MEDMS Update June 2007

Year End Processes

Student Module
MEDMS will be on line for reporting 2006-07 student data until Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Updates of data required for year end reporting will need to be made by local schools and administrative units before this date. The calculation of 2006-07 graduation and dropout rates for your unit(s) by the Department will be based on student data from the MEDMS student information system.  To ensure a successful and timely transmission of data and accurate dropout and graduation reporting, it is important that local superintendents take the following steps for student data:

Exit high school seniors using the appropriate exit type codes including:

• Graduated with Regular High School Diploma (Code 15 / Completed – Graduated),
• Completed School with Other Credentials (Code 16 / Completed – Other Cred),
• Reached Maximum Age for Services (Code 20 / Maximum Age for Services),
• Transferred to GED Program (Code 23 / Transferred to GED program), and
• Transferred to Post-Secondary Education [prior to graduation] (Code 24 / Transferred to Postsecondary). 

For high school seniors who will be completing their graduation requirements during the summer and after July 31, 2007, please contact the MEDMS help desk at 624-6896 or medms.helpdesk@maine.gov after they have completed graduation requirements but no later than September 30, 2007 in order to update their 2006-07 MEDMS records.

• Exit students who are known to be leaving their schools at the end of the 2006-07 school year. This is especially important for students in grade 7 through grade 12 in order to avoid issues related to the Completers and Dropouts Reports. Examples of appropriate exit type codes include:
• Transferred to Other Schools or Institutions. (There are multiple transferred options – please see complete list of these options and codes available at the link below.),
• Discontinued Schooling (Code 21 / Dropout),
• Moved Not Known to Be Continuing (Code 25 / Moved – Not Continuing) , and
• Matriculation to Another School (Code 14 / Matriculation to Another Sch). Please note that matriculation (not graduation) should be used for students who complete the highest level of instruction at their current school (e.g., elementary or middle school).

Note: Eighth Grade – PLEASE DO NOT choose the exit type indicating that the student has graduated if they are completing eighth grade and moving on to high school.
A complete list and descriptions of exit type codes may be found on the MEDMS website at: http://www.state.me.us/education/medms/Data/ExitType/ExitTypeCodes.htm.

Staff Module
School unit staff who are not returning for the 2007-08 school year should be terminated in MEDMS after the system goes back online next year. The MEDMS staff module will not be available for 2006-07 updates after June 30, 2006.
 
MEDMS Redesign Project

The Department of Education will be releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) in June for a more comprehensive information system that will replace the existing MEDMS staff and student functionality. It will add more data collection capabilities and be Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) compliant for data collection and reporting. The new system will include full student information system (SIS) functionality that will be available for local school units to use in a centrally hosted environment. A focus group of 11 local school unit technical coordinators were involved in reviewing the requirements for the RFP. We are suggesting that local school units look at the new system before investing in a new SIS. The new system is scheduled to be available for the 2008-2009 school year.

Contacts

MEDMS Help Desk - 624-6896 or medms.helpdesk@maine.gov

Student Data questions -- Rick Bergeron 624-6799 or richard.bergeron@maine.gov

Staff Data questions – Ruth Sherman –624-6809 or ruth.sherman@maine.gov