Data Reporting Instructions 2008

Private Vocational Schools

What students do I need to report on?
Report the data on students who were in attendance at any time (withdrew, graduated or were enrolled) during the year from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008.  Please include any students who started before July 1, 2007 and were still enrolled after July 1, 2007, even if you reported them last year. If you had students who were still enrolled as of June 30, 2008, leave the exit date blank and give them an enrollment status code of 3 or 4 (see Data Definitions and Codes).

Do not include employed students whose tuition is paid by their employer, or students whose training is fully paid by DVR, DSB, DDD or the Department of Labor and Industries.

If your school is located outside Washington State, report only on students who were Washington residents at the time they started your training program.

If you have no students to report, please inform the Workforce Board by returning the data reporting form with a note of explanation or by sending an email to bmix@wtb.wa.gov.

What training programs do I report on?
Please report on all programs listed on your Private Vocational School license as of July 1, 2008.

What information is required to be reported?
For each student who was enrolled in, or graduated or withdrew from the program(s) during each reporting period, we need:

• program title*
• program duration (in months)
• student name*
• social security number*
• address*
• phone number*
• date of birth*
• Hispanic/Non-Hispanic*
• Race*
• Gender*
• disability status
• highest grade completed before enrolling*
• start of training date *
• end of training date *
• enrollment status at end of reporting period*
• GPA, if applicable

*A complete data report, including all of these data elements, is a pre-requisite for Private Vocational School license renewal.

What measures are taken by the Workforce Board to ensure data security?
All data reported to the Workforce Board is kept on removable hard disks that are locked into file drawers each night. All CD's and hard copy data is stored in locked drawers and destroyed when no longer needed. All Workforce Board data computers are password-protected. Access to individual data is limited to staff and contractors who have signed Confidentiality Statements in which they agree to follow strict data security procedures. Individual data reported to the Workforce Board is not considered public information, and is exempt from public disclosure laws.

Are social security numbers required to be reported? 
Licensed private vocational schools are required to ask students for social security numbers and report those social security numbers they receive to the Workforce Board.  A student has the right to choose not to provide their social security number.  Please inform students about why they are being asked to give out their social security number and what security measures will be taken with the information. If you have any questions or concerns about data security, please contact Karen Pyle at (360) 664-4622.

What if some of the data is not available? 
Please report whatever data you have collected, for the time period requested.  If any of the requested student data is not available for one or more of your programs, please contact Barbara Mix at (360) 586-3322.

If a program is new and there are no students to report on, please return the data reporting form with a note of explanation or send an email to bmix@wtb.wa.gov.

How can I report the information?
Reporting forms can be downloaded in MS Excel format or as PDF files from www.wtb.wa.gov/PCS_AnnualReport.asp. Upon request, we can also mail a hard copy version--contact Barbara Mix at (360) 586-3322 or bmix@wtb.wa.gov. Forms can be filled out with Excel or similar spreadsheet, with MS Access, or by hand. Electronic format is preferred over hard copy. 

How can the data be returned?
Email is no longer a preferred option due to high risk of security problems. We will be phasing out the email option beginning with this year’s data report cycle. You can still send files via email, but this will be the last year we will accept emailed files.

There are several options for returning the data:
Option 1. Send the file to our secure server at the Educational Data Service Center, using Internet Explorer to upload the file over the internet. This is the preferred option. Click here for instructions.
Option 2. Mail hard copies or a CD to Barbara Mix, Workforce Board, PO Box 43105, Olympia, WA  98504-3105.
Option 3. For the highest security, you can hand-deliver your data to our office at 128 10th Ave SW, 6th floor, Olympia, WA.

Please return the data report by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 31, 2008.

Please feel free to call or email Barbara Mix at (360)586-3322 or bmix@wtb.wa.gov with any questions or concerns you may have.  For questions regarding your Private Vocational School License, please contact Carol Nix at (360) 753-5673 or cnix@wtb.wa.gov. 
We will do whatever we can to assist you in meeting the data reporting requirements.