1. Quality Assurance: Looking for Quality Data
I know it is in here somewhere
Presented by The Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Revised January 2013

2. Activity What factors work to improve the quality of your data?
What factors work to lessen the quality of your data?
How to address these factors?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

3. Take Home Message
If you conclude the data are not (yet) valid, they cannot be used for program effectiveness, program improvement or anything else.
What do you if the data are not as good as they should be?
Answer: Continue to improve data collection through ongoing quality assurance
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

4. Many steps to ensuring quality data
Before
Good data collection/Training
Good data system and data entry procedures
During
Ongoing supervision of implementation
Feedback to implementers
Refresher training
After
Review of COSF records
Data analyses for validity checks
Representativeness of the responses.

5. Many steps to ensuring quality data
Before
Good data collection/Training
Good data system and data entry procedures
During
Ongoing supervision of implementation
Feedback to implementers
Refresher training
After
Review of COSF records
Data analyses for validity checks
Representativeness of the responses.

6. Promoting quality data
Training and support before and during data collection
Analysis of the data after data collection
Data system and verification after data collection
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

7. Promoting Quality Data
Through training and communication related to:
Assessment
Understanding the COS process
Age expectations
Data entry
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

8. Promoting Quality Data
Through training materials, such as:
Video team and child examples
Written child examples
“Quizzes” for ensuring learning
Refresher trainings –
Beware of Drift!!
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

9. Promoting Quality Data
Through data systems and verification, such as:
Data system error checks
Good data entry procedures
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

10. Many steps to ensuring quality data
Before
Good data collection/Training
Good data system and data entry procedures
During
Ongoing supervision of implementation
Feedback to implementers
Refresher training
After
Review of COSF records
Data analyses for validity checks
Representativeness of the responses.

11. Ongoing supervision Review of the process Methods
Is the process high quality?
Are teams reaching the correct rating?
Methods
Observation
Videos
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

12. Quality Review of COS Team Discussion
Do all team members participate in the discussion?
Is parent input considered in the rating? Give examples.
Is the team documenting the rating discussion? Give examples.
Does the team discuss multiple assessment sources? What are they?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

13. Quality Review of COS Team Discussion
Does the team describe the child’s functioning, rather than just test scores? Give examples.
Does the discussion include the child’s full range of functioning, including skills and behaviors that are age appropriate, immediate foundational, and leading to immediate foundational? Give examples.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

14. Quality review through process checks
Provider surveys
Self assessment of competence
Knowledge checks
Process descriptions (who participates?)
Identification of barriers
Kansas’ survey
Alaska’s survey
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

15. Questions from Alaska’s Survey
3. How would you rate your own level of proficiency with the COSF process? (please select only one)
I am confident I know how to do it, and I do it well
I know how to do it, but I need some more practice and assistance
I understand it to a point, but I need more training
I do not know how to do this yet
4. Some cases are different from others, but of the choices below, which process seems to be the most typical in your experience? (please select only one)
I gather information and determine COSF ratings on my own
I gather information and consult with another provider to determine COSF ratings
I gather information and consult with the family to determine COSF ratings
I gather information, discuss it with a team and the team determines the COSF ratings
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

16. Ongoing Supervision Feedback to teams is critical Refresher training
Beware of:
Auto pilot
Drift
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

17. Quality Review of COS Team Discussion: Activity
Observe team video
Evaluate quality
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

18. Many steps to ensuring quality data
Before
Good data collection/Training
Good data system and data entry procedures
During
Ongoing supervision of implementation
Feedback to implementers
Refresher training
After
Review of COSF records
Data analyses for validity checks
Representativeness of the responses.

19. Quality Review of Completed COS Forms
Is the COSF complete?
Is there adequate evidence for the basis for the rating?
Does the evidence match the appropriate outcome area?
Is the evidence based on functional behaviors?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

20. Quality Review of Completed COS Forms
Is there evidence that the child’s functioning across settings and situations considered?
Are the ratings consistent with the evidence?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

21. Quality Review of COS Forms: Activity
Review completed COS Form with errors
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

22. Promoting quality data through data analysis
Examine the data for inconsistencies
If/when you find something strange, look for other data that might help explain it.
Is the variation caused by something other than bad data?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

23. The validity of your data is questionable if…
The overall pattern in the data looks ‘strange’
Compared to what you expect
Compared to other data
Compared to similar states/regions/school districts
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

24. COS Ratings - Fall Rating Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 1 3 2 4 5 67

25. Outcome 3: Appropriate Action
Spring
Fall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
total 9 26 15 14 27 19 83 21 39 28 12
108 71 86 48
232 63
136 18 23 56 99
Review Total 13 38 60
185
207
186
691

26. OSEP Categories OSEP Categories (%) 23 16 24 15 13 32 34 37 28 21 25 2
Class 1 (%)
Class 2
(%)
Class 3 (%)
e. Maintained Age Appro Trajectory 23 16 24
d. Changed Traj – Age Appro 15 13
c. Changed Traj – Closer to Age Appropriate 32 34 37
b. Same Trajectory -Progress 28 21 25
a. Flat Trajectory – No Prog. 2 6 1

27. Questions to ask Do the data make sense?
Am I surprised? Do I believe the data? Believe some of the data? All of the data?
If the data are reasonable (or when they become reasonable), what might they tell us?
Can’t use data for program improvement until you believe them.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

28. Validity Or Validity refers to the use of the information
Does evidence and theory support the interpretation of the data for the proposed use? Or
Are you justified in reaching the inference you are reaching based on the data?
Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (1999) by American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

29. The validity of your data is questionable if:?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

30. The validity of your data is questionable if:
….not all providers are not knowledgeable about in the COS process
…not all providers are careful with the COS process
…the data look “strange”
…etc.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

31. Many steps to ensuring quality data
Before
Good data collection/Training
Good data system and data entry procedures
During
Ongoing supervision of implementation
Feedback to implementers
Refresher training
After
Review of COSF records
Data analyses for validity checks
Representativeness of the responses.