Ed-Fi Updates Newsletter
September 6, 2024
In this newsletter:
All Ed-Fi acronym explanations are available in the Ed-Fi acronyms document.
Districts should be connected to the Ed-Fi API and have synced data by September 9, 2024. This due date ensures data submission deadlines are met. If you have not yet synced for the 2024-25 school year and need support, please reach out so we can help. If you need a Key and Secret please email ed-fi.mde@state.mn.us. For other support syncing, please contact your SIS Vendor.
List of Known Issues and Bugs Webpage
The MDE Ed-Fi team wants to keep you informed about possible issues and bugs which occur in the system. Check out the List of Known Issues and Bugs page. It includes both open and closed issues. Help us keep it up to date by submitting new issues when you encounter them. Email us at ed-fi.mde@state.mn.us
Save the Date! EDVP Training
Are you new to your position and want to know what the Ed-Fi Data Validation Portal (EDVP) is all about? Haven’t had to go into the EDVP recently and want a refresher? We will walk through the functionality and uses of the EDVP in this training.
We have three dates for this training to meet your scheduling needs. All sessions will include the same content.
Back to top
Name: Heather Harvick
Role/Position: MDE Ed-Fi Change Management Specialist
Favorites:
- TV Show – Friends, of course
- Season in the Northland – Late fall for the beautiful colors and the first snowfall!
- Travel destination – Anyplace with a beach and big waves
My role with MDE includes:
- Planning, creating, and implementing human-centered solutions for changes.
- Communications and training plans.
- Working with district staff to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met.
Back to top
Digital Equity Data Available
Statewide Digital Equity Data is available on MDE’s website for FY23 and FY24. Reminder that Digital Equity Data is a required data collection for K-12 schools updated annually by October 1 each school year. Use your student information system to update Digital Equity Data and sync via Ed-Fi.
Begin planning now for the 2024-25 school year by reviewing your data submission and planning for data refresh and updating for newly enrolled students.
Contact MDE.onlinelearning@state.mn.us for assistance with questions about the Digital Equity Data collection.
Contact ed-fi.mde@state.mn.us for assistance with questions about Ed-Fi.
Back to top
Save the Date! ECFE and School Readiness Reporting in Ed-Fi
For ECFE and School Readiness reporters who want to learn about the 2024-25 school year collection. Bring your questions!
Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
You can find this event on the MDE Ed-Fi Training Calendar.
Back to top
Districts should configure their 2024-25 Ed-Fi API Key and Secret and verify that they are ready for data reporting.
NOTE: JMC and Region 1 district users can disregard the following information.
Key and Secret Definition
In order to send MDE data via Ed-Fi, each LEA is issued a Key and Secret to enter in the Student Information System (SIS). The "Key" acts like a user ID, and the "Secret" as the password. Unlike personal usernames and passwords, this Key and Secret are for the LEA rather than the individual person.
A good analogy is a toll road. The vehicle is the Key to get your passengers to the destination and the ez-pass is the Secret that recognizes you have permission to go through the gate, but the road can go in both directions.
Key and Secret for 2024-25
- Key: last year's Key, change "2024" to "2025"
- Secret: same as last year
What if I don't have a Key and Secret?
Key and Secret Vendor Specific Information
EduPoint/Synergy: Training during biweekly support meetings and Region One will take care of the process for the others without the districts needing to send them this time.
Infinite Campus: Allows for copy and paste of previous year's configuration.
PowerSchool: Manual process for districts to create a new profile and enter the new URL and Key and Secret. P.S. will notify districts when training is scheduled.
Skyward: Skyward hosted training webinars during the week of August 12.
Ed-Fi Set Up Process Checklist
Back to top
Change to How Attendance and Membership is Pulled Into MARSS WES with Ed-Fi as the Source
In an effort to ease the data input for local educational agency staff, MDE has implemented a change on our end that should not require any updates to be made within your software. This change is in the pipeline between the ODS and MARSS WES.
For MARSS reported students in EE-VPK, EE-SRP and EE-ECSE, initially you were directed to report attendance and membership in the Student Early Education Program Association. Now, if both fields in the Student Early Education Program Association contain zeros, Ed-Fi can automatically pull attendance and membership through the Student School Association which contains the same Student State ID, the same school number and the same begin date. This means you no longer need to report attendance and membership in the Student Early Education Program Association if it requires dual entry.
However, if either attendance or membership is not zero in the Student Early Education Program Association, then we will automatically use both of those fields from the Student Early Education Program Association.
This change was recently shared with the Student Information System Vendors.
Early Childhood Screening in MARSS
- New to entering Early Childhood Screening records MARSS (PS) and Ed-Fi?
Watch our five-minute video on the Ed-fi documentation page: Early Childhood Screening and Ed-Fi video
- Early Childhood Screening or Early Childhood Health and Developmental Screening assigns MARSS (PS). Early Childhood Special Education or MARSS (EC) is a separate program.
