APDU Weekly

Feature

APDU Conference: Call for Proposals

The 2017 APDU Annual Conference will be held on September 13-14, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia at the Residence Inn Arlington/Pentagon City.

APDU is welcoming members to join with our theme of ?Communicating Data? by submitting a proposal for a presentation or panel related to public data. We are inviting proposals on any topic relating to public data, whether based on a particular project, data practice, or formal paper. You may submit ideas for a single presentation or a full panel (three presenters, plus a moderator).

The deadline to submit proposals is April 15, 2017.

COPAFS Launches Search for New Executive Director

The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics (COPAFS) has engaged JDG Associates to conduct a search for a new Executive Director to succeed Katherine Smith Evans, who has led COPAFS for nearly five years. COPAFS advocates for the development and dissemination of high-quality federal statistics. More details on COPAFS and on the search are available on the COPAFS website.

Don?t forget to submit your job postings for the April 2017 Jobs Board to Brendan Buff at bbuff@crec.net.

News

Three Years to Go, Census Bureau Prepares for 2020 Census

Three years away from Census Day, April 1, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau continues to leverage years of research to prepare for a complete and accurate census. This census will be the most technologically advanced and automated census ever.

Census to Leave LGBT Questions Off 2020 Survey

The Census Bureau?s 2020 survey will not ask about respondents? sexual orientation or gender identity, dashing LGBT rights groups? hopes that the new questions would be added and raising concerns that the Trump administration may have squelched the proposal.

How Open Data Can Revolutionize a Society in Crisis

We are undoubtedly living in the middle of an unfolding open data revolution. But open data, as a new tool for governance, is about much more than transparency for its own sake.

How Stat Got Stuck — in the Place That Made it Famous

Using data to measure government performance has caught on in much of the country. But the tactic is in trouble in Maryland.

Confused by Data Visualization?
Now more than ever, data are collected from every aspect of our lives. From social media and advertising to artificial intelligence and automated systems, understanding and parsing information have become highly valuable skills. But we often overlook the importance of knowing how to communicate data to peers and to the public in an effective, meaningful way.

5 Q?s for Nick Elprin, Founder of Domino Data Lab
The Center for Data Innovation spoke with Nick Elprin, founder of Domino Data Lab, a data science platform company based in San Francisco, California. Elprin described the three stages of the data science lifecycle, as well as how Domino allows nonprofits to use data science for good.

New & Updated Data Sources

Increasing Transparency in Student Loan Servicing Market

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing and seeking comment on an initiative that would take a closer look at the way consumers repay student debt and track the student loan industry activities that you depend on if you experience financial distress. They are proposing a plan to collect student loan data from the largest student loan servicers (the companies that send you your bill each month). This proposed project would provide the CFPB with a broader and deeper look into the student loan market, with a focus on key areas that might put consumers like you at risk.

Visualization of the Week

Measuring Noise Levels Across the United States
The U.S. Department of Transportation has created a data visualization called the National Transportation Noise Map illustrating transportation-related noise levels throughout the United States. The National Transportation Noise Map combines noise-level data from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Highway Administration and color-codes it based on decibel level to indicate where Americans are subjected to the most noise. Unsurprisingly, urban areas like New York City, as well as areas close to highways and airports, are consistently the noisiest parts of the country. Residents in these areas are consistently exposed to noise levels as high as 80 decibels, putting them at risk of permanent hearing damage.

Notable Data Publications

GOVERNMENT

• Bureau of Labor Statistics – Newspaper Publishers Lose Over Half Their Employment From January 2001 to September 2016
• Census Bureau
  • Highest Educational Levels Reached by Adults in the U.S. Since 1940
  • Profile of U.S. Importing and Exporting Companies, 2014-2015
• National Center for Education Statistics – The Years Before School: Children?s Nonparental Care Arrangements From 2001 to 2012
• National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics – Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development Fiscal Years 2015?17
• United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service – Comparing Alternative Mechanisms To Increase Fruit and Vegetable Purchases

NONPROFITS & FOUNDATIONS

• National Student Clearinghouse Research Center – Snapshot Report ? Contribution of Two-Year Public Institutions to Bachelor?s Completions at Four-Year Institutions
• New America Foundation – Started From the Bottom?and Still Here
• Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century – Access to New Data Sources for Statistics: Business Models and Incentives for the Corporate Sector

Did you work on a great report that you want your colleagues to know about?  Just email us and we?ll include it here.

Federal Rulemaking and Calls for Comment