At the Office of Cradle-to-Career Data, we value engagement with the community as an essential part of building California’s first cradle-to-career longitudinal data system. Conversations in the community are as much about clarifying questions as they are about sharing information.
What follows are responses to frequently asked questions the Office receives about P20W data points. Many of these came from our Advisory Board meeting on June 6th, 2023. Watch a recording of the meeting and view meeting materials here.
As the data system develops and as our conversations continue, we will update this document so you have the most up-to-date information available. We hope this is useful as the members of our Data and Tools Advisory Board consider proposals for the development of the Cradle-to-Career Data System this summer.
Responses to Questions About Available Data Points – Joint Advisory Board Meeting, June 6, 2023
Why are the California Community Colleges sharing financial aid data but not the four year institutions? Do other states share financial aid information?
There is currently a lack of federal guidance about the circumstances under which the Higher Education Act permits data derived from FAFSA applications being used for purposes other than the direct administration of financial aid.
There is no consensus on this position; some states and institutions provide access and others not out of concern that it would jeopardize their students’ ability to access federal financial aid. C2C is currently seeking clarification on this regulation from the federal Department of Education.
Does the data set include Individual Education Plan (IEP), English Language Learner (EL), discipline, and behavior data?
The C2C data set includes information on two data points
- IEP: This status is included in the “Child with a Disability” data point
- EL: This status is included in the “Childhood English Language Learner” data point
Discipline and behavior data are not included at the individual level because this information was deemed to be too sensitive. However, information will be available about the suspension rates at each local education agency (LEA). This status is included in the “K-12 Institution Suspension Rate” data point.
Does the dataset include the State Seal of Civic Engagement and International Baccalaureate (IB) status?
The C2C data set includes two data points related to International Baccalaureate:
- Completed a K–12 International Baccalaureate Course
- International Baccalaureate Score
There is no information on the State Seal of Civic Engagement (this designation had not yet been introduced during the planning process when initial data points were identified).
How will C2C handle the expected change from Expected Family Contribution to Student Aid Index?
During the planning process, financial aid experts flagged that the Federal government will be transitioning the way it documents the amount of money that students will be paying toward their college costs from Expected Family Contribution to the Student Aid Index. When the transition happens, C2C will work with data providers to update the information that is included in the analytical data set.
Does the data set include a measure of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
CDE, CCC, CSU, and UC do not currently collect transcript-level information, so while some information on grades is reported to state agencies by individual institutions, it is unvalidated and therefore the data providers determined that any metric based on grades is not of sufficient quality for inclusion in C2C.
Does the data set clarify how students are completing high school, such as through special education?
Yes. The data set includes a data point called “Completed High School.” For more data about completing high school, visit CDE’s website for Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Outcomes.
Does the data set clarify whether a community college award is in a career and technical education (CTE) discipline?
The data set includes Taxonomy of Program (TOP) codes, which can be used to identify whether a certificate or degree earned by community college students is in a CTE field.
Are students with dependents identified in the dataset?
No. As this data point is not collected and validated by most statewide K–12 and post-secondary education agencies, it is not included in C2C.
Updated September 8, 2023