- One screening is required prior to or within the first 30 days of kindergarten or first grade. It is also required prior to or within the first 90 days of some early learning programs. Children may (or may not) also be enrolled in any early learning program, kindergarten or first grade when they are assigned MARSS PS for the date they completed a screening. See Procedure 26 for more information.
- The screening state aid increased by 30% last year. We encourage all districts to assure all MARSS PS are submitted prior to October 10 so screening coordinators may complete their other required outcome reports.
Ed-Fi Data Guide Updated!
The updated Ed-Fi Data Guide is available on the Ed-Fi website on the documentation page. Use it to know what data is stored in Ed-Fi, get contact information for MDE data collection staff, and understand how data is translated from Ed-Fi to MARSS.
MARSS Submissions for Early Childhood Screening
As of August, 75% of districts/charters who perform screening have submitted Early Childhood Screening/MARSS PS in Ed-Fi for 2023-2024. This is great progress!
New Report Available!
The AB File Report displays the data which has been was submitted via Ed-Fi and then transformed in the MARSS pipeline to a traditional looking A file with school information and a B file with student information. We hope this will help districts and charters verify the accuracy of their MARSS data synced via Ed-Fi.
Directions to download the AB File Report:
- Step 1. Enter MARSS WES and Run an Edit Using Ed-Fi Data
-
Step 2. Go to MDE > Data Center > Secure Reports > Ed-Fi / MARSS A/B Comparisons (or enter through your EDIAM account)
- Step 3. Choose Report Option “3. Download AB File Report Data” and then click “Run.” The report will download into a spreadsheet. Sheet 1 is Ed-Fi school information transformed into an A file report. Sheet 2 is Ed-Fi student information transformed into a B file report.
- Step 4. By scrolling to the last column of each sheet, you can confirm the data source is Ed-Fi.
For assistance with questions, please email Kari Johnson (Kari.P.Johnson@state.mn.us).
Preschool Screenings: Guidance for MARSS A/B Files versus MARSS Ed-Fi
As listed in the Early Education – Early Childhood Screening (EE-ECS) section of the Ed-Fi Data Guide: If and when you are reporting MARSS data via Ed-Fi only, if the student already has another MARSS reported enrollment, e.g., KG, first grade, VPK, or School Readiness Plus, they would need only an Early Childhood Screening Program record. The system translation will recognize and create the MARSS grade PS screening enrollment.
But while you are dual submitting, the A/B files are used for your funding, the enrollment for PS Screening is required. And for Ed-Fi, a MARSS reportable enrollment and a program record are required.
'Run Edit Using Ed-Fi' in MARSS WES
If you do not see the “Run Edit Using Ed-fi” link in MARSS WES, it is most likely because you haven't synced your Ed-Fi data yet for the current submission cycle. MDE has an hourly process that looks for your Ed-Fi data and if it is found, we will display the "run Edit using Ed-Fi data" link within the hour.
Save the Date! Early Childhood Screening Reporting in Ed-Fi
For MARSS Coordinators to ask questions and learn more about submitting the required Early Childhood Screening data (MARSS PS) via Ed-Fi. We will also review new EVDP reports to help with MARSS and Ed-Fi comparison of Early Childhood Screening data, which is linked to state aid. Bring your questions!
Tuesday October 22, 2024, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
You can find this event on the MDE Ed-Fi Training Calendar.
Save the Date: Introduction to MARSS in Ed-Fi
Introduction to MARSS in Ed-Fi will be available live via Microsoft Teams on the following dates:
- Wednesday, October 16, 9-10:30 a.m.
- Thursday, October 24, 9-10:30 a.m.
All session links will be on the MDE calendar.
Back to top
MCCC Fall Reporting Check-in: Date Change
Save the Dates! MCCC will be hosting fall reporting check-ins on Thursdays, September 12 and 26. The session that was on September 17 will now be on September 12. The session on September 26 will stay on that date.
Participants can send or bring questions to the session. Questions will be reviewed and discussed with attendees. Come to one or both of the sessions. Highlights will be captured and information from sessions will be sent out in an Ed-Fi Newsletter. Click on the Microsoft Teams links below to join!
2023-24 MCCC Due Date
The due date for the 2023-24 MCCC data is October 1, 2024. This date has been set because the data will be used to complete the class size legislative report due on December 1, 2024. While we know that some LEAs have been impacted by vendor delays and may not be able to meet this deadline, all other LEAs should work to have the MCCC data completed by October 1. The definition of complete data is:
- Report all requested data.
- All students reported taking courses.
- No EDVP MCCC Validation errors.
There will be more information coming in mid-September.
Back to top
Ed-Fi is a free and open data standard for any organization to utilize?
What other states use Ed-Fi? Email Heather at ed-fi.mde@state.mn.us if you know the answer.
Back to top
MDE's Ed-Fi webpage
Ed-Fi technical support email
MDE's calendar of Ed-Fi events
Unsubscribe
|
