|
Facilitated by Dr. Jacquelyn McCroskey, School of Social Work at the University of Southern California.
Day 1 - October 17th
Session 1:
What data matters in improving outcomes? Using linked administrative data to understand how youth fare after leaving out of home care. Researchers and public child welfare analysts will discuss the potential of cross-system data sharing to understand key outcomes. Panelists will identify strategies for linking data across systems--including prisons, vital records, education, and employment to improve the tracking of outcomes for youth who have exited care.
Participants
- Introduction by Peter Pecora, Senior Director of Research Services and University of Washington faculty member, who leads the Northwest Alumni Study.
- Highlight successes and challenges involved in linking administrative data, presented by Amanda Singer and Leonard Johnson, with Utah’s Department of Human Services, which has been successful in linking administrative data to track post-foster care outcomes.
- Karl Ensign, from Planning and Learning Technologies, Inc., will share challenges and approaches to translating administrative data into policy-relevant information. Jennifer Macomber, from the Urban Institute, will offer concrete advice on the necessary steps to overcome logistic and practical barriers.
Session 2:
Disproportionality Panel: What data matters for understanding disproportionality—and what should we do with it? What are best measurable decision points—and what do they tell us about the need for practice and policy change? How can reducing disproportionate representation and disparate outcomes be incorporated into the CFSR performance improvement plans and be used to improve outcomes for children and youth?
Participants
- Robert Hill, Senior Researcher at Westat, will introduce the topic and set the context.
- Highlight innovative work in Texas CPS around disproportionality and prevention presented by Joyce James, DFPS Assistant Commissioner for Child Protective Services.
- Success at using data to move practice and policy will be discussed by Marva Livingston Hammons, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Human Services, who will describe potential uses of disproportionality data in CFSR reviews by linking improvements with specific PIP components and in advancing practice and policy innovations.
Session 3:
Court Performance Panel: What data matters in crafting the best measures of court performance? Invited experts and practitioners will discuss potential uses of child welfare outcomes for monitoring court performance. Implementation of Pew Commission recommendations around performance measurement will be addressed.
- Court improvement measures and their interface with child welfare will be discussed by Sophie Gatowski, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
- Andy Barclay, Founder of the Barton Child Law & Policy Clinic at Emory University, will share his experiences assisting courts in institutionalizing performance measurement.
- Perspective of the courts, from Judge Suzanna Cuneo (AZ).
Session 4:
Court Collaboration Panel: How can the courts, child welfare and other agencies better partner on behalf of foster children? A team from Los Angeles County will share their success in creating the Education Coordinating Council, a collaborative focused on improved educational outcomes for youth in foster care.
- Highlight successes and challenges involved in building a successful coalition—and the importance of data to it’s success—in the case of the Education Coordinating Council, presented by Lisa Parrish and Sharon Watson.
- Jacquelyn McCroskey will comment on the potential benefit of university partnerships.
- Kathleen Kane, from California’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care will offer her perspective on using data to engage the judiciary.
Day 2 - October 18th
Session 5:
Fishbowl: What are the outcomes that really matter—and how can I get them from our SACWIS?
Most states and counties maximize their data and analysis capacity by simply producing mandated CFSR outcomes and quarterly reports. This session will highlight a resource available to states to construct longitudinal outcomes from point-in-time data.
- Fred Wulczyn will guide discussion of the potential benefits of longitudinal data in informing decision-making by providing relevant, real-time information.
- Dan Webster, Center for Social Services Research, University of California, Berkeley, will share his experiences in guiding the innovative use of data in California counties.
- Allon Kalisher, from Connecticut, and Rhonda Simpson, from Tennessee, will engage in dialogue around the utility of using cohort data to understand outcomes. State administrators will share ways that different views of the same data can lead to a better understanding of key outcomes.
- Session will include discussion of the benefits to states to better understand key longitudinal outcomes, to compare office performance and to set and monitor performance goals.
Tools for improving decisions through the targeted use of data. Overview of the work of the Chapin Hall/APHSA Data Center and their decision-support tool.
Presentation by Pat Shapiro (APHSA) and Fred Wulczyn (Chapin Hall).
Session 6:
Overview of the proposed Chafee Outcomes- and how these data can improve outcomes for youth.
- Carrie Friedman, Director, National Data Analysis System, CWLA.
|