EMIS Communications and Information

There are multiple ways in which EMIS coordinators and others in the field can obtain EMIS information and communications. This page includes where to find commonly needed EMIS information, guidance on EMIS communications, and a hierarchy of EMIS support.
 
Click on any of the topics below to find it farther down on this page, along with information and relevant links. (This bulleted list is in alphabetical order.) Note that these are not the only sources of communications and information of interest to EMIS Coordinators. However, this list includes those which will be most helpful. Explore the Department's website or use the Custom Search box at the top of each page to find additional resources.

Subscribe, sign up, or follow

  • EMIS Newsflashes.
    • These are periodic communications sent to school district staff, software vendors, and other interested parties who work with EMIS data in some capacity. They feature late-breaking news and links to current resources and tools related to EMIS data reporting, as well as reminders and information about upcoming collections, appeals, and trainings.
    • Sign up to receive Newsflashes from any of the Department's webpages. To do this, click on the red envelope at the top or bottom of any page. You will be prompted to enter your email address, after which you will see a list of topics for which you can subscribe. Go to "Education Management Information System," and underneath that check "EMIS Newsflashes." Go to the bottom of the page and click on "Submit" and you have been subscribed to the EMIS Newsflashes. Our Newsflashes are also available on the Department's website here.
  • Twitter.
    • This account is used to provide alerts about data reporting from EMIS at ODE. Questions regarding EMIS should not be posed to us via Twitter (see below for information regarding where to get help with EMIS). Twitter allows us to more quickly communicate news regarding EMIS and EMIS-related systems.
    • Find us at @EMISOhio and #EMISOhio. You can find our account here. Note that you do not have to have a Twitter account in order to read our Tweets, though you will need to have an account to follow us. You can sign up for an account here. Our Tweets are also available on the EMIS homepage.
  • EdConnection.
    • This is an electronic newsletter that arrives in your inbox weekly. Designed for Ohio educators, it includes updates on key policy and legislative issues and other important announcements.
    • Sign up to receive EdConnection from any of the Department's webpages. To do this, click on the red envelope at the top or bottom of any page. You will be prompted to enter your email address, after which you will see a list of topics for which you can subscribe. Go to "EdConnection," select it, then click "Submit" at the bottom of the page. EdConnection is also available on the Department's website here.
  • EMIS Documentation Update Alerts.
    • There are two different documentation update alerts for which you can sign up. One will alert you when a new version of an EMIS Manual section has been posted, and the other will alert you when a new version of a Report Explanation has been posted. For sign up information, see the sections below on the EMIS Manual and the Report Explanations.
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EMIS Documentation

  • ODE EMIS Manual and Manual Update Alerts.
    • The EMIS Manual provides a uniform and consistent source of reporting instructions for EMIS data. The Manual includes data definitions, requirements, and procedures to assist districts with the submission, review, validation, and correction of data.
    • There are two versions of the Manual posted at a time: the current fiscal year and the prior fiscal year. For versions prior to that, see the Previous EMIS Manuals archive page.
    • You can sign up to receive email alerts when a new version of an EMIS Manual section has been posted. From any of the Department's webpages, click on the red envelope at the top or bottom of the page. You will be prompted to enter your email address, after which you will see a list of topics for which you can subscribe. Go to "Education Management Information System," and underneath that check "Education Management Information System (EMIS) Manual updates." Go to the bottom of the page, click "Submit", and you have been subscribed to the EMIS Manual Update Alerts.
  • Report Explanations and Report Explanation Alerts.
    • Report Explanations provide detailed explanations of the various EMIS reports, which can be used to submit and verify EMIS data.
    • The current version of each Report Explanation is posted on this page. For previous versions--and for Report Explanations for reports that are no longer generated--see the EMIS Validation and Report Explanations archive page.
    • You can sign up to receive email alerts when a new version of an EMIS Report Explanation has been posted. From any of the Department's webpages, click on the red envelope at the top or bottom of the page. You will be prompted to enter your email address, after which you will see a list of topics for which you can subscribe. Go to "Education Management Information System," and underneath that check "EMIS Validation and Report Explanations." Go to the bottom of the page, click "Submit", and you have been subscribed to the EMIS Report Explanations Update Alerts.
  • Release Notes.
    • Each time a new manifest is posted (whether it is the first or the twelfth version of the manifest), there is also a new Release Note posted. Release Notes include a description of the collection, details regarding what and when to report, who must report for the collection, and information regarding outstanding known issues.
    • Each time a Release Note is posted, a Tweet is also sent out.
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EMIS Information

