What Does It Mean to Check Your Data - Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data

Oct 10, 2026

“Check Your Data” outlines the meaning and purpose of validating educational data, then provides a structured agenda for recommended review strategies. It defines “your data” using example years and explains the timeline and lifecycle across school and academic reporting periods. The document highlights data sources and systems to audit, including SIS reports and specific tools like the Data Quality Dashboard, Entity Profile System, and Data Review & Verification Tool, with a checklist approach, key dates, roles, and question prompts. It also lists datasets that cannot be edited, indicating collection and reporting latency, and emphasizes enrollment accuracy as the foundation for report card and summative designations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages68

Reading Time2 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Agenda

Introduction

Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data

SIS Reports to Check

Checking Data in the DQD (Data Quality Dashboard)

Checking EPS Data (Entity Profile System)

Checking Data in the DRVT (Data Review and Verification Tool)

RECAP-Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data

What Do We Mean by Your Data?

Timeline and Lifecycle of Your Data

Data You Can’t Edit

Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data

Check Your Enrollments

Have a Plan

Ask Questions

Identify the Right People

What Does It Mean to Check Your Data? 1 Agenda • Introduction • Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data • SIS Reports to Check • Checking Data in the DQD (Data Quality Dashboard) • Checking EPS Data (Entity Profile System) • Checking Data in the DRVT (Data Review and Verification Tool) • RECAP-Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data 2 What Do We Mean by Your Data? 1986 2013 2024 2002 2018 2022 3 Timeline and Lifecycle of Your Data OCT 31 – Report Card published Early OCT – Educator Preview opens Mid AUG-Corrections Close; EIS data due JUL 31-Enrollments exited; ALL prior SY data due Mid JUL-Scores in SIS; Attendance data due Early JUL – Data Review & Verification Tool (DRVT) opens Early MAY – Corrections open PRIOR SCHOOL YEAR |
AUG 1 – Start new academic year |
AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

| | --- | --- | |
OCT 1 – Fall enrollment count
Mid NOV – Fall enrollment count due; ACCESS Pre-ID
DEC 1 – I-STAR Dec 1st Child Count
NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Mid JAN – ACCESS Starts; Pre-ID ELA-Math-Science
Mid FEB – ACCESS ends
Early MAR – ELA-Math-Science testing starts
Late APR – ELA-Math-Science testing ends
| | | 5 | | Data You Can’t Edit (In Arrears or Not Collected by ISBE) | ABR | Description | Collected
By | Reported
in Arrears | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | AFR | The Annual Financial Report is final financial statement for a district’s fiscal year after it has been audited by a qualified auditor. | ISBE | 1 year | | CRDC | Civil Rights Data Collection is a biennial (i.e. every other school year) survey of public schools required by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office for Civil Rights. | ED | 2-3 years | | NAEP | The National Assessment of Educational Progress is a national academic assessment given every two years to students at grades 4 & 8, & ~every four years at grade 12. | NCES | 1-2 years | | EBF | Evidence-Based Funding reporting includes a series of metrics including expenditure by fund type, equalized assessed valuation per pupil, total school tax rate per $100, instructional expenditure per pupil, and operating expenditure per pupil. | ISBE | 1 year | | IBHE | Data from the Illinois Board of Higher Education on college enrollment and remediation rates in four-year institutions. | IBHE | 1 year | | ICCB | Data from the Illinois Community College Board on enrollment and remediation rates in two-year institutions. | ICCB | 1 year | | AP
Exams | Four metrics addressing students who take Advanced Placement exams offered by the College Board. | College
Board | n/a | | IDES | Employment data from the Illinois Department of Employment Services | IDES | 6 months | Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data 7 CHECK YOUR ENROLLMENTS • If you get only one piece of data right, make it your enrollments • EVERYTHING in the summative designation system and report card is driven by the student enrollment – Start date – End date-CAVEAT FOR SUMMER SCHOOL* – Exit code type – Home School – Serving School – Service Provider (if applicable) – Demographics ISBE COLLECTS SUMMER SCHOOL RECORDS. Summer school can be included with the regular school enrollment except when: 1. There is a break between the regular school year & start of summer school. 2. It’s held at a different school (home or serving) or grade level. If either condition applies, make summer school its own enrollment . • Not everything is in SIS – make sure IEP data aligns to I-STAR *Check SIS for upcoming guidance on enrollments [https://www.isbe.net/Pages/SIS-Data-Elements-approved-codes-and-indicators.aspx\#collapse7undefined](https://www.isbe.net/Pages/SIS-Data-Elements-approved-codes-and-indicators.aspx#collapse7undefined) 8 Recommended Strategies for Checking Your Data Have a Plan 􀂉 Download the Key Dates Checklist and backmap when local data needs to be finalized to ensure

FAQs

What does “check your data” mean in this guide?

It means validating and verifying educational data so that what is entered in local systems matches source systems and reporting expectations. The guide ties review activities to the data lifecycle and key reporting deadlines.

Which systems and tools are referenced for checking data?

The guide calls out SIS reports and checking data in the DQD (Data Quality Dashboard), EPS data (Entity Profile System), and the DRVT (Data Review and Verification Tool).

Why does the guide emphasize checking enrollments first?

It states that if only one data element can be corrected, enrollments should be prioritized because summative designation system and report card outcomes are driven by student enrollment. It further notes key enrollment details such as start/end dates, exit code type, home/serving school, service provider, and demographics.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by mieayamfan