Listen and Learn From IDC's Podcast A Date with Data
Special education staff have been asking to hear from staff in other states and districts about what they're doing that's working and lessons they've learned, so we're throwing a spotlight on your IDEA data stories. Join your host, Amy Bitterman, as she chats with state and district special education staff, who, just like you, are dealing with IDEA data every day. We hope that by sharing these real experiences, you'll be able to feel more connected to colleagues in other states doing the same work, grow together, and, ultimately, improve your data quality.
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New!Stakeholders on Their Minds: Growing Lasting Relationships in Georgia, Part 1
Episode 21
Release Date: March 23, 2023
Guests: Dawn Kemp and Dominique Donaldson, Part B Data Managers, Georgia Department of
EducationNew relationships are great, sure, but what most of us strive for are long-lasting, meaningful connections. That’s the goal in Georgia anyway, where Part B data managers Dawn Kemp and Dominique Donaldson are keeping stakeholders on their mind as they implement strategies to improve and expand stakeholder engagement. In part one of this two-part A Date with Data, they share all with host Amy Bitterman, including their strategies for maintaining stakeholder feedback, evaluating progress toward targeted goals, and creating spaces for consequential partnerships. Join us to hear Georgia's sweet song about building stakeholder connections that last.
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Just the EDFacts, Ma’am: IDC Demystifies EDFacts Modernization
Episode 20
Release Date: March 9, 2023
Guests: Audrey Rudick, IDC
Flustered by EDFacts? Mystified by modernization? If so, this episode of A Date with Data is for you. Join host Amy Bitterman as she sits down with IDC’s own Audrey Rudick to talk about the facts, the EDFacts that is. Audrey gives listeners a broad overview all things EDFacts modernization, including what it is, what’s about to change, and what’s ahead with the upcoming EDPass system. Join us, and by the end of the program, all you'll know are the facts.
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Support Group: IDC TA Providers Talk Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) 2.0
Episode 19
Release Date: February 23, 2023
Guests: Mary Watson and Amber Stohr, IDC
Support is a critical component of success. In practice, support means having a group of trusted partners who are there when you need them and who provide help and insight when asked. On this very special episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman sits down with her IDC colleagues Mary Watson and Amber Stohr, who share their experiences as TA providers supporting Cohort 1 states through DMS 2.0. Join us as Mary and Amber share tips, perspectives, and a thought or two about how IDC supports states, helping prepare for onsite or virtual visits. This is one support group you’ll definitely want to join.
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Success Comes Naturally: Arkansas and DMS 2.0
Episode 18
Release Date: February 9, 2023
Guests: Matt Sewell, Director of Special Programs; Yvonne Greene, Administrator of Monitoring and Program Effectiveness; and Jody Fields, Part B Data Manager, Arkansas Department of Education
Dateline Arkansas, the Natural State: As a member of Cohort 1, Arkansas is among the first in the nation to complete the first two phases of OSEP’s Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) 2.0. Naturally, Arkansas education officials have stories to tell and insights to share, and naturally, they sat down with host Amy Bitterman to discuss the crucial steps of their DMS 2.0 experience. This included pulling together an effective team, updating state procedures (and online information), and working with technical assistance (TA) experts to ensure the most successful possible outcomes. It’s an insider’s look you’ll only find on this episode of A Date with Data, naturally enough.
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Nothing for Granite: New Hampshire Takes the Long View on Indicator 8 Data Quality
Episode 17
Release Date: January 26, 2023
Guests: Mary Lane, Education Consultant with the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education Support, and Michelle Lewis, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Parent Information Center
Sometimes an up-close perspective requires us to step back and take in the long view first. That’s what happened in New Hampshire, the Granite State, where Mary Lane, Education Consultant with the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education Support, and Michelle Lewis, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Parent Information Center, were on a mission to improve the quality of their state’s Indicator 8 data. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman learns more about how their process of capturing the close-up family perspective first required them to step back to consider the “why” behind this indicator.
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Data Informed Decisionmaking Is Evergreen: A Date with Data in Washington State
Episode 16
Release Date: January 12, 2023
Guests: Julie Dean, Early Childhood Special Education Inclusion Specialist; Ryan Guzman, 619 Coordinator and SSIP Lead, with the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Kathy Lenihan, Inclusionary Projects Coordinator with ESD 105
How states go about data informed decisionmaking is as diverse as the states themselves. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman chats with Julie Dean, Early Childhood Special Education Inclusion Specialist; Ryan Guzman, 619 Coordinator and SSIP Lead with the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Kathy Lenihan, Inclusionary Projects Coordinator with Educational Service District 105. Join them to learn more about their State Systemic Improvement Plan’s (SSIP) unique focus on social emotional learning in early childhood.
