What is a data warehouse?

This educational data warehouse is a repository of select data from sources common among all school districts. It is structured to maintain great amounts of related, historical data for analysis and reporting. Data may be used to explore group differences, examine growth over time, evaluate programs, and to identify root causes of educational problems.

The EMPOWER Educational Data Warehouse is powered by Cognos, the global leader in business intelligence and a pioneer in school district data management.

It provides data storage and reporting capacity for public school districts, enables queries with one or more other districts for comparability purposes, and empowers district decision-makers to examine, manipulate and report key operational and academic data.

What is the scope and timeline?

EMPOWER is currently in the pilot phase. The goals for this phase are:

• Build the infrastucture for the regional data warehouse
• Load data from multiple systems within 9 pilot districts
• Train key personnel in each pilot district to begin using EMPOWER to analyze district information
  

The pilot phase became operational in Fall 2007 and continues through Summer 2008. Beginning in Fall 2008 EMPOWER will be available to all public school districts in Texas. It is our goal to add a minimum of 25 districts each school year.

What will it cost for a district to participate?

The cost basis of EMPOWER is a multi-tiered scale based on district ADA. There is a base fee that increases with district size, plus a per student fee that decreases as district size increases.

Will this system replace a district's or a school's current student information system (SIS)?

No, it does not replace existing SIS, ERP or other district IT systems. The primary purpose of the educational data warehouse is to provide enhanced reporting and analysis on interrelated data loaded from the multiple systems used by the district.

Should my district consider acquiring its own data warehousing system?

A district data warehouse can result in significant development costs and long-term support costs. The EMPOWER Educational Data Warehouse provides districts a considerable level of functionality without risk and at low cost. The long-term costs are expected to be far less than those for a district building a standalone data warehouse. Additionally, access to comparative data from multiple districts is a significant benefit to districts using EMPOWER.

How is the data warehouse accessed?

A secure, role-based, customizable Internet portal provides users access to EMPOWER. Each participating district may determine which reports and queries are available to specific individuals within the district. FERPA compliance is also addressed via the portal.

How can my district get started?

Informational sessions for key district personnel are currently being conducted by Region 10 staff, and commitments for the 2008-2009 school year are being accepted. Districts interested in implementing the EMPOWER Educational Data Warehouse may contact Craig Gray, Director of Data Warehouse Applications at 972.348.1376.