Archive: June 2012

The web tool has two main platforms: the Multistate site and the state-specific site. In this post, I explain the differences between them and give examples of when you might want to use each. Whereas all Data Center member states have access to the Multistate site, individual states must elect to create a state-specific site. You’ll know whether or not your state has a state-specific site after you log in to the system. If your state has a state-specific site, after logging in you’ll be asked to choose whether you want to proceed to the Multistate or state-specific site. If your state does not have a state-specific site, you’ll be taken directly to the Multistate site.   The Multistate site: When a state joins the Data Center, our staff create a longitudinal file based on children’s records pulled directly from the state’s SACWIS or other electronic data collection system. That… Read more >

This Recipe will show you how to work with “nicknames,” a new feature of the All Spells component of the web tool designed to help you clarify and organize your analyses. This Recipe will take you about 5 minutes to complete. What do nicknames do? Nicknames offer you the option to customize the labels of the comparison groups in your analysis, instead of using the default labels generated by the system. Because they can be tailored to each query, nicknames will help you keep track of your analyses, giving you a quick reference for remembering which of your analyses deal with which groups of children—something that will come in especially handy when you print out the PDF results from multiple queries to share with colleagues. Where does the nickname option appear on the site? You’ll find the Population nickname option in the Define output section of the All Spells page;… Read more >