April 1, 2003

What is the Center for Educational Performance and Information?
The Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) collects and reports data about the performance of Michigan's K-12 public schools and students.  Our initiatives in data collection and reporting facilitate school districts' compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Michigan Department of Education's accreditation plan, Education YES!  CEPI is an office located within the Office of the State Budget.
 
What data does CEPI collect?
State and federal laws require Michigan's K-12 public schools to collect and submit data about students, personnel and individual schools to the state and federal government.  Districts submit their data to CEPI, and CEPI stores that data in a warehouse.  Some of the data that are required by the state and federal government include:
· Individual student data: racial/ethnic data, program participation, performance scores (MEAP), etc.
· Individual personnel data: credential license number, racial/ethnic data, etc.
· Building-level data: general contact information, financial data, school safety practices, incidences of crime, etc.
These data are used to determine state aid payments, adequate yearly progress, accreditation, a teacher's qualifications, and what constitutes a "safe school" — just to name a few.
 
Who uses the data collected by CEPI?
Data submitted to CEPI are required by federal and state statute.  Researchers at CEPI use the information to produce mandated reports and perform specialized analyses to assist in the development of policy initiatives to improve student and school performance.  Educators, policymakers, and parents will be able to use these reports to better assess the academic, operational, and financial performance of their schools and students.

What about confidentiality of student and teacher records?
The data collected are stored in accordance with the State of Michigan security policy that safeguards the integrity of data and prevents unauthorized access to information that is maintained in agency computer systems. Further, CEPI has established secured levels of access to the data to ensure security and confidentiality. Personally identifiable information is protected by federal statute from public disclosure, and data identifying students by name will not be released by CEPI.

What is School Evaluation Services?
CEPI manages the state's contract with Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services (SES).  This Web-based report provides unprecedented access to independent, objective, comparative evaluations of the fiscal and academic performance of Michigan's public schools.  Michigan was the first state to participate in this service.  The Standard & Poor's Observations generated by the SES rely on data compiled primarily by CEPI (www.ses.standardandpoors.com).

Does CEPI have a Web site?
Yes, at www.michigan.gov/cepi.