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SAS presents EVOS analytics platform to subcommittee; state contract covers reporting and training at $2 million annually
Summary
SAS Institute representatives described EVOS (Education Visualization and Analytics Solution) to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid, saying the state pays an annual $2,000,000 line item for statewide reporting, training and optional opt‑in classroom reports integrated via the Michigan Data Hub and local assessments.
Tom Green and Erica Prentice of SAS Institute presented the SAS Education Visualization and Analytics Solution (EVOS) to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Department of Education. They described EVOS as a web‑based analytic reporting system that uses state assessment and opt‑in local assessment data to generate value‑added, diagnostic and student‑level projection reports for classrooms, schools and districts.
Green said EVOS produces growth reports using M‑STEP (grades 3–8 and 11), PSAT, ACT and SAT data, and can incorporate local screeners and assessments submitted through the Michigan Data Hub. "Using data as a guide is essential to making Michigan a top performing state in education," Green told the subcommittee when explaining the system's purpose.
Prentice and Green said the statewide contract is a flat annual appropriation that covers reporting and training. "We have the line item and I think it's 95b is $2,000,000 and that's for each reporting year," Prentice said. Under that contract the public site and district/school value‑added reporting are provided; districts may opt in at no additional per‑district fee to receive additional classroom and teacher‑level reports and to submit local assessment files (iReady, NWEA MAP, STAR) for inclusion.
SAS reported broad participation: they said 96% of independent school districts have at least one local district opt‑in and roughly 277 Michigan districts logged in for the most recent round of reporting. The presenters described an array of supports in the contract, including annual live training, webinars, a contextual help function inside reports, a glossary and staffed technical support to assist districts and ISDs with data submission through the Michigan Data Hub.
Committee members asked about training, on‑the‑ground usage and technical burden for districts. Prentice said SAS and the Michigan Data Hub provide step‑by‑step scripts and additional technical assistance because districts vary in technical capacity. On usage and uptake she said the Michigan Department of Education, as the contract client, retains usage data and can share more granular metrics on district access and levels of use.
Prentice showed sample diagnostic and student reports (demo data) and described how projection data can inform placement decisions and interventions. The presenters said EVOS aligns with the Michigan Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) and that SAS partners with MASA and MAISA to provide educator resources and training.
No committee action was taken on the EVOS contract during the meeting; SAS representatives asked the committee to continue supporting the statewide reporting arrangement, which they said has operated in Michigan since 2018.
