Professor Invited to Share Expertise on Educational Data Analysis

A leader in business analytics software and services has asked University of Arkansas professor Sean Mulvenon to speak at a brunch and networking event at the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Feb. 11 in Monterey, Calif.

SAS recently featured Mulvenon, a professor of educational statistics and research methods, and the National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems at the university in a story on the company's website. The article described how researchers with NORMES provide educators improved student assessment and evaluation information through a contract with the Arkansas Department of Education.

Mulvenon started NORMES in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas with a $500 grant in 1996 and has guided its development into an organization with funding in excess of $1 million annually. The nationally award-winning NORMES Web site provides educational statistics data for Arkansas public schools at http://normes.uark.edu/.

Mulvenon's team developed a longitudinal data system dubbed the Educational Data Delivery System for the Arkansas Department of Education using SAS business analytics software. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council of Chief State School Officers recognized the system as a model program for the collection and dissemination of educational data. NORMES makes certain data and reports available to the public on its website, in addition to providing a private-access portal for educators to view and analyze data and reports.

For the California event, SAS has invited leaders in education from around the country to hear Mulvenon discuss how to improve institutional and student performance using analytics across the education spectrum. According to SAS, participants will learn how to make proactive decisions based on trusted data, determine opportunities for growth, analyze institution and program performance, and understand students' academic progress and prepare them for long-term success.

To read the SAS profile of NORMES, visit http://www.sas.com/success/univofarkansas.html.