The Center for IDEAEarly Childhood Data Systems

Improving Outcomes Through Knowledge: The Power of EarlyChildhood State DatabasesKathleen Hebbeler, Martha Diefendorf, Taletha Derrington, Donna Spiker, & Lynne Kahn

Division for Early Childhood 29th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families

San Francisco, CA ~ October 17, 2013

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• Do you use data in your day to day work?

• How?

Why Do We Care About Data?

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• State of the States’ IDEA Early Childhood (EC) Data Systems• Needs assessment methods, response rates• Highlights of findings

• Introduction to the DaSy Center• State technical assistance (TA) priorities and

improving outcomes for young children with special needs and their families

Session Overview

• You can vote by cell phone texting• Your texting rates apply• We have no access to your phone number• No follow-up text messages outside this presentation• Don’t worry if your phone adds a dash to the “to”

code• Polling answers are anonymous!

How To Vote via Texting

EXAMPLE

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• Online needs assessment

• Development coordinated with• Infant Toddlers Coordinators Association (ITCA)• Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC)

• Sent to Early Intervention (EI) & Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) coordinators in all states/jurisdictions in summer 2013• Completed with data managers and others identified by

coordinators

State of the States’ IDEA EC Data Systems

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• Excellent response rate: • For EI 94% (n= 49) • For ECSE 96% (n= 50)

• Reflects EI and ECSE commitment to data!

What Were the Response Rates?

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• Status of EI and ECSE data systems:

• What data elements does the state collect

• Linkages within and between different state data systems

• Data system administration and use of data

Note: Slightly different versions for EI and ECSE based on program differences

What Kinds of Questions Were Asked?

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• Data allows states to understand the characteristics of the:

• Populations served

• Settings and services received and their quality

• Personnel providing services

• Data allows state to understand who is experiencing good outcomes

State Data Systems and Data Elements: Why is this important?

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State Data Systems

WorkforceGeneral Ed Teacher

WorkforceRelated Services

WorkforceSpecial Ed Teacher

WorkforceEI Provider

Program

Child

0% 50% 100%

0.654

0.288

0.942

0.288

0.654

0

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

71%

71%

83%

40%

96%

25%

25%

14%

56%

0%EI ECSE

Yes No

Missing

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Data Elements in Child-Level Data Systems Some common data elements EI ECSE

Child demographics 94% 96%

Disability category 77% 96%

Eligibility status 98% 90%

Child outcomes 83% 90%

Service setting 89% 87%

ID for program or school 89% 81%

Reason for exiting program 98% 79%

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• Only 29% of states have EI program-level data systems.

• Only 41% of states have ECSE program-level data systems.• 37% have data on program structure

(e.g., agency, service model).• 33% have information on whether

program includes children without disabilities

Program-Level Data Systems & Data Elements

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Workforce Data Elements

Workforce data element EI

ECSE Teachers

ECSE Related Services

Personnel

ECSE General

Ed Teachers

Demographics 29% 67% 58% 64%

Employment data 54% 77% 60% 67%

Education 46% 75% 58% 64%

Licenses/certifications 56% 83% 69% 71%

Professional development 39% 29% 29% 23%

Wages 10% 46% 42% 46%

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• Joining or connecting records about one individual or entity in one data system or dataset with those in another data system or dataset using a common identifier or other method

• These can be linkages:• Within EI and within ECSE data bases • Between EI and ECSE• With K12 education• With other early childhood program, social services, health data

Linkage: What is it?

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States can answer programmatic and policy questions about:• Children’s outcomes from EI and ECSE participation, e.g.:

• What percentage of former EI recipients receive special education in kindergarten?

• How are ECSE graduates doing in third grade?• Factors associated with good child outcomes, e.g.:

• What workforce and program factors, such as personnel qualifications and program quality, impact child outcomes?

• Do children served in inclusive programs have better outcomes?

Linkage: Why is it important?

