DATA POWER:

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• DATA POWER
• COLLECTING AND SHARING EDUCATION AND CHILD
  WELFARE INFORMATION TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL
  OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
• LCFCE Conference Call
• August 13, 2008

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Data Defined

• Data Information Education
• Statistical Student Level
• Statistical Level national/subcategories
• Not personally identifiable
• Student Level - individual
• Education Records
• Personally identifiable
• Aggregate All Children (national/state)
• Disaggregate Subset (kids in care)

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Why is Data ImportantStatistical Level

• Indentify systemic problems
• Develop effective policies priorities
• Reduce barriers to educational success
• Increase accountability
• Substantiate need for funding
• Increase and target
• Educate everyone and facilitate collaboration
  among multiple systems
• Educate agencies about the children they serve

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Why Is Data ImportantStudent Level

• Individual educational needs of child
• Critical to well being
• Triggers prompt intervention
• Informs other decisions (e.g., placement and
  transition goals)
• Enhances and improves delivery of services

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Data Disconnect

• Limited Information Available
• No National Statistics
• Few Statewide Studies
• Limited Regional/Local Studies
• However, those studies consistently indicate that
  children in care are educationally at risk and in
  crisis

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What We Know

• Educational CRISIS
• Only one-third of students in substitute care
  receive a regular diploma within four years
• Twice as likely to drop out
• 2-4 times as many youth in out-of home care have
  repeated grades compared to their non-foster care
  peers
• Score significantly below their peers on
  standardized tests, have lower reading levels and
  lower grades in core academic subjects
• Greater absenteeism

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What We Need To Know

• Beyond geographic snapshots
• Extent of the problem
• Longitudinal data tracking children over time
• Statistically significant factors contributing to
  educational failure
• Eg., multiple school changes type of placement
  length of stay discipline rates
• What is working
• Trauma informed curriculum positive behavioral
  supports

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What is Being Collected, By Whom and to What End?

• Education and Child Welfare
• What is the purpose of the data collection?
• Where/how is the information maintained?
• How is it currently being used?
• What data relates to the educational outcomes of
  children in care?
• How could it be revised/expanded to improve
  educational outcomes for children in care?
• How could it be shared across systems?

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Identifying Children in Care

• Only Child Welfare Knows
• Possible Solutions
• Residency Codes Enrollment status
• Student Identification Numbers Child welfare
  maintains Student ID Nos. in case files
  supplies list to education
• Data Matching Match Name/DOB with Educations
  Unique Student Identifier

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What is Education Collecting

• NCLB No Child Left Behind Act . . . .
• Collects Critical Information in ALL States
• Electronically Maintained
• Student Identification Numbers

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No Child Left Behind Act

• Passed in 2002 reauthorized the Elementary and
  Secondary Education Act 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.
• Purpose Improve educational performance and
  eliminate the achievement gap between groups of
  students. Requires States to implement
  accountability systems at the State, school
  district and school level.

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Understanding NCLB

• Students attending Title I schools designated in
  need of improvement for two consecutive years
  have opportunity to transfer to new school in the
  same district
• Low income students attending Title I schools
  designated as failing for at least three of four
  prior years, must receive supplemental
  educational services
• Students who attend persistently dangerous
  schools, or who have been victimized by school
  violence, must be allowed to transfer to a safer
  school in the district

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What Data Does Education Collect Under NCLB?

• Attendance Days absent without excuse and
  days enrolled in school
• School Enrollment Tracks student mobility,
  enrollment delays grade level designation at
  time of enrollment
• Academic Progress Standardized scores
• Special Education Disability Services
• Program Template Participation in remedial
  other programs (Title I, HS)
• May be separate State data system

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Student Template Data

• Gender
• Race/Ethnicity
• Student Status Court placed or alt ed.
• Economic status (Free/Reduced Lunch Program)
• Educationally Disadvantaged under Career and
  Technical Education programs
• Plan 504 Indicator
• LEP Participation/English Proficiency/Language
  Breakdown/Language/ Home Language Code
• Courses Advanced courses only
• Grade retention
• Expected Graduation, Graduation Status Code
  Type of Diploma  
• Expected Post Graduate Activity  

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What Could Education Collect

