Requests for Student Records from Districts and Schools
MARCH 2023
Your district is piloting two new programs intended to help students with disabilities reach their goals after high school—{Program 1 name} and {Program 2 name}. The programs are part of a national U.S. Department Education project called Charting My Path for Future Success. This project includes a study to learn about ways to help students with disabilities succeed as they move from high school to college, careers, and independent living. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is conducting the study with their partners, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Social Policy Research Associates.
As outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with your district, the study team will collect data on students enrolled in schools in your district that are part of this project. For those schools (listed in Table 1), the study team requires information to identify eligible students (i.e., a subset of students with IEPs who are about two years from completing high school), summarize their characteristics, and request informed consent for the students to participate in the project. The study team will also need information about the characteristics and outcomes of project participants (i.e., students whose parents submit consent forms) to evaluate the two new programs.
Table 1. Participating Schools in Your District
School Name |
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[More rows to be added, as necessary] |
The study team will ask your district to provide the following types of information, based on extant records:
Student directory information, including each student’s name, age, disability status, enrollment date, grade level, total credit hours earned, and teacher roster data (e.g., name of homeroom teacher) if still enrolled; initial extracts will also include the student’s expected graduation year and transition “pathway” (as defined in coordination with the study team). This information will be used by districts to identify eligible students in Spring/Summer and Fall 2024, and used by the study team to measure selected indicators for project participants in Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Spring 2026.
Family contact information, including the names, phone numbers, email addresses, and postal addresses of parents/guardians and the language spoken at home. This information will be used to request informed consent for participation from eligible students in Spring/Summer and Fall 2024 and to update records for project participants in Spring 2026.
Student characteristics, achievement, and school participation/progress information, including gender, race/ethnicity, special education status, disability type, school program indicators (e.g., career and technical education or school lunch program), standardized test scores, credit hours by subject, school exit date, and graduation status. This information will be used by your staff to produce summary statistics on eligible students in Fall 2024; and by the study team to measure the characteristics and outcomes of project participants in Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2026, Spring 2026, Summer 2026, Summer 2027, and Summer 2028.
Student identifying information, including birthdates and Social Security numbers (if recorded by the district). This information will be used by the study team to obtain records about students’ use of Vocational Rehabilitation services, use of federal student aid, college attendance, and work outcomes. The study team will request this information for project participants in Fall 2024.
Table 2 summarizes the schedule of the study team’s data requests.
Table 2. Schedule for Data Requests
Date of Request |
Student Directory Information in Request |
Family Contact Information in Request |
Student Characteristics, Achievement, and School Participation/Progress Information in Request |
Student Identifying Information in Request |
Expected Date for Data Transfer |
Spring / Summer2024* |
Yes: eligible students |
Yes: eligible students |
[None] |
[None] |
One month after request* |
Start of Fall 2024* |
Yes: eligible students |
Yes: eligible students |
Yes: eligible students (summary statistics only) |
[None] |
One month after request* |
10/15/2024 |
[None] |
[None] |
Yes:
project |
Yes: project participants |
11/15/2024 |
2/15/2025 |
Yes: project participants |
[None] |
Yes:
project |
[None] |
3/15/2025 |
10/15/2025 |
[None] |
[None] |
Yes:
project |
[None] |
11/15/2025 |
2/15/2026 |
Yes: project participants |
Yes: project participants |
Yes:
project |
[None] |
3/15/2026 |
6/15/2026 |
[None] |
[None] |
Yes:
project |
[None] |
7/15/2026 |
6/15/2027 |
[None] |
[None] |
Yes:
project |
[None] |
7/15/2027 |
6/15/2028 |
[None] |
[None] |
Yes:
project |
[None] |
7/15/2028 |
* Specific dates for the initial request for information about eligible students will be filled in by the study team when setting up an MOU with each district.
