- Skip to main content
- About Us
- Contact Us
- FAQs
-  Language Assistance ****   - English
  - español
  - 中文: 繁體版
  - Việt-ngữ
  - 한국어
  - Tagalog
  - Русский

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education

            - Student Loans
            - Grants
            - Laws
            - Data

Laws & GuidanceGENERAL

Overview | **Guidelines** | Information Correction Requests and Appeals | Contact

## Guidelines

| **You are here:**Guidelines > Information Quality > Influential Information |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Government information that is particularly influential needs to meet higher  quality standards, and in particular must be reproducible. Per the OMB guidelines,  information is designated as influential if the Department determines that  the information is reasonably likely to have a clear and substantial impact  on public policies or private sector decisions if disseminated. Scientific,  financial, and statistical information all may be considered influential. Individual  programs within the Department of Education may designate certain classes of  scientific, financial, and statistical information as influential. 

For example, institutional data on the total number of student borrowers who  enter repayment on Stafford loans during a specific fiscal year, and related  data on the subset of students who default before the end of the next fiscal  year are used in the calculation of cohort loan default rates of Stafford loan  borrowers at each postsecondary institution. These default rates are compared  to established thresholds for high and low default rates, resulting in sanctions  for institutions with high default rates and reduced administrative burden  for institutions with low default rates. Given this use, these data and the  calculations used in computing the rates and in setting the thresholds are  influential. Similarly, the data and formulas used in determining program allocation  of funds in areas such as special education, adult education, and Title I are  influential.

As specified in the OMB guidelines, influential information must be accompanied  by supporting documentation that allows an external user to understand clearly  the information and be able to reproduce it, or understand the steps involved  in producing it. With respect to original and supporting data related thereto,  the Department will assure reproducibility for such data according to commonly  accepted scientific, financial, or statistical standards for that type of data,  taking into account any ethical and confidentiality constraints. In the case  of influential analytic results, the mathematical and statistical processes  used to produce the report must be described in sufficient detail to allow  an independent analyst to substantially reproduce the findings using the original  data and identical methods. In situations where the public cannot access the  data and methods due to other compelling interests such as privacy, intellectual  property or other confidentiality protections, the Department will apply especially  rigorous robustness checks to analytic results and document what checks were  undertaken. 

|          |
|----------|
| Previous | Table of Contents | Next |

|        |
|--------|
|   | Printable viewShare this page |
|        |

## How Do I Find...

          - Student loans, forgiveness
          - College accreditation
          - Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
          - FERPA
          - FAFSA
          - 1098, tax forms

More >

## Information About...

          - Transforming Teaching
          - Family and Community Engagement
          - Early Learning

 

|  |
|--|
|  |
|  | No Related Topics Found |  |
|  |

----

*Our mission*

Student Loans
Repaying LoansDefaulted LoansLoan ForgivenessLoan Servicers

Grants & Programs
Apply for Pell GrantsGrants ForecastApply for a GrantEligibility for Grants

Laws & Guidance
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)FERPACivil RightsNew IDEA Website

Data & Research
Education StatisticsPostsecondary Education DataED Data ExpressNation's Report CardWhat Works Clearinghouse

About Us
Contact UsED OfficesJobsPress ReleasesFAQsRecursos en españolBudget, PerformancePrivacy ProgramSubscribe to E-Mail Updates

----

          - Notices
          - FOIA
          - Privacy Policy
          - Accessibility
          - Security
          - Information quality
          - Inspector General
          - Whitehouse.gov
          - USA.gov
          - Benefits.gov
          - Regulations.gov