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

2. Activity Early Childhood Outcomes Center 2 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?

3. 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

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 4

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 5

6. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 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

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

8. 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!!

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

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 10

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

12. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 12 Quality Review of COS Team Discussion 1.Do all team members participate in the discussion? 2.Is parent input considered in the rating? Give examples. 3.Is the team documenting the rating discussion? Give examples. 4.Does the team discuss multiple assessment sources? What are they?

13. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 13 Quality Review of COS Team Discussion 5.Does the team describe the child’s functioning, rather than just test scores? Give examples. 6.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.

14. 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

15. 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

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

17. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 17 Quality Review of COS Team Discussion: Activity 1.Observe team video 2.Evaluate quality

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 18

19. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 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?

20. 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?

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

22. 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?

23. 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

24. COS Ratings - Fall RatingClass 1Class 2Class 3Class 4 13112 24122 35233 46324 51454 61554 70421 24

25. Spring Fall1234567total 1142 7 2115693126 3 215142719683 4 4421392812108 5 11214718648232 6 1 3214863136 7 218235699 Review Total 2133860185207186691 Outcome 3: Appropriate Action

26. OSEP Categories Class 1 (%) Class 2 (%) Class 3 (%) e. Maintained Age Appro Trajectory 231624 d. Changed Traj – Age Appro 152313 c. Changed Traj – Closer to Age Appropriate 323437 b. Same Trajectory -Progress 282125 a. Flat Trajectory – No Prog. 261 26

27. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 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?

28. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 28 Validity 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

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

30. Early Childhood Outcomes Center 30 ….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. The validity of your data is questionable if:

31. Many steps to ensuring quality data 31 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