The remaining four sections of this document present the details of each type of information request. Recognizing that districts may store information in a variety of ways, the study team will offer opportunities to discuss the availability, structure, and format of your district’s data before finalizing the specifications for a data file containing the requested information. The study team will also work with your district to ensure an efficient and secure transfer of data file(s). If you have any questions or concerns regarding this data request, please do not hesitate to contact Seth Brown at [email protected] or 781-373-7034.
Table A below describes the specific data elements that the study team is asking your district to submit in response to this request for student directory information. The study team would like to discuss {[If request is in/after Fall 2024]: any changes in} the availability, structure, and format of your district’s data before finalizing the specifications for a data file containing the requested information. After talking to the study team, please respond to this by submitting one or more data files matching the structure agreed to with the study team, along with a description of contents or codebook.
{[If request is for eligible students]: Please send this information for all eligible students enrolled in schools in your district that are part of this project, per the list of schools shared by the study team. The project focuses on students who have IEPs and are about two years from completing high school. However, a subset of these students will be eligible to participate in the project, depending on their transition “pathway” and the current/planned coursework and services associated with that pathway—per initial discussions between staff in your district and the study team. Please identify eligible students using the data elements and process agreed to with the study team, including potential review of IEP information to confirm the expected completion year and transition pathway.}
{[If request is for project participants]: Please send this information for project participants (i.e., students whose parents have submitted consent forms for the project), based on the list of students shared by the study team.}
Table A. Data Elements Covered by Request for Student Directory Information
Table B below describes the specific data elements that the study team is asking your district to submit in response to this request for family contact information. The study team would first like to discuss {[If request is in/after Fall 2024]: any changes in} the availability, structure, and format of your district’s data before finalizing the specifications for a data file containing the requested information. After talking to the study team, please respond to this request by submitting one or more data files matching the structure agreed to with the study team, along with a description of contents or codebook.
{[If request is for eligible students]: Please send this information for all eligible students whose records are included in the student directory information file you have produced.}
{[If request is for project participants]: Please send this information for project participants (i.e., students whose parents have submitted consent forms for the project), based on the list of students shared by the study team.}
Table B. Data Elements Covered by Request for Family Contact Information
Data Element |
Definition/values |
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Unique school name |
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Name of student (Last, First Middle/Initial) |
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Unique ID number for student used in state data system |
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Name of first parent or guardian (Last, First Middle/Initial) |
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Relationship between first parent/guardian and student (mother, father, grandmother, etc.) |
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Home phone number(s) of first parent/guardian (XXX-XXX-XXX) |
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Mobile/cell phone number(s) of first parent/guardian (XXX-XXX-XXX) |
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Primary email address of first parent/guardian |
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Home postal address of first parent/guardian |
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Name of second parent or guardian (Last, Second Middle/Initial) |
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Relationship between second parent/guardian and student (mother, father, grandmother, etc.) |
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Home phone number(s) of second parent/guardian (XXX-XXX-XXX) |
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Mobile/cell phone number(s) of second parent/guardian (XXX-XXX-XXX) |
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Primary email address of second parent/guardian |
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Home postal address of second parent/guardian |
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Primary language spoken by student at home, if known (provide codes/dictionary) |
Table C below describes the specific data elements that the study team is asking your district to submit in response to this request for student characteristics, achievement, and school participation/progress information. The study team would like to discuss {[If request is in/after Fall 2024]: any changes in} the availability, structure, and format of your district’s data before finalizing the specifications for a data file containing the requested information.
