1      Purpose

1.1       The FSM Education Management Information System; Data Management Policy, hereinafter referred to as the “Policy”, is established to provide a legal framework, system and process that will ensure the efficiency, accuracy and timeliness in the periodic collection the core data from Education Service Providers via the State Departments of Education and into consolidated National datasets. It also provides for the integration, storage, analysis and dissemination of reports on all aspects of the education system.

1.2       The Policy is established to ensure that the collection, management and dissemination of data is conducted with due regard to the Department’s obligations towards data protection principles.

1.3       This Policy is accompanied by a data sharing specification: FSM NDOE and SDOE Common Data Framework: Specifications and Procedures 2017

2      Statutory Requirements

2.1       This Policy are established pursuant to FSM Code Title 40 Chapter One: Educational System and FSM Code Title 43 Chapter One: Statistics and Census Act and in accordance with the administrative procedural requirements contained in FSM Code Title 17 §102 – § 104.

3      Definitions

3.1       Data Quality refers to data that is a true representation of the state of education entities, with no internal conflicts, disaggregated to the required level and which withstands a reasonably rigorous audit.

3.2       Division of Statistics means the Division of Statistics within the Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management of the Federated States of Micronesia;

3.3       Education Service Provider means any public or private chartered Early Childhood Education center, pre-school, elementary school, middle school or secondary school, non-formal education provider and any post-secondary institutions operating within the FSM;

3.4       FSM means the Federated States of Micronesia;

3.5       National Government means the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia;

3.6       National Planner means the highest management official of the Office of Planning and Statistics of the Federated States of Micronesia;

3.7       NDOE means the National Department of Education;

3.8       Non-formal Education means any education services provided to students in non-school settings, such as home, hospital or other settings.

3.9       Personal Data means data relating to a living individual who can be identified from the data;

3.10    Post-Secondary Institution means any education provider that caters to students who have completed secondary education;

3.11    SDOE means State Department of Education

3.12    Secretary of Education means the head of the Department of Education, FSM National Government;

3.13    School means a public or chartered non-public institution of learning, including a school with a religious affiliation, excluding post-secondary institutions;

3.14    State Director of Education means the individual who is appointed by the Governor of the State and granted thereby the direct authority to manage and control the daily affairs of the State Department of Education.

4      Authority

4.1       Under FSM Code Title 43 Chapter One: Statistics and Census Act, §110, the NDOE, as a Department of the National Government, is authorized to gather, compile and disseminate statistical data.

4.2       Under the FSM Statistics and Census Act, §105, the NDOE has authority to; gather statistical information on education; design and prepare forms and questionnaires; undertake investigations and carry out censuses and sample surveys; select sampling methodologies for use in surveys; request respondents to supply estimates where recorded data are not available; prepare programs relating to the acquisition of statistical information; consult or cooperate with any other person or body for the purpose of compiling statistical data; and undertake any other necessary actions to fulfil its functions and responsibilities.

4.3       Under FSM Code Title 40 Chapter One: Educational System, §110, The Secretary of Education has the authority to administer and coordinate the educational system of the Federated States of Micronesia, including authority to conduct studies and issue reports.

4.4       In accordance with FSM Code Title 43 Chapter One: Statistics and Census Act, §113, it shall be an offence for any person being over 18 years of age, to refuse or willfully neglect to provide accurate and relevant education data for a specific lawful and clearly stated purpose requested by the Secretary of Education.  

5      Guiding Principles

5.1       The following principles guide the development and implementation of this data policy:

5.2       NDOE sets a minimum standard (Common Data Framework) as agreed between NDOE and the SDOEs

5.3       SDOEs retain autonomy in planning, resourcing and implementing data collection from schools in order to meet the standard, as well as their own data requirements.

5.4       NDOE Common Data Framework will be subject to Continuous Improvement, including electronic schools’ collection and centralized database access. Changes will be made if the change promises improved accuracy of data or more efficient implementation of the Common Data Framework.

5.5       Where possible existing procedures and sources of information should be used.

6      The Common Data Framework (synopsis)

6.1       The Common Data Framework (CDF) builds on existing procedures to support the exchange of data between NDOE and SDOEs. NDOEs still retain significant autonomy in how they collect data from schools.

6.2       CDF also provides a template that SDOEs may use to collect data from schools. These tools are non-obligatory because some SDOEs face complex challenges in collecting data from remote schools, and often need to a mixture of methods to gather data from all schools.

6.3       This policy establishes the CDF as the main mechanism for exchanging data exchange between NDOE and SDOEs . CDF documents the full, agreed specification between NDOE and SDOEs including:

• • • • Data specification (Student, Teacher and School Data)
      • Data collection process and requirements
      • Data quality requirements and checks at SDOE and NDOE
      • Provisions for NDOE to return data to SDOE if it that data does not pass the Quality standard specified in the CDF.
      • Periodic audit of school data by SDOE at the school
      • Implementation of nationally unique key fields for Schools, Teachers and Students
      • FedEMIS as the source of a unique identifier for schools
      • Social Security Number as the unique identifier for teachers
      • A new National StudentID as the unique identifier for students.
      • Business Rules for managing Interstate Student Transfer

6.4       A full specification for the Common Data Framework is part of this policy: FSM NDOE and SDOE Common Data Framework: Specifications and Procedures

7         Storage and Security

7.1       The NDOE shall maintain the highest standards of physical and technical security to protect the confidentiality of personal data, including limiting physical access to storage facilities and the use of protective passwords for data stored by electronic means.

7.2       The NDOE shall provide secure access privileges to approved users to aggregated data held within its Education Management Information System.

8      Dissemination

8.1       In the interests of public accountability and transparency, the Secretary of Education shall have the authority to disseminate education data reports, including Accreditation, Teacher Certification and Student Performance reports, in which SDOEs and Education Service Providers operating within the FSM may, as agencies of National and State Governments, be identified by name.

8.2       The Secretary of Education shall consult with State Directors of Education and the President of COM-FSM prior to the dissemination of education data reports for validation purposes.

8.3       The NDOE shall not publish data reports in which any individual may be identified, except as permitted under Title 43 Chapter One: Statistics and Census Act, §107.

9      Access to data

9.1       Any individual over the age of 18 may apply in writing to the Secretary of Education for access to any personal data pertaining to that individual held by the National Department of Education or to the personal data pertaining to any person under the age of 18 of whom they are the parent or legal guardian.

9.2       Government agencies, representatives of aid projects, recognized agencies and verified researchers may make a written application to the Secretary of Education for access to non-personal data held by the National Department of Education, outlining the data requested and their intended purpose.

9.3       The Secretary of Education shall respond to requests for access to data within a reasonable period of time as outlined in guidelines to be developed by the NDOE, in consultation with SDOEs and other relevant stakeholders, and revised from time to time.

10   Implementation

10.1    The Secretary of Education may, in consultation with State Directors of Education and the President of COM-FSM, establish temporary committees to undertake activities that are reasonable and necessary to accomplish the purposes of this policy.

10.2    This policy will be implemented as part of the new school year (2017/18) beginning September 2017. 

11   Monitoring & Evaluation of this policy

11.1    The timeliness, quality and accessibility of data collected under this policy will be monitored and used to inform incremental improvement.