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Linkage Within EI and Within ECSE

Linkages within EI/ECSE Data Systems EI ECSEChild and program/school data 19% 31%

Child and classroom ---- 19%

Child and workforce data 40% 31%

Workforce and program/school data 17% 17%

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Linkage Between EI and ECSE

Same system, 15%

Linked systems, 14%

Not linked, 48%

EI & ECSE did not agree, 23%

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Use of Common Identifiers in EI & ECSE

EI & ECSE Common identifiers

Child-level 21%

Program-level or school-level 12%

Workforce-level 6%

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Linkage with Other EC Program Data

Other EC Program Data EI ECSE

State pre-K 12% 46%Head Start 6% 22%Early Head Start 2% 10%Child care 6% 8%Home visiting 8% 8%

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Linkage with Health Data

Health Program Data EI ECSE

Medicaid/SCHIP 42% 12%

EHDI 37% 8%

Vital records 21% 0%

Birth defects registry 21% 2%All-payer claims (insurance) 13% 0%

WIC/SNAP 8% 6%

Hospital 6% 2%

Behavioral health 4% 2%

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Linkage with Social Services Data

Social Services Program Data EI ECSE

Child welfare 21% 10%

Foster care 12% 8%Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 10% 14%

Homeless services 6% 14%

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http://dasycenter.org/state_of_states/index.html

State of the States’ IDEA EC Data Systems: On the Web

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Introduction to The DaSy Center

State and local programs are increasingly aware of the importance of having good data.

The time is right

What is DaSy?

• The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems• A new 5-year Center funded by OSEP to assist states

with improving IDEA EI and ECSE data by: • Building better data systems• Coordinating data systems across EC programs• Connecting to longitudinal data systems• Building the capacity of states to use data

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Who is DaSy?

• SRI International• Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development

Institute• Applied Engineering Management (AEM)• Westat • Center for Technology in Education (CTE) at Johns

Hopkins University (JHU)• Cadre of national experts

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K-12 Longitudinal

Data System

Quality EI/ECSE

Data

Other EC Program

Data

Other EC Program

Data

Other EC Program

Data

Other EC Program

Data

EC Integrated Data System

What Will DaSy Do?Assist states in data system development

Some Key Collaborations

• OSEP Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center• OSEP Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC)• Support team for the State Longitudinal Data System

(SLDS) grants • Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) • Early Learning Challenge (ELC)TA Consortium • Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)• Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO)• Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC)

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State Technical Assistance Priorities & Improving Child & Family Outcomes

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States’ Priority Areas for TAArea of State Priority EI ECSE

Child and family outcomes 67% 63%

Linkages within EI or within ECSE data elements 58% 56%

Data use (e.g., analysis, program improvement) 54% 52%

Data sharing permissions and/or privacy issues 67% 48%

APR indicators/618 data 48% 63%Including EI/ECSE in broader state data system planning 52% 48%

Data quality, verification, audit systems 50% 46%

Linkages with social services or health data 50% 27%

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• States have child and family outcome data

• Need to understand what variables are influencing the outcomes in order to plan service or system improvements to improve the outcomes

Child and Family Outcomes

System for Producing Good Child and Family Outcomes

Good Federal

policies and programs

Good State policies

and programs

High quality services

and supports for children 0-5

and their families

Good outcome

s for children

and families

Good Local

policies and

programs

Information infrastructure

ResearchProf’l Development

Evidence Based Practice

Adequate funding

Strong Leadership

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• Researchers • Have you worked with your state agency around analysis of

state data?• Does your state allow access to the information for

research purposes?

• Local administrators/practitioners• What kind of data can you access to answer the kinds of

questions we have been talking about?

Discussion Questions: Using Data

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Access to Individual Child Data

Teacher/Service Provider

School/Program

Regional Lead/District/LEA

State Coordinator

0% 50% 100%

56%

62%

67%

94%

39%

33%

25%

0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

52%

67%

75%

83%

44%

29%

21%

14%

EI ECSE

Yes No

Missing

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• How could you use data as a tool to improve outcomes for children and families in what you do?• What supports your use of data?• What are the challenges to your use of data?

Discussion Question: Using Data

Keeping up to date with DaSy

• Visit DaSy web site: http://dasycenter.org/

• Follow DaSy on Twitter : @DaSyCenter

• Like DaSy on Facebook: DaSy Center

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