QIP provided a full range of support for the development of the Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Disaggregated Data on Racial/Ethnic Subgroups. Local and state members of the National Forum on Education Statistics (the Forum) convened a Data Disaggregation of Racial/Ethnic Subgroups Working Group to identify best practices for disaggregating data on racial/ethnic subgroups. The guide is intended to identify some of the overarching benefits and challenges involved in data disaggregation; recommend appropriate practices for disaggregating racial/ethnic data in districts and states; and describe real-world examples of large and small education agencies disaggregating racial/ethnic data successfully. QIP supported the project from inception to completion, including stakeholder engagement, writing, editing, document design, and dissemination.
The content for the guide came from the collective experience of the Forum’s Working Group. QIP supported the Working Group by conducting background research on the topic; coordinating and supporting Working Group meetings; interviewing case study participants; and then organizing and synthesizing the information to produce the guide. The development of the guide included compiling the suggested content from the Working Group to provide an outline, and creating multiple drafts for the Working Group members to review and build upon. QIP assisted in identifying, interviewing, and writing up relevant case studies that offer an in-depth look at how states and districts have disaggregated racial/ethnic subgroup data.
“QIP supported the project from inception to completion, including stakeholder engagement, writing, editing, document design, and dissemination.”
QIP’s team of designers prepared cover options for the guide, and then used the colors from the final cover design to create other images for the publication, including headers and 16 illustrative figures.
Once the full Forum reviewed and formally approved the Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Disaggregated Data on Racial/Ethnic Subgroups, QIP formatted the document within Adobe InDesign and ensured Section 508 compliance (accessibility) using Adobe Acrobat. The final product was published on the Forum website, and QIP also drafted a blog post, a PowerPoint presentation, and a one-page flyer promoting the guide.
The Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Disaggregated Data on Racial/Ethnic Subgroups discusses strategies for collecting data on more detailed racial/ethnic subgroups than the seven categories used in federal reporting. This guide is intended for staff in local, state, and federal education agencies who collect, maintain, or report data on their student populations. The discussion and recommendations in this guide will help state and district staff better understand the process of data disaggregation in the field of education, determine whether data disaggregation might be an appropriate analytical tool in their communities, and, if so, how they can successfully institute or advance a data disaggregation project in their agencies.