Data Selection Tutorial

As an example, the following steps would be necessary to access data on Limited English proficient students for Alexander City School District, in Alabama.

SELECTING DATA

Start by opening a table

1. From the Surveys home page, Select "View the Data" to go to the page survey data. Under the heading select "Reported Data." We will select data from the first table in the list, which contains data on 'Student Enrollment, Students Participating in Gifted/Talented programs, Students enrolled in and needing LEP programs, and incidents of student discipline'.
   To open this table of data, select the table name.

2. The information presented in the left panel indicates that this table contains data classified in five ways: by STATE/DIST/SCHL, by MEASURES, by DATA CATEGORIES, by RACE/ETHNICITY, and by SEX.
   

   To retrieve data from this table, you must select one or more elements from each of these classifications.  

3. In the right pane a list of the elements that are available for STATE/DIST/SCHL is displayed: a list of states.

   Note that each state has both the plus icon and other icons that will allow you to select distrcts and schools of interest to you beside its name. Note also that at the top, there are additional icons, that will allow you to select data. Use of these icons is demonstrated in the "Selecting Dimensions and Members" tutorial above. The remainder of these steps parallel the information presented in the "Creating a Report" tutorial the folder icon beside its name. The plus icon indicates that the element STATE/DISTRICT/SCHOOL can be expanded to reveal more detailed elements.
   If you select the plus icon for Alabama, an expanded list will will appear in the right pane showing school districts in Alabama.
   You may select one or more of them by clicking the checkboxes.

   Note that these districts also display a plus icon in additional to checkboxes.
   Select the plus icon beside the checkbox for Alexander City School District.
   You will see the list further expanded to show schools from this district displayed.
   You may select one or more of them.

   Continue in this fashion until you have selected all of the districts and schools that you are interested in.
   Note that you must choose at least one district or school.
   

4. Then, in the left pane you select MEASURES, You will see the list of elements that are available for MEASURES in the right pane: Number and Percentage.
   Select both of them by using the checkboxes.

5. In the left pane select DATA CATEGORIES
   You will see a list of elements that are available for DATA CATEGORIES in the right pane.

   Select "Needing LEP program" and "Enrolled in LEP program" by selecting their checkboxes.

6. In the left pane select "RACE/ETHNICITY"
   Select at least one of "American Indian or Alaskan Native", "Asian or Pacific Islander", "Hispanic", "Black, not of Hispanic Origin", "White Not of Hispanic Origin", or "All Races".

7. In the left pane select "SEX"
   Select "male", "female" or "total".

   After you have selected one or more elements from each of these types you can view the data for these elements.

8. Select the View Table icon, at the top left of the right-hand pane, to view your data.
   

MODIFYING THE PRESENTATION OF YOUR DATA

When viewing district level data in a table view, you may drill-down to view the school data for a district by clicking on the underscored district name.

Other Features available that will allow you to modify, or customize, the presentation of your data, are presented in the "Arranging Dimensions", "Calculations", "Sorting", "Ranking", "Top/Bottom Reduction", and "Highlighting" tutorials.

If you want to save the data you have selected, at the top of the right pane, follow the procedures described in the "Downloading Reports" tutorial.
If after you've viewed your data, you want to print your data, the printer icon is adjacent to the download data icon at the top of the right pane.
You can customize the printing of the data, by orientation [portrait or landscape], paper size, margin, and for reports of more than one page, you can select what you want to print by selecting the icon next to the row or column number. The "Table Options" icon, on the other side of the download arrow, will allow you to select the number of rows and columns constitute a page.

CLOSING THE TABLE

If you want to modify your report to select other districts and/or schools, or other types of data (for example, race/ethnicity, gender, or "data item"), within the same report, see the instructions above regarding "selecting dimensions and members".
To select another data table, use the "folders" icon at the top of the right hand pane to select another public report.