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PNAIRP

September 2009

Holes in Student Clearinghouse Data

Paul SternSenior Research Manager

Washington State UniversitySocial & Economic Sciences Research Center

www.sesrc.wsu.edu/k12

Social and Economic SciencesSocial and Economic Sciences Research Center Research Center

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SESRC: Background

SESRC is an independent research organization within Washington State University

We are the directors of the State’s High School Graduate Follow up Study and the College Enrollment Study

SESRC routinely matches data against the National Student Clearinghouse and with local sources to measure recent graduates’ post-secondary enrollments

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Core Question:

What do we know about the overall coverage of the data we get back

from the National Student Clearinghouse?

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Data

Study Population: The HS Class of 2006

Enrollments reflect the period from July 2006-June 2007

Matches were conducted by NSC and SBCTC on the same source data set

Differences by

College Type

BothLocal Only

NSC Only

Community Colleges (N=20,485) 84% 14% 3%Technical Colleges (N=1,257) 57% 41% 2%Four-Year Colleges (N=11,690) 84% 14% 2%Overall (N=33,432) 83% 15% 2%

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Some Causes for Mis-Match

Students in one system and not the other

Different matching protocols

FERPA blocks inconsistently applied

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Types of Issues Matching Protocols Must Address

(why this work isn’t easy)

Sandra Day O’Connor

Sandra Day O’Conner

Sandy O’Connor

Sandy O. Connor

S. Day Oconner

Cassandra D. O Conner

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Types of Issues Matching Protocols Must Address

(why this work isn’t easy)

Cathy Smith DOB: 1/1/1990

Kate Smith DOB: 1/1/1990

Kathy Smith DOB: 11/1/1991

Kathryn Smith-Jones DOB: 1/2/1990

Carrie Smith DOB: 1/1/1990

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Types of Issues Matching Protocols Must Address

(why this work isn’t easy)

Name changes

Initials as a first name

Typographical errors (esp. on DOB)

Nicknames (displacing the first name)

Spaces, Apostrophes, Hyphens

Junior, II, etc.

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Cultural (and other) Challenges in Matching

Students with multiple first and last names

Students with both Asian and western names

Students where the last name is written first

Cultures where birthdates are meaningless (resulting in a lot of 1/1/YYYY birthdates

Twins with similar names and identical DOB

4 Year Colleges Community Colleges

BothLocal Only

NSC Only Total Both

Local Only

NSC Only Total

Total (N) 9,799 1,664 227 11,690 17,107 2,815 563 20,485

Total (%) 84% 14% 2% 100% 84% 14% 3% 100%

HS Graduate N 69% 26% 6% 54 57% 40% 3% 1,536

Y 84% 14% 2% 11,636 86% 12% 3% 18,949

Gender F 82% 16% 2% 6,336 85% 13% 2% 10,815

M 86% 12% 2% 5,354 82% 15% 3% 9,670

Ethnicity A 72% 26% 2% 1,654 84% 12% 4% 1,973

B 84% 14% 2% 353 78% 17% 5% 1,004

H 76% 20% 4% 486 82% 15% 4% 1,576

I 80% 12% 7% 123 79% 19% 2% 434

O 86% 13% 2% 63 84% 12% 4% 99

W 86% 12% 2% 9,011 84% 14% 2% 15,399

4 Year Colleges Community Colleges

BothLocal Only

NSC Only Total Both

Local Only

NSC Only Total

Total (N) 9,799 1,664 227 11,690 17,107 2,815 563 20,485

Total (%) 84% 14% 2% 100% 84% 14% 3% 100%

HS GPA A/B 83% 15% 2% 9,921 85% 13% 2% 8,156

C 87% 10% 3% 1,600 86% 11% 3% 9,496

D/F 67% 31% 2% 42 70% 26% 3% 2,206

Disability N 84% 14% 2% 11,608 84% 13% 3% 19,443

Y 74% 20% 6% 82 72% 24% 4% 1,042

Limited English N 84% 14% 2% 11,592 84% 14% 3% 19,808

Y 72% 21% 6% 98 81% 14% 4% 677

Low Income N 85% 14% 2% 10,211 85% 13% 2% 15,558

Y 79% 17% 4% 1,479 80% 16% 4% 4,927

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Conclusions

NSC missed 14% of enrollments and SBCTC missed 2-3%. If we assume SBCTC’s is a “natural” error rate, then there is either coverage error or match error that accounts for the additional 10+%.

The non-match rate was higher for students who did not graduate from high school, those with low high school GPAs, with disabilities, and people who have limited proficiency in English

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Thanks to Colleagues from the Following Colleges for Their Help

Columbia Basin CollegeLower Columbia CollegeClark CollegeTacoma Community CollegeEverett Community CollegeSkagit Valley CollegeWashington State UniversitySBCTC

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Summary of College ReportsCommon Reasons for Not Matching

Enrolled in GED and ESL programs

Penitentiary residents

Had not earned college credits

Name changes, spelling variations, nicknames, etc.

Most should have matched to NSC

A much smaller percent should have matched with local sources

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Contact Information

WSU-SESRC

(360) 586-9292

To view WSU-SESRC research reports on education topics please see our website at:

http://www.sesrc.wsu.edu/k12/