About Analytics

The role of the Analytics team includes making it easier for school and district leadership and external agencies to find and use data to inform their work and to make data-driven decisions. We will help you find the data that you need; and provide analytical support in interpreting and presenting information and in evaluating what information may be relevant to various key initiatives, policy studies, and decision processes.

We also participate in numerous local, state and federally mandated data collections; and summarize and publish the information collected. As part of this role, we work to assure that the data are accurate and complete.

Quality information is a prerequisite for sound data-based decisions. The schools are the ultimate source of much of the information on which choices are made and policies determined. As such, it is critical that the data be accurately entered at the schools. Once the data are compiled and summarized, it is returned to the schools for review and correction, prior to submittal to the Oregon Department of Education. This information is used by the state to determine Portland Public Schools funding and to compare schools across the state. District leaders use the information in evaluating schools and reaching policy decisions.

 

Areas of Responsibility

• Providing timely and targeted information and analyses supporting decisions
• Publishing and distributing data summaries
• Reporting information mandated by State and Federal regulations
• Providing or locating data for requestors/tracking requests
• Providing technical assistance regarding the use and appropriateness of data
• Allocating staff to schools based on established formulas and approved procedures and requirements
• Developing tools to increase the efficiency of school staffing and scheduling
• Analyzing the impacts associated with changes in staffing patterns Improving data quality by developing database queries to identify discrepancies
• Improving data quality by developing database queries to identify discrepancies
• Supporting other departments’ reporting needs

 

Publications

School Profiles
Contain summary information for each school including general student enrollment, program enrollment, staffing allocations, school budgets, neighborhood attendance characteristics, achievement percentages, discipline incidents, and building characteristics.

Enrollment and Demographic Reports
Includes October enrollment by school, grade, program type and ethnicity.

Enrollment Projections – Population Research Center, Portland State University
Contains enrollment forecasts covering a 10-year period. These forecasts consider factors such as future number of births, net migrants and proportion of school-aged children enrolled in public schools among others. Three scenarios are used to predict overall District growth: a most-likely or medium growth, scenario; a scenario for lower growth; and a scenario for higher growth. Individual school forecasts are based on the medium growth scenario.

Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility
Summarizes free and reduced meal eligibility (socio-economic status) by school.

Attendance Reports
Includes average daily membership (ADM) and average daily attendance (ADA) by month and year-to-date for each school. Further breaks out ADM and ADA by grade, ethnicity, socio-economic status and gender. The Annual ADM Collection is the basis for the State School Fund Grant. ADA is a factor in the school’s AYP report and is included in the school’s Report Card published by ODE. ADM is the basis for PPS School staffing allocations.

Stability/Mobility Indices
Includes the percentage of students enrolled at a school for the entire school year.

Class Size
Summarizes the average class size in various categories as reported in the ODE Class Size Collection. These data are included in the Report Card published by ODE for elementary schools.

Discipline Data
Summarizes District discipline data (suspension, expulsions, removals and truancy) as reported in the ODE Discipline Collection. Designation of a school as unsafe or persistently dangerous is based on these data. For published discipline data visit the Discipline and Behavior webpage. 

 

Cohort Graduation Rates
Summarizes graduation, completion and dropout information districtwide and by high school.

Demographic Mapping
Student data geocoded and mapped based on ethnicity, socio-economic status, and other factors.

Staffing Allocations
Summarizes the general fund formula allocations of staff made to schools, and explains computations and methodologies. Provides background information on allocation of FTE for kindergarten, and grades 1-12, as well as information on formulas for staffing for English Language Learners and Special Education students.