded at the
close of each academic year
- Conduct long term analysis of students,
teachers, and programs
- Compare different performance indicators
How will the data warehousing
project help teachers and district administrators?
- Is there a significant difference in NY
ELA performance of students whose teachers participated in guided
reading professional development workshops?
What is eScholar?
eScholar is a software package equipped with
templates for loading district data from a variety of spreadsheets,
databases, and other data sources such as outside testing services.
One of the most valuable features of eScholar
is its ability to identify inconsistencies in data and streamline
the data cleansing process.
Will eScholar eventually
take the place of my student information system?
No. Your district's SIS is an operational
system responsible for the daily input of information which includes
grades and test scores and additionally keeps attendance as well.
These systems only maintain current year information and were not
designed to facilitate multidimensional analysis. A data warehouse,
on the other hand, keeps multiple years of data and will allow you
to extract material from your SIS as well as other data sources
including your financial system, personnel records, and special
education databases to conduct longitudinal analysis across multiple
domains of data and years.
What are the most frequent
data errors that slow down data input process?
- Missing or inconsistent student Ids
- Missing or incomplete demographic data (ethnicity, ELL status
left blank)
- Duplicate records
- Misspelled or inconsistent formats in student and teacher names
(Mc and MC as different entries)
- Inconsistent building names or locations (new schools or building
consolidations not updated in student management system)
- Alpha data in numeric only fields
- Inconsistent date formats
- Numeric data out of range
- Student ID on test does not match student file
- Program codes not consistent within district
What is Cognos?
Cognos is a company that provides tools to
view information from a database. Cognos Powerplay is one web-based
application that we use to view and analyze information from the
database.
All categories of information, scores, and
indicators are arranged into dimensions and measures that each user
can change to analyze the data.
Do I have to use Cognos
to view the information in the data warehouse?
Cognos provides a number of reporting tools
with which you can view the information from the database. Many
districts have already begun to use the Cognos Powerplay cubes to
analyze their data. Using Impromptu, another Cognos product, we
are able to create ready access web reports. Currently, we are working
with districts to create a body of standardized Impromptu reports
to provide as part of the eScholar package. Furthermore, other products
such as Excel and SPSS have the capability of connecting directly
to the eScholar database and querying the data.
What is the difference
between Cognos and eScholar?
Cognos is a reporting tool that includes
the cubes and web reports. Cognos is one of the many software packages
that you can use to see and manipulate information from the database.
eScholar tools will be responsible for automating the 'behind the
scenes' work of creating the data warehouse while it provides templates
for loading district data from a variety of spreadsheets, databases,
and other data sources such as outside testing services. Additionally,
eScholar will greatly improve the data cleansing process by automatically
identifying inconsistencies within the data submitted by districts.
For more information on how these tools function, visit eScholar
on the web.
If I purchase the test
history module in SASI, do I still need a data warehouse?
While the test history module will allow you
to view multiple years of testing history for students, it does
not have the capability of comparing test scores to other data fields
or disaggregating test score information according to demographic
or program categories. Since many districts need to conduct a more
rigorous analysis of their data, they need a data warehouse to combine
a wide range of data sources.
The LTDB also provides a district with a method
for storing a student's test scores. Once you enter a definition
for a test, test scores can be downloaded from electronic files
provided by publishers, the NYSED, or entered manually. You create
reports using the report writer which draw on other student data
kept in Pentamation. The LTDB and the data warehouse will compliment
one another as information from the LTDB can be easily extracted
and added to the eScholar database. From there, test scores and
student records can be combined with a wide range of other school
data to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the learning environment.
What performance data
can I view in the cubes?
- New York State Exams - ELA and Math
- ERA
- ERB
- Terra Nova
- Regents Exams
- Final Grades (grades 7-12)
What demographic data can I view in the
cubes?
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Education type and level of integration
- LEP/ELL status
- Mobility/Enrollment status
- Poverty level
- Population-private, home school, homeless,
etc.
- Program services
- Building status
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