DATA COUNTS CONNECTION - 1.25.19
Please see updates below to learn about the new Data Champions Spotlight, the 2018 NPEA Data Counts (NDC) Collection Tool, and the NDC 2018 Focus Groups Report.
NEW: Data Champions Spotlight
Indicator 9f: Financial Aid Gap
We're excited to con tinue our Data Champions Spotlight series, in which NPEA features members who are achieving exceptional results and shares their stories with the broader field. Previously, we featured a number of members with particularly impressive results on Indicator 10: Persisting Through Post-Secondary Attainment. Read about their best practices here .

Our current Spotlight focuses on Indicator 9f: the Financial Aid Gap. Specifically, this indicator measures results for cohorts of high school seniors, asking whether or not those students pursued post-secondary programs immediately after high school; for those who did, it asks a bout the financial aid gaps they faced.

For this Spotlight, we reached out to all 19 programs who submitted data for Indicator 9f. Four programs responded to our outreach and are included in this Spotlight. We encourage you to read about what strategies they use, recommended best practices for replicating their success, and more!
Eyes on the Field: Financial Aid Gap
This past fall, NPEA sent out an Eyes on the Field email, capturing current research and articles connected to financial aid gap resources (which are looked at in Indicator 9f). We hope it will provide useful context for our Spotlight.
Coming Next Thursday:
NPEA Data Counts 2018 Collection Tool
We are thrilled to be embarking on the third round of data collection from our members, and it all begins next week!

If you filled out the Tool before:
You will receive an email next Tuesday with your results from past years and an advance copy of the Collection Tool and the accompanying Indicator Guide. We recommend taking the time to familiarize yourself with the materials before the 2018 Collection Tool is distributed next Thursday.

For those who have not filled out the Tool in the past:
A SurveyMonkey link will be sent out to you next Thursday with instructions on how to fill out the Collection Tool and background on the NPEA Data Counts Project. It will be accompanied by an Indicator Guide, which will help explain some of the terms and definitions used in the Collection Tool.

If you are new to NPEA and/or this will be your first time completing the Data Collection Tool, feel free to reach out to Alex with any questions.

Roblyn Brigham from Brigham Nahas Research Associates will once again conduct the analysis. We will share the results this spring.
Coming This Spring:
NPEA Data Counts Event in Boston
When we spoke to members in 2018 about their use of data for the 2016 Collection Tool, many programs shared that they either collected the data and didn't know what to do with it or weren't sure what was useful and what wasn't.

We will be holding an NPEA Data Counts event in Boston this May, focused on sharing and discussing best practices for using data to inform decision-making within your program. Stay tuned for more details soon. Date TBD.
In Case You Missed It:
2018 Focus Group Report and Executive Summary
In April 2018, we conducted several focus groups and interviews at the NPEA national conference in New Orleans in order to determine the following:
  • How are members involved in working with data in general and with NDC in particular?
  • What are their impressions of NDC products (including the Indicators List/Tool, summaries of findings, dashboard comparisons, and others)?
  • What impacts has NDC had on members and how they work with data? How have members used NDC and data to make program changes and inform practice?
  • Looking ahead, what can NPEA do to best support data work among member organizations and schools?

We encourage you to read the Executive Summary and Full Report, and let us know if you have any questions.
SHARE YOUR INFORMATION AND GET INVOLVED!
If you have a data-related resource to share with NPEA and/or would like to be featured in a Spotlight, we encourage you to complete our NPEA Updates Form .
NPEA​ connects the people, practices, and innovations essential for eliminating barriers to educational access and college and career success for underserved students.