  • Data Appeals.
    • The department recognizes that data reporting errors can and do occur and has designed a formal process to ensure that all districts can appeal and correct substantive reporting errors.
    • For more information about Data Appeals--including dates for current appeals, an FAQ, and contact information for the Office of Data Quality--see the EMIS Data Appeals webpage.
  • Data Review and Verification.
    • EMIS Data Review and Verification is the process by which all districts and community schools certify they have reviewed the data reported by the district in EMIS and verify that their data is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge.
    • For more information about this process--including dates for current reviews, an FAQ, and contact information for the Office of Data Quality--see the EMIS Data Review and Verification webpage.
  • EMIS Data Collection Calendar.
    • EMIS Data Collection Calendars are available by fiscal year. Each calendar includes the collection name and the collection's open date and close date. Those reporting EMIS data must submit their information as outlined in the schedules unless a waiver has been granted.
    • Data Collection Calendars can be found on the EMIS website here.
  • Secure Data Center - Status of Reports.
    • This status report is available both on the website and as a downloadable .pdf. It lists the SDC folder names and the reports within those folders. For each report, there is a status field and a notes field. Only the current status report is available; previous status reports are not maintained online.
    • This information and document are available on the EMIS website here.
  • Conference Call Agendas.
    • EMIS has regular conference calls with three different groups of stakeholders: ITCs, the EMIS Change Committee, and Ohio EMIS Software Vendors. The purpose of these calls is to share information about upcoming EMIS changes.
    • The agendas for the EMIS Change Committee Conference Calls and the Ohio EMIS Software Vendor Conference Calls are posted on the website and include data definitions and other details for upcoming changes.
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EMIS In Person

  • Trainings.
    • EMIS General Trainings. These trainings are offered by the EMIS training staff via Microsoft Teams. These trainings are intended mainly for EMIS coordinators and include reporting information and change information. The schedules for these trainings are available on the EMIS Training webpage.
    • EMIS Alliance Trainings. These trainings are provided by ITC staff for EMIS coordinators. These trainings are developed in concert with EMIS at ODE and are intended to assist districts on a more detailed level than ODE is able to provide. For information about these trainings, contact your ITC.
    • New EMIS Coordinator Training. The Department's EMIS training team provides training for new EMIS coordinators (those with three of fewer years experience with EMIS) in August and in April. These are two distinct trainings that each focus on the basics of reporting. The April training is slightly more advanced than the August training and includes information more relevant to spring and end of year reporting. When these sessions are scheduled, the relevant information is included in the EMIS Newsflashes.
  • Presentations.
    • ODE EMIS presentations at OAEP and OEDSA. When available, the PowerPoints for David Ehle's sessions at these conferences are posted on the EMIS Presentations webpage.
    • Other ODE EMIS presentations. At times, David Ehle also presents at other conferences. When available, those presentations are posted on the EMIS Presentations webpage.
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How to Get Help with EMIS REporting

There is a hierarchy of support for districts and schools for their EMIS reporting questions and problems. EMIS coordinators and the EMIS Manual should always be consulted first. When additional information or help is needed, the appropriate ITC should be contacted. When the appropriate ITC cannot answer the question or resolve the issue, that ITC will send a ticket to the ODE EMIS helpdesk. Questions in the ODE EMIS helpdesk are handled by the EMIS staff at the Department.

  1. EMIS Coordinator. Your first point of contact for assistance with EMIS is your district’s EMIS Coordinator. If he or she is unable to resolve your issue (or if you are your district’s EMIS Coordinator), then he or she will likely contact your district’s Information Technology Center (ITC).
  2. Information Technology Center (ITC). The staff at the ITCs are able to answer many of the EMIS questions received by districts. They are also able to resolve many of the technical issues encountered. When the ITC staff is unable to answer a question or resolve an issue, they can post a ticket to the ODE EMIS helpdesk.
  3. ODE EMIS Helpdesk. This third level of support allows ITCs to direct EMIS reporting questions or technical issues to ODE EMIS and the SSDT. Questions received via the helpdesk are answered by staff at the SSDT or by the Department's data managers.
  4. ODE EMIS. If the previous steps have not adequately resolved a question or if the previous steps are not appropriate for a particular question, the Department's EMIS staff can be contacted directly.

Districts that want to be able to refer back to a particular answer from ODE EMIS should get that answer in writing via the helpdesk or an email. Note that questions received via phone or email are referred back to an earlier step in the contact hierarchy when appropriate. ODE EMIS can be contacted directly at emis@education.ohio.gov and 614-387-0395.

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Last Modified: 5/31/2023 3:31:45 PM