Linking Early Intervention Quality Practices With Child and Family Outcomes

Linking Early Intervention Quality Practices With Child and Family Outcomes Sherry Franklin, North Carolina Part C Coordinator Deborah Carroll, PhD, Branch Head May 15, 2012

NC Part C Context • State Lead Agency • 17 Local Lead Agencies • 13 State Employees • 4 Contract Agencies • Community Early Intervention Service Providers

Results Component • Continuous Improvement Visit- November 14-18, 2011 • Verification • Results Component • May – June: Results Focus Selection • Family Outcomes • Birth to 1 Child Find

Orienting Programs/Providers to Key Practices that Support Child and Family Outcomes • State Interagency Coordinating Council formed a task group to assist in Results Component Selection • Reviewed Family Outcomes Survey and Process • So What? • Reviewed “Relationship of Quality Practices to Child and Family Outcome Measurement Results”

Orienting Programs/Providers to Key Practices that Support Child and Family Outcomes Families and Stakeholders were able to: • Share their experiences with expected practices • Define common strengths and challenges • Come to consensus on the importance of the skills/training of Early Intervention Service Coordinators

Conducting Self-Assessment of State or Local Performance on Practices FOCUS MONITORING- PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS • Use of the Tool to Train Monitors on the Practices That Have a Direct Impact on “Know Your Rights” • Embed Questions Related to Practices in Interview Tools

NOW WHAT? • HOW TO GET STARTED • HOW TO IMPLEMENT A STATEWIDE CHANGE IN PRACTICE • HOW TO ACHIEVE DESIRED OUTCOME

Data Accountability Center (DAC)

Bottom Line • State-Local Partnership • State Implementation Team • Local Implementation Team • Quality Data • Specific Problem/Issue • Data-based Decisions

Our Partnership Concord Shelby Durham Rocky Mount Greensboro Morganton

Implementation Team • Represents community members and systems stakeholders • Advises and assists systems change • Develops & implements clear plans with assignments of tasks/timelines • Keeps implementation process focused • Solves problems that arise during the process. Fixen, D.L., Naoom, S.F., Blasé, K.A., Freedman, R.M., & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation Research; A Synthesis of the Literature. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, National Implementation Research Network

Local Implementation Team MUST INVOLVE A TEAM • Program Director or designee • Data Person/Quality Assurance staff • Providers/staff involved in issue topic • Parent • Others as needed * Must be a person with influence/authority

State Implementation Team MUST INVOLVE A TEAM • Administrators • Data Person • ICC member • Parent • Others as needed * Must be a person with influence/authority

DAC Framework for Data Use Consists of three phases w/ several steps: • Preparation Phase 1. Identify relevant data • Inquiry Phase • Conduct data analysis • Determine Root Cause • Action Phase • Plan for improvement • Implement Plan • Evaluate progress

Proactive Versus ReactiveBoth are Positive

How do you know whether the data collected/used is of high quality? Data Quality STANDARDS

Data Quality Standards • Data collected, submitted, analyzed, and reported must be: • Timely • Accurate • Reliable • Consistent • Objective • Valid • Complete • Credible • Secure • Useful • Interpretable • Relevant • Transparent • Accessible

Initial Questions (Using Available Data) What do you notice? What are the patterns? Trends? What kinds of questions do you have as you look at the available data? What other data might you want to explore to dig into these questions? What is the storyline? What are these data telling you? What do you want to know?

Drill down involves accessing information by starting with a general category and moving through the hierarchy of field to file to record; it is the act of focusing in to get to the root cause. Source: Adapted from Webopedia

The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1990) A hypothesis is defined as “…a starting-point for further investigation from known facts”.

Why is a Hypothesis Important? A good hypothesis will help you: • Focus your investigation • Keep you from “losing the forest for the trees” • Ensure that you stay on course in your investigation

Data Analysis Plan The analysis planprovides an outline of additional datathat need to be analyzed to test the hypothesisand determine root cause; it helps with preparing a clear and concise presentation of the results of your analysis activities

Root Cause Determining the root cause enables the creation of effective actions to prevent the problem from re-occurring

DATA BASED DECISION MAKING • Data should be used to drive: • Root Cause Analysis leading to a hypothesis(es) • Improvement Planning • Evaluation (effectiveness)

NEXT STEPS • Implementation of Pilot experience • Use Information for Improvement and Statewide Implementation Strategies

Questions/Comments

Linking Early Intervention Quality Practices With Child and Family Outcomes