NEW as of 4/10/2015
 
SUBJECT LINE: Important information about CRDC Launch

We are pleased to announce the opportunity to access the new and improved Civil Rights Data Collection submission system for 2013-14. Starting on April 16th, you will have access to many features of the new and improved CRDC submission system including data entry, file uploads, error reports, and new tools to add additional users and grant permissions. We encourage you to use this time to start the data entry process and begin submitting flat files.

By 8pm EST on April 16th, you will receive an email from no-reply@ed.gov  with information to set up your account. We encourage you to add this address to your trusted senders list to ensure these emails are not categorized as spam.

School districts across the nation have provided valuable insight and feedback to design the submission system for the 2013-14 CRDC. We hope you find the new system is user-friendly, intuitive, and improves the data submission process.

Recently, school districts have also made us aware that it is important to start the data submission phase as there are many other important tasks that happen during the spring and end-of-year. In response, we are opening all features of the new tool that have been thoroughly tested and are ready for use.

  However, there is still more work to be done to ensure certain features such as the final certification check perform efficiently during peak times, particularly near the due date. It is important to the Office for Civil Rights and the Partner Support Center that the new tool provides a positive first experience and performs efficiently throughout the duration of the data collection phase. These final critical functions will be undergoing the last remaining extensive test over the next two weeks. Rather than delay the opening until all features are available, we wanted to be responsive to school districts feedback, given that most of the core functionality for the site is ready for your use.

Below is a preview of a few of the key improvements made to the 2013-14 CRDC online tool that you can access starting on April 16th:

• Password Resets: Users will now be able to reset their password without having to contact the Partner Support Center. This can be done easily through the tool, either on the homepage or under the user profile.
• Improved Questions and Instructions: The questions and instructions for all tables and forms have been revised to ensure that dates, key information, and definitions are available on data entry screens and easy to understand.
• Data Entry by Topical Module: Questions have been grouped into topic-area modules so that users may more easily locate, assign-out, and report data about the same topic when using the online tool.
• Easy to Understand Error Messages: Error messages have been tailored to more clearly explain the error encountered and how it can be resolved.
• Add Additional Users: A brand new feature available to users is the ability to grant other staff access to the CRDC online submission tool to enter data directly into the system for schools and tables that you wish to assign out.
• Easy to Upload Flat Files: The flat file submission format is now extremely flexible and allows for partial submissions and up-loadable reports to correct previously submitted data. Users may upload data in one file or multiple, smaller files.
• Real-Time Data Editing: Real-time data editing is available for most fields in the online submission tool.
• Simple and Intuitive Navigation: New navigation options eliminate a one-size-fits all approach to completing the CRDC. For example, school districts can enter data by picking one school and answering all questions (table navigation), or picking one topic and answering questions for all schools (school navigation). Clickable “breadcrumbs” (your navigation trail) at the top of each page in the online tool allow for easy navigation between pages on the site.
• Skip Logic and Auto-Zero Improvement: To make data entry easier, the online tool remembers information that has been entered in other tables and uses that information to fill related tables with either a Not Applicable (NA) code or zero (0). For example, if it is reported that a school does not have any females who are LEP, other tables that ask for counts of females who are LEP will be automatically filled with a zero.
• Integration between Flat File Upload and Data Entry: Users are no longer required to choose between uploading data via a flat file or manually entering data into the submission tool. Now, the flat file and data entry screens are fully integrated and either method or a combination of both may be used to enter and correct data.
• Downloadable Error Reports: Once data have been entered into the system, the Error Resolution Report can be downloaded from the Reports section of the tool to review and make corrections to the data provided. This report is an editable Excel sheet which may be used to change data values or apply reason codes and comments. The edited file may then be uploaded, just like initial data submission files, to submit corrected or new data into the system.
• Ability to Export Data Files: The LEA Submissions Report allows you to download a CSV report for all LEA and school data submitted to date.
• Data Summaries: Shortly after the collection cycle launches, data summaries will be provided to districts. These data summaries will provide charts and graphs from their data submissions.

The CRDC Partner Support Center is also available to answer any questions you may have concerning the data collection process. You can contact the CRDC Partner Support Center by email at crdc@sanametrix.com  or by phone at 844-338-2732.