1. EIA: Using data for program improvement
Evidence
Inference
Action
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

2. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Evidence
Evidence refers to the numbers, such as: “45% of children in category b”
The numbers are not debatable
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

3. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Inference
How do you interpret the #s?
What can you conclude from the #s?
Does evidence mean good news? Bad news? News we can’t interpret?
To reach an inference, sometimes we analyze data in other ways (ask for more evidence)
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

4. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Inference
Inference is debatable- even reasonable people can reach different conclusions from the same set of numbers
Stakeholder involvement can be helpful in making sense of the evidence
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

5. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Action
Given the inference from the numbers, what should be done?
Recommendations or action steps
Action can be debatable – and often is
Another role for stakeholders
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

6. Program improvement: Where and how
At the state level- TA, policy
At the regional or local level- supervision, guidance
Classroom level- spend more time on certain aspects of the curriculum
Child level- modify intervention
Different program improvement levers at different levels. Going to be focusing primarily on the state level use of information. Some state applications translate directly to smaller units. How interventionists or teacher use outcome data for program improvement is a completely different topic – very important but we are not going to cover it here.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

7. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Key points
Evidence refers to the numbers and the numbers by themselves are meaningless.
Inference is attached by those who read (interpret) the numbers.
You cannot prevent the misuse of data but you can set up conditions to make it less likely.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

8. E – I – A Jeopardy $100 $100 $100 $200 $200 $200 $300 $300 $300
COSF users unaware of the need to answer the yes/no progress question
90% of exit COSFs in Program B missing a response to the yes/no progress question
Revise COSF procedures to emphasize completion of yes/no progress question
Conduct staff development on using the 7-point rating scale
75% of children in Program A received entry ratings of 2
COSF users misunderstand the definition of points on the 7-point scale
Currently used tools are not accurately assessing children’s social emotional skills
Invest resources in materials for assessing social-emotional skills
45% of children reported in category ‘e’ for statewide progress data, Outcome 1
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Click over each cell to reveal an example of either evidence, inference, or action. Have participants identify which examples are evidence, inference, or action.
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