QIP supports the production of more than 30 resources each year for the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program. These resources provide best practices information on the design, management, and use of SLDSs for state and local education agency leaders and data managers.

For example, QIP recently supported a series of webinars and publications on best practices for school-level financial data reporting. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to include per-pupil expenditures as part of their public report cards. The SLDS publications highlight states both with and without a long track record of financial reporting to show how they are using data to inform resource allocation at schools and districts as well as to meet federal requirements. Products in the series include

Stakeholder Training on Understanding and Using Financial Reports and Data Tools

Massachusetts Resource Allocation and District Action Reports (RADAR)

Effective Strategies for Financial Transparency Reporting

Engaging Stakeholders to Identify and Support Reporting for Financial Transparency

QIP follows an established process to develop informative, accurate, and timely resources for the SLDS Grant Program. First, we compile an outline. For this project, we worked with data systems experts to create an outline based on an SLDS Best Practices Conference session. We then wrote the first draft, incorporating information and images gathered from seven state SLDS teams that have used dynamic reporting tools. Next, subject matter experts and state representatives reviewed the draft, and we made revisions based on their feedback. To prepare the final document for publication, we used Adobe InDesign to design it and export it as a PDF document. We then ensured that the file was Section 508 compliant—that is, accessible to a wide audience—using Adobe Acrobat.

The final issue brief is featured on both the SLDS program's Public Domain Clearinghouse and the National Center for Education Statistics website’s SLDS Publications page. It was promoted along with other new products in the monthly SLDS New Resources email and the quarterly SLDS Update e-newsletter, both of which are edited, designed, and distributed by QIP.

This article highlights just a few of the many resources that have been developed by QIP through the Education Data Technical Assistance Program (EDTAP) for the SLDS Grant Program. Other QIP-supported SLDS Grant Program resources include additional issue briefs, summaries of technical assistance webinars, informational videos, practice and process guides, templates, self-assessments, web pages, and more.