Optimal CEO and Education Research Center Director:

Mark Turner, Ph.D.

Project Director: Monica Leal Priddy

Project Manager: Brandon Newbury

July 20, 2009

Overview of Presentation

• Center’s mission

• Developments over the past year

• Service Obligation Tracking System (SOTS) launch

• Institution’s of High Education (IHEs) role is critical to NCSO process

• Scholar/obligee information

• Government performance measure reporting

• NCSO as partner

Center’s Mission

• To track the fulfillment and report the status of service obligations that are required of scholars who received scholarships from OSEP Personnel Development Program grants that were awarded to IHEs in Fiscal Year 2005 and any year thereafter

• To provide information about service obligations to scholars, IHEs, scholars’ employers, and OSEP

Developments Over the Past Year

• Rigorous Security Certification and Accreditation Process

- Approval to Operate granted on June 24, 2009

• New Web site address - http://www.serviceobligations.ed.gov - New e-mail address is pending - Current helpdesk e-mail remains info@serviceobligation.org

Service Obligation Tracking System Launch

• Launch schedule began July 7, 2009 with 10 IHEs

• Remaining 130 IHEs divided into 3 groups

• Each week in July a group will be given SOTS access

• All IHEs will have access by July 31, 2009

• Phased-in launch allows for better Helpdesk responsiveness and for identification and correction of functionality and content issues before they affect all users

Service Obligation Tracking System Launch (cont.)

• Scholar/obligee and employer areas will be launched on August 17, 2009

• Lagged launch will allow for proper testing and implementation of IHE feedback on scholar/obligee record

IHE Role is Critical to NCSO Process

• IHEs begin the NCSO scholar/obligee tracking process

• Scholar/obligee information facilitates– Tracking of service obligation– Government Performance and Results Act

reporting– Answers to important policy-relevant questions

about scholars/obligees post-training activities

IHE Role is Critical to NCSO Process (cont.)

• Timely entry of records by IHEs is key to the prompt insertion of information by scholars

• Records of enrolled scholars can be entered into the SOTS and revised over time

• First name• Last name• Gender• Social Security Number• Primary e-mail• Primary address• Phone number• Degrees prior to training

program• Degrees after training

program

• Special education training areas• Program exit/completion status• Date of exit/completion• Reason for exit, if prior to

completion• Date of one academic year

completion• Accumulated academic years of

funding• Amount of obligation in dollars

Scholar/Obligee Required Information

• Maiden name, if applicable• Alternative e-mail address• Secondary address and phone number• Race/Ethnicity• Contact information for a relative

Scholar/Obligee Non-Required Information

Government Performance and Results Act

Program Assessment Rating Tool Measures

• Measure 2.4 of 5: “The percentage of Special Education Personnel Preparation funded degree/certification recipients who are working in the area(s) for which they were trained upon program completion and who are fully qualified under IDEA.” (Desired direction: increase)   

•  Measure 2.5 of 5: Employed for three or more years: “The percentage of degree/certification recipients who maintain employment for 3 or more years in the area(s) for which they were trained and who are fully qualified under IDEA.” (Desired direction: increase)

NCSO as Partner

• NCSO and IHEs are partners in service obligation tracking

• Helpdesk established to answer IHE and scholar/obligee questions

• Feedback is key to improving SOTS user-friendliness , and the SOTS will be refined to meet user needs

NCSO Helpdeskhttp://www.serviceobligations.ed.gov

Toll Free Hotline M-F, 9-5 ET1-800-285-NCSO (6276)

For TTY dial 711 for your state’s Relay Service Provider or dial

extension 3 when connected.

E-mail: info@serviceobligation.org

Fax: (301) 576-5187