GAT Meeting - 2021-02-25

Owned by Ann Su
Last updated: Mar 02, 2021 by Chris Moffatt (Deactivated)
6 min read

Agenda

  • Welcome new members
  • Alliance updates 
    • Update on the Ed-Fi Attendance/Modality Study Group 
    • Alliance event plans for 2021 
    • Update on GAT sub-group on improving vendor API’s 
  • GAT Discussion - Entering the 2nd year of the pandemic

Refer to the PPT (which can be found here) for additional details on the meeting minutes and discussions.

When available, meeting minutes should be read, and any corrections sent to Chris.

Participation

Members:

Support:

Meeting Minutes

Agenda Item #1: Welcome new members

Debbie Dailey and Noah Bookman

Agenda Item #2: Update on Student Modality and Attendance Study Group

Maureen summarized the study group progress:

  • Draft standards for student instructional modality, method of attendance verification and student engagement in instruction.
    • Where are students meant to be?

Student Instructional Modality 

  • Are they showing up in that learning modality?

Method of Attendance Verification 

  • Are they engaging in that learning?

Student Engagement in Instruction 

  • Tracking what feds are going to release re: policy – NAEP survey tool being used to gather data

Agenda Item #3: Alliance Event Plans for 2021

  • Ed-F Exchange Live 2021 – build on the successful XLive2020 with audience-specific virtual events through discussion, knowledge-sharing, best practices and high value content:
    • State agencies - May/June
    • Districts & Collaboratives – June/July
    • Teacher Prep Programs – July/August
  • Customer forum – highlight interoperability through showcasing work with vendor audience in late summer – hosting partner INsite
  • Tech Team Meet Ups – engage, update and garner feedback from Ed-Fi tech community through ongoing, weekly or bi-weekly tech meetups hosted by Ed-Fi Tech team; to kick off in April – “In the Weeds”
  • Blended Summit – 3 day virtual and in person event in Austin, Tx in November 2021; registration fee for both in person and virtual planned for 200 in-person and 250+ virtual attendees

Agenda Item #4: GAT Subgroup Status

Chris gave update on the initial meeting that focused on making it easier to integrate APIs and respond to errors. He summarized key discussion points:

  • Ensure expectations are clear to help new SIS vendors understand the commitment and lift they will be required to commit to.
  • Provide sandboxes for better testing data – real data with errors (anonymized)
  • Make sure use cases are well-defined
  • Bring differences between SEA data collections to SEA work group to drive common state reporting standards
  • Data flowing into the SIS and role of Ed-Fi to help reduce need for that

Subgroup will meet to:

  • Plan to convene a larger group to work together and engage community in larger ways to tackle the problem
  • Synthesize recommendations and bump up them against other plans and work streams from the Alliance
  • Formulate into a set of recommendations to the Alliance and GAT

Agenda #5: Round robin re: 2ndyear of pandemic

  • Questions posed
    • What is happening with Assessment?
    • What is happening with the rollout of vaccines?
    • What does the 2021/22 school year look like - are students going to be back in school in the fall?
    • Is remote learning via cohorts/podding something that is here to stay?
    • How is thinking and planning evolving around enrollment recovery, learning loss?
    • Other?


  • Rosh – working with researchers around interesting questions including identifying when virtual students need special services – will look at SPED domain and connect to assessment data. Are we losing the ability to provide SPED services when we have these types of disruptions? Have requests from our districts on specific data points (we are on V2 and there may be more in V3). SPED area will need more focus in near future.

Talking about use cases for LMS data with vendor and can include Doug and other vendors in the general conversation.  Note from Chris: starting up a special interest group to get feedback from the community on this (Eric will lead) to get key questions answered and community input on what we’re thinking.

  • John – working with ACT for pre-assessment rostering and production simulation next week. Parallel effort to ACT spring event. What to do with virtual students is an open question – will delve into results as part of simulation


  • Monica – Massachusetts is not cancelling any assessments and is only offering them in person. No information yet on what participation requirements are. Coordinating transportation for remote students to come in to take ELL tests - for MCAS grades 3-8 remote to come in but no ramifications for not taking it (marked absent with no score) but the test is required for high school graduation and may miss opportunity if not taken this year to meet that requirement. MCAS overlaps the AP testing window – College Board offering 3 different AP testing options: in-person, mixed and all online. ELA typically in March and Math in May but now all in May/June. Welcoming K-3 on Monday who want to come back and state trying to compel districts to have all kids in school by April 1 – half of our families have chosen fully remote. What does that mean for this year and the future especially since not all kids will be vaccinated by September? Registration process this year saw a decline in number of families who are registering for next year similar to Rio Rancho.


  • Happy – state submitted a waiver request for flexibility in participation but no response yet. Currently testing must be in person. SAT next week to interested juniors – providing transportation. AP testing optional. Assessment for bilingual status is a priority. Other tests are not now a priority but there is an emphasis on curriculum based assessments. Vaccines for teachers are not prioritized but can get if in high-risk groups.  Hybrid half day for 2 days per week – adding grades 7-9 next week – not sure when HS back in school.  Next year schools required to offer in school (3 foot spacing instead of 6 foot) or all remote and no hybrid option. 10 days added to school calendar - longer this year and next with additional tutoring opportunities. Probably no hybrid next year; would be all remote or all in person with three feet distancing rather than 6 feet. Decline in registration/enrollment of new students - lost 400 to 600 students out of 18,000 this year; enrollment decreases due to private, online and home schooling. Looking at adding K-5 to our 6-12 Cyber Academy.


  • Mark – Texas is close to Massachusetts for assessment - grades 3-8 will be in person with option of taking in person at community location such as library. TEA is encouraging districts to make use of enabling conditions for next year’s planning. 2019 legislation for innovative scheduling and staffing models – may come into play next year. Teacher prep needs to be in person for student teaching but changing (may take more advantage of virtual options); increased interest in formalized models of student tutoring using HS students for ES students (expected to be in Title One) to address learning loss; paper: https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai20-335.pdf


  • Doug – is the trend of families moving to more home schooling a reality? Seeing 15 to 18% in some districts. LMS online tool usage has gone up 500% and see this continuing long term – online resources may continue in the in-person setting.; our learning management system use has gone up 500% and see this continuing long term


  • Jennifer – work from home parents taking students to other states and trying to enroll them –open enrollment in Minnesota. Do you have to be living and staying in a district for that district to get funding for the student – have seen students moving to other states to live with relatives and friends during this.


  • Noah – Manage Core District Collaborative of 200 CA districts and leading effort to have Ed-Fi be the solution for CA. With support from Education Analytics have half dozen (and growing) districts on Ed-Fi. Chief Architect for Ed Analytics (non-profit based in Madison, Wi supporting 14 states and over 300 districts). Enrollment is down in lower grade levels in CA but currently districts are held harmless if enrollment declines – will change next year. Working to determine COVID impact in CA and SC especially re assessment – iReady, MAP, Star, etc. – in-person versus virtual, younger students versus older students. Beginning to see differences between in person and virtual/hybrid with more impact on younger students. Expect that recovery will be 3-to-5-year process. What will our role be re: research and analysis? Working in partnership with Hedy Chang of Attendance Works to understand chronic absenteeism and engagement - what does chronic absence mean? How do online resources help absenteeism? Examining sub-cohorts with innovative staffing and layers of educators in a school; encouraging districts to think about how teachers and schools may be organized to address different teaching modalities which would impact Ed-Fi re rostering++.

Action Items

  • GAT members asked to send Chris future meeting agenda ideas to be sure community interests are being discussed.

Next meeting: March 25th, 2021