• Prompt Enrollment (FL example)
• Truancy Rates under State Law
• School Performance (San Diego)
• Special Education Data - Expanded
• Academic Progress Expanded
• Program Data Vocational ESY
• Course Enrollment
• Credit Transfers
• Discipline
• Higher Ed Data

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Longitudinal Data Under NCLB

• NCLB strongly endorses the use of longitudinal
  data
• Each State may incorporate the data from
  assessments into longitudinal data systems that
  link student test scores, length of enrollment
  and graduation records over time. Title I Part
  A Sec. 111(b)3(B)
• U.S. Dept. of Ed provides funding to states to
  develop systems to link records over time OR to
  identify best educational practices

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NCLB State Data Collection

• 45 states have developed a statewide student
  identifier that connects student-specific data
  across key databases and across years.
• 18 states have data systems which align PreK-12
  and post-secondary education systems to track
  students through their post-secondary careers.

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What s In YOUR State

• Data Quality Campaign
• http//www.dataqualitycampaign.org/survey_results/
  index.cfm
• Education Commission of the States
• http//mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id913

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What Does Child Welfare Collect

• Title IV-E of the Social Security Act 42 U.S.C.A.
  675(1)(C) (5)(D)
• Requires that child welfare agency case plans
  include the most recent information available
  regarding education records of child
• Duty to review and update
• Duty to supply to every foster parent/provider
• Must consider education in making placement
  decisions

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Child Family Service Reviews42 U.S.C.A.
1320a-2a

• Well-Being Outcome 2, states Children receive
  appropriate services to meet their educational
  needs.
• 34 states NOT is substantial conformity
• Availability of school records is a factor in
  determining whether a state child welfare agency
  is meeting the educational needs of a child

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AFCARS (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and
Reporting System)

• 45 C.F.R. 1355.40
• Semi-annual
• Currently, only ONE question of 66 even mentions
  education (re visual impairment)
• Proposed Amendments to AFCARS
• Learning or developmental disability
• Special education
• Repeated Grade if so, how many

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What Could Child Welfare Collect

• Whether living placement resulted in school
  change re-enrollments
• Special Ed early intervention evaluations
  requested/conducted services delivered as child
  moves type of learning/devpl disability
• Early Childhood Education Headstart/other
  programs what age how long

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What Could Child Welfare Collect

• Type of educational placement public school,
  on-ground school, alternative education
• School completion element Including WHY child
  dropped out
• Transition Readiness level of education, life
  skills training, plans

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Sharing Data Information Across Systems

• Real and Perceived Barriers
• Child Welfare Laws CAPTA 42 U.S.C. 5106
  (A)(B)(2) (A)(B)(A)
• State laws must protect confidentiality of child
  welfare records specify when and with whom
  records may be shared
• State statues may authorize info. sharing
• Permits sharing of info. with govt agency to
  protect child from abuse/neglect

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Education Laws FERPA

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
• 20 U.S.C. 1233g 34 CFR Part 99
• Purpose to protect privacy interests of parents
  and students regarding the students education
  records
• Parents right to share or refuse to share
  records
• Exceptions to parental consent

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When Can Education Records Be Shared with Child
Welfare

• Is It An Education Record?
• Directory Information?
• If It Qualifies
• Parent consents
• Parental Consent Form (time of placement)
• Child Welfare Agency may meet FERPA definition of
  parent (acting in place of parent)
• State law authorizing disclosure
• OR FERPA Exceptions to consent

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FERPA Exceptions to Consent

• Research
• Specifically authorized by Federal Law
• Officials and authorities indicated by state
  statute for purposes of improving JJ systems
  ability to serve the student
• Appropriate persons when release of information
  is needed to comply with judicial order or
  subpoena

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Sharing Information To Improve Educational
Outcomes

• Education -gt Child Welfare
• Child Welfare gtEd
• Joint Research
• Common Data System Accessed by Multiple Agencies
  (with varying levels of accessibility)

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Examples of Data Collection Information
Sharing

• Florida Department of Education
• Utah
• California
• Los Angeles Education Coordinating Council
• San Diego
• Pennsylvania
• Your State Here

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Contact Information

• Education Law Center
• www.elc-pa.org
• Maura McInerney
• mcinerney_at_elc-pa.org