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A Heartland Heart-to-Heart: A Date with Data in Nebraska
Episode 15
Release Date: December 22, 2022
Guests: Kelly Wojcik, Director of Accountability, and Jamie Chambers, Part B Data Manager, with the Nebraska Department of EducationNebraska. The Cornhusker State. Where wide-open spaces and big ideas go hand-in-hand. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman has a heartland heart-to-heart with Kelly Wojcik, Director of Accountability, and Jamie Chambers, Part B Data Manager, with the Nebraska Department of Education. Join us to learn more about their hopes and dreams for the state’s data processes and their plans for moving beyond a “that’s how it’s always been done” mentality to one as wide-open as the Nebraska plains.
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Data Without Borders: A Date with Date in American Samoa
Episode 14
Release Date: December 8, 2022
Guests: Herbert Boat, Assistant Director, and Jessica Tuu, Data Manager, with the American Samoa Department of Education’s Special Education DivisionOne thing we’ve learned: The search for high-quality data is bound by no border, no distance, no ocean. In this far-flung episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman travels to the heart of Oceania to sit down with the American Samoa Department of Education’s Herbert Boat and Jessica Tuu for a chat about challenges, triumphs, and their own unique journey toward becoming data-quality influencers.
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Islands in the (Data) Stream: A Date with Data in the CNMI
Episode 13
Release Date: November 23, 2022
Guests: Donna Flores, Program Director, and Nora Fujihira, Program Manager- Data & Compliance Monitor with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Public School System (PSS)"Data is everything and everywhere," and to prove it this installment of A Date with Data travels to the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Join island-hopping host Amy Bitterman as she sits down with the CNMI public school system's Donna Flores and Nora Fujihira to talk about their journey to improve data quality; support students, teachers, and families; and work with their SEA to develop ever improving data governance policies. Pack your bags; you've got a date tonight.
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Keystones of Improvement: A Pennsylvania SSIP Story, Part 2
Episode 12
Release Date: November 10, 2022
Guests: Barbara Mozina, Special Education Adviser for the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education and Dr. Laura Moran, Ph.D., Educational Consultant with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance NetworkCollaboration. Communication. Continuation. These are just a few keystones of improvement. In this second part of our deep dive into Pennsylvania’s ongoing efforts to increase the state's graduation rate and reduce its drop-out rate, guests Dr. Laura Moran and Barbara Mozina share how they helped develop the ability of stakeholders—especially families and students—to provide feedback by creating and maintaining a continuous flow of information and hosting focus groups. It’s the culmination of our double date in the Keystone State, so don’t miss out.
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Keystones of Improvement: A Pennsylvania SSIP Story, Part 1
Episode 11
Release Date: October 27, 2022
Guests: Barbara Mozina, Special Education Adviser for the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education and Dr. Laura Moran, Ph.D., Educational Consultant with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance NetworkStop us if you’ve heard this one: A state wishes to increase its graduation rates, decrease its drop-out rates. That’s what happened in Pennsylvania, where Dr. Laura Moran and Barbara Mozina applied lessons learned to the second iteration of their state’s SSIP. In the first episode of this two-part A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman hears all about it, including their efforts to establish an online “early warning” data platform, develop protocols for creating and sustaining data teams, and move districts beyond being “data rich and information poor.” You’ll be the richer, too, for tuning in.
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Rookie Season Recap: A Date with Data Meets Two New Data Managers
Episode 10
Release Date: October 13, 2022
Guests: Alyssa Kramer, Special Education Regional Coordinator, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction; and Traci Tuttle, Part B Data Management Coordinator, West Virginia Department of EducationAt some point, every one of us has been new at something. A hobby. A job. A relationship. On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman talks about first steps and initial impressions with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Alyssa Kramer and Part B data management coordinator with the West Virginia Department of Education, Traci Tuttle. From internal data collection and reporting to strategies for other new data managers, together Alyssa and Traci discuss tips, resources, and EDFacts file specifications, all from the newbie perspective. Whether you’re a rookie listener or seasoned veteran, this is one play-by-play you won’t want to miss.
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