{[If request is for eligible students]: After talking to the study team, please produce a codebook with summary statistics for all eligible students whose records are included in the student directory information file you have produced. Summary statistics should cover data elements #4 through #30 in Table C, including means for continuous variables and simple/one-way tabulations for binary or categorial variables. The study team will work with you to avoid reporting information for small numbers of students by establishing rules for combining categories or suppressing values when tabulating data.}
{[If request is for project participants]: After talking to the study team, please respond to this request by submitting one or more data files matching the structure agreed to with the study team, along with a description of contents or codebook. Please send this information for students who are project participants (i.e., students whose parents have submitted consent forms for the project), based on the list of students shared by the study team.}
Table C. Data Elements Covered by Request for Student Characteristics, Achievement, and School Participation/Progress Information
Data Element |
Definition/values |
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Unique school name |
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Name of student (Last, First Middle/Initial) |
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Unique ID number for student used in state data system |
|
Student’s gender (M, F, other values [provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Student’s reporting category/categories for race (I = American Indian, A = Asian, B = Black or African American, P = Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, W = White, T = Two or More Races, X = No information OR district-designated codes [provide codes/dictionary]; multiple values allowed) |
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Student’s reporting category/categories for ethnicity (H = Hispanic, N = not Hispanic, X = No information OR district-designated codes [or provide codes/dictionary]; multiple values allowed) |
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Whether student has IEP (1 = yes, 0 = no [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Date at which student was first designated as eligible for special education (MM/DD/YYYY) |
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Provide codes/dictionary |
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Whether student is has not yet developed English proficiency (1 = yes, 0 = no) |
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Whether student has completed at least two credits in a single career and technical education (CTE) program or program of study (1 = yes, 0 = no) |
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Student’s participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs (F = free lunch, R = reduced-price lunch, N = not participating in either program, X = no information [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Status of student’s participation in state standardized test for math in 8th grade (S = has score, A = absent, X = no information for subject, Z = no information for student [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Student’s scale score on standardized test for math in 8th grade (Provide codes for invalid/out-of-range values) |
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Language of state standardized test for math in 8th grade taken by student (E = English, S = Spanish [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Version of state standardized test for math in 8th grade taken by student (R = Regular, M = Modified, A = Alternate [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Status of student’s participation in state standardized test for reading in 8th grade (S = has score, A = absent, X = no information for subject, Z = no information for student [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Student’s scale score on standardized test for reading in 8th grade (Provide codes for invalid/out-of-range values) |
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Language of state standardized test for reading in 8th grade taken by student (E = English, S = Spanish [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Version of state standardized test for reading in 8th grade taken by student (R = Regular, M = Modified, A = Alternate [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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The grade that the student currently is in (2-digit integer) |
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Number of credits completed in all courses counted for graduation requirements (2-digit integer) |
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Number of credits completed in English/language arts courses counted for graduation requirements (2-digit integer) |
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Number of credits completed in math courses counted for graduation requirements (2-digit integer) |
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Number of credits completed in social studies courses counted for graduation requirements (2-digit integer) |
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Number of credits completed in science courses counted for graduation requirements (2-digit integer) |
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Student grade point average (numeric, X.XX) |
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Date that the student last attended the school (MM/DD/YYYY or X if student is still attending school) |
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Reason that the student left the school, if student has exited (1 = expected to remain in district, 2 = transferred out of district, 3 = dropped out, 4 = completed, 5 = expected to return after a break, 6 = unable/unlikely to return [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
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Diploma/credential/certificate that the student received, if the student completed high school (1 = regular/advanced/IB diploma, 2 = alternate diploma, 3 = GED or other equivalency diploma, 4 = other diploma [provide additional codes/dictionary], 5 = completed school with state-recognized equivalency certificate [provide additional codes/dictionary], 6 = completed school with other credentials [provide additional codes/dictionary], 7 = completed grade 12 but did not meet graduation requirements [or provide codes/dictionary]) |
Table D below describes the specific data elements that the study team is asking your district to submit in response to this request for student identifying information. The study team would like to discuss the availability, structure, and format of your district’s data before finalizing the specifications for a data file containing the requested information. After talking to the study team, please respond to this request by submitting one or more data files matching the structure agreed to with the study team, along with a description of contents or codebook. Please send this information for students who are project participants (i.e., students whose parents have submitted consent forms for the project), based on the list of students shared by the study team.
Table D. Data Elements Covered by Request for Student Identifying Information
Data Element |
Definition/values |
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Unique school name |
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Name of student (Last, First Middle/Initial) |
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Unique ID number for student used in state data system |
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Student date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY) |
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Student SSN (XXX-XX-XXXX) |
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 0000-00-00 |