May 5, 2006
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces Enhanced
Ed-Data Web Site With New Financial Data
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Ed-Data Partnership today by announcing enhancements to the interactive Ed-Data Web site at Education Data Partnership Home Page, which is also linked to the California Department of Education (CDE) Web site.
"Wading through the wealth of education information we provide to the public can be daunting, but it is necessary to give people access to information they need," said O'Connell. "The changes to Ed-Data will allow people to easily tap into full financial information about local educational agencies, compare test scores and other data among school districts, and more, so the public can hold schools and students accountable for ensuring California's children get a good education."
Ed-Data is the most comprehensive and user-friendly resource on the Internet in the way it combines a decade's worth of financial, demographic, and school performance information about California's education system. In 1996, the CDE, the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team, the Alameda County Office of Education, and EdSource formed the cooperative Education Data Partnership to place education data and related information on the Internet. In 1997–98, the state Legislature recognized the growing status of the Internet and began an ongoing appropriation for the Partnership. The goals of the Partnership include providing — through computer technology — financial, demographic, and performance information that are interactive and immediately accessible to the community at large and to all local educational agencies to assist them in their decision-making processes.
Ed-Data provides:
- School, district, county, and state profiles, including the Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress results, graduate/dropout rates, SAT results, enrollment, student characteristics, and staffing information that provide a comprehensive portrait of schools.
- Teacher salary and benefits data, including district and state averages that outline some of the most important expenditures of school districts.
- Bond and tax election data for districts.
- Easy-to-do comparisons of schools and school districts by multiple criteria.
- New and even more clear and comprehensive district and county office of education financial reports, with charts and comparisons, that include new analyses of how funds are spent.
Some examples of the type of questions Ed-Data can answer are:
- Does my school get a "green light" on Adequate Yearly Progress?: Ed-Data will actually produce a report showing whether the school gets a red, yellow, or green light on Adequate Yearly Progress and explain why.
- How does my school district's funding per student compare to other districts in the state?: Ed-Data will produce a detailed report on revenues and expenditures.
- Which California high school had the highest Academic Performance Index?: Ed-Data will produce a report comparing the school with the highest score to any other school in the state.
- How much has my county's K-12 enrollment grown in the last 10 years?: Ed-Data will produce enrollment tables, charts, and a "Pop Trend" link comparing enrollment over a 10-year period.
For more information on Ed-Data, please visit at Education Data Partnership Home Page.
