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#21-Update 2Title: NCES Requests Additional Comments Regarding First-Professional Enrollment and Degree Reporting in IPEDS Prepared: August 2005 Note: The AIR Higher Education Data Policy Committee recommends that you share copies of this Alert with the individuals at your institution who are responsible for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Surveys, and the IPEDS keyholder. Summary The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is considering revising the way it collects data on enrollment and degrees for students in first-professional fields in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Following meetings with various accrediting agencies, associations, institutional representatives, and individuals, an NCES/IPEDS Senior Fellow developed a set of four possible options for consideration. The NCES is seeking comments and suggestions to be discussed at a Technical Review Panel (TRP) fall meeting. Please address your comments and suggestions, by September 12, 2005, to Susan Broyles, IPEDS Program Director, at Susan.Broyles@ed.gov, and send a copy of your message to Dr. Edward Delaney, NCES Senior Fellow at edelaney@intercom.net. The subject line should read: First-Professional TRP - Proposal Comments. If you are interested in serving on this TRP, please include your interest intent along with your comments and suggestions. Current Status A description of each of the four options, along with issues raised by each of these, can be found in the NCES notice posted at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/trp7update.asp. The following four options are being considered:
Implications for Institutions There are various concerns with regard to the implementation of changes in first-professional degree and enrollment reporting, including the possible loss of trend data, changes in institutional classifications, and the identification of programs for inclusion. These changes could affect institutional organization structures as well as institutional data systems. If the first-professional level is eliminated, reporting guidelines will need to be revised. Recommendations will be needed for schools that have students currently reported in first-professional programs that do not require an undergraduate degree (i.e., in the future report them as undergraduate students or as graduate students, or as undergraduates for a certain period and then as graduate students - and, if the latter, how/when to change the level). The NCES would appreciate receiving feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of these possible approaches to reporting this group of students. Timeline April 2004 - NCES posted a notice seeking comments on first-professional degree reporting in IPEDS (http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/trp7.asp). July 2005 - NCES posted a notice seeking additional comments on first-professional degree reporting in IPEDS (http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/trp7update.asp). September 12, 2005 - Deadline for comments to be submitted to Susan Broyles, IPEDS Program Director, at Susan.Broyles@ed.gov (and copy of message sent to Dr. Edward Delaney, NCES Senior Fellow at edelaney@intercom.net). Fall 2005 - TRP meeting to discuss first-professional degree reporting in IPEDS. Additional Resources The NCES notice about the options for first-professional degree reporting in IPEDS is available at: http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/trp7update.asp Comprehensive information about IPEDS is available at: http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds Related AIR Alerts AIR Alert # 21: NCES Requests Comments Regarding Proposed IPEDS Changes (May 2004). AIR Alert # 21 Update 1: Proposals and Plans for IPEDS Changes (October 2004 Authors: Carol Fuller, Mary Sapp, and Peggye Cohen Coordinated by the Higher Education Data Policy Committee. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Association for Institutional Research. |