The ABCs of Collecting Early Childhood Data in Kansas

1. The ABCs of Collecting Early Childhood Data in Kansas 26th Annual Management Information Systems [MIS] Conference February 13, 2013 Kimberly Wright, Senior IT Trainer Kansas State Department of Education Stock photo

2. Agenda Stock photo

3. Agenda • Background • Kansas State Department of Education • Early Childhood Programs in Kansas • Collection Process • Kansas Individual Data on Students • Pre-Kindergarten Program (Four-Year-Old At-Risk Program) • Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program • Data Collected by Early Childhood Systems • Evaluation of Early Childhood Systems in Kansas • Future Iterations to Early Childhood Systems in Kansas

4. Background Stock photo

5. Background • Kansas State Department of Education • 286 school districts – over 1,500 schools • Over 470,000 (K-12) students • Combination of rural vs. urban • About 37,000 educators • Local control – approximately 12 different student information systems • Elected Board – appointed commissioner

6. Background • KIDS (Kansas Individual Data on Students) • Student-level data collection was implemented in 2005-2006 school year via KIDS • Assigns State IDs to PK-12 students • Tracks students as they move from school to school • Maintains longitudinal data regarding each student • links student’s info across programs across time • eliminates data redundancy • provides more complete picture of student

7. Background • KIDS data are the basis for: • state and federal funding, • state and federal reporting, • state assessments, interim assessments, • accountability and, • populating other KSDE systems.

8. Background • Pre-Kindergarten Program (Four-Year-Old At-Risk Program) • KIDS collected some Four-Year-Old At-Risk student data, but they were mainly used for funding purposes • Data were previously gathered on the Kansas Early Learning Inventory for Fours (KELI-4R) on Scantron survey forms • Completed manually by classroom teachers and sent to KSDE • KSDE staff scanned each one • Pre-Kindergarten Programs are district sponsored programs that are housed in a school building

9. Background • Parents as Teachers Program • Data for children, families, and educators were not previously collected at the state level • Local programs have always conducted survey information on children using paper • Parents as Teachers programs are district sponsored individual district or multiple district consortiums receiving grants from KSDE

10. Collection Process Stock photo

11. Collection of KIDS Data • Core data elements are required to generate SSIDs for students • Courses must be mapped and assigned to educators in other KSDE systems to allow for the KIDS records to be accepted linking the students to the teachers • This needs to be done early in the school year • Coordination by multiple staff is essential

12. Collection of Early Childhood Data:Pre-Kindergarten Program • Early Childhood: Success in Schools (SIS) 2011-2012 • Spring through summer 2011—announcements were made to Four-Year-Old At-Risk teachers via the quarterly newsletter regarding the new system and upcoming training opportunities • Trainings were provided via webinars in early October • The audience was the classroom teacher • First training session introduced the concept of gathering the data electronically • Next two training sessions focused on software functionality

13. Collection of Early Childhood Data:Pre-Kindergarten Program • Early Childhood: Success in Schools 2011-2012 • Classroom teachers were required to request access to the authenticated application to enter data into SIS • Announcements were sent out on the KIDS listserv announcing the opening of a new system and the KIDS’ student course records required for roster population in SIS • KIDS coordinators at each district were required to submit records that connected the teacher and student

14. Collection of Early Childhood Data:Pre-Kindergarten Program • Early Childhood: Success in Schools 2011-2012 • SIS was implemented in October 2011 • Fall KELI-4R data were entered by school staff • Home Practices and Classroom Practices data was entered by school staff fall 2011 through spring 2012 • Spring KELI-4R data were entered by school staff starting April 2012

15. Collection of Early Childhood Data:Pre-Kindergarten Program • Early Childhood: Success in Schools 2012-2013 • SIS opened August 2012 with minimal changes to the user interface • No training was provided and district staff followed the same procedure from the previous year • Student course records sent to the KIDS system linking the students to the teacher at the school • Educators entered the Fall KELI-4R, Home Practices, and Classroom Practices data during October and November 2012

16. Collection of Early Childhood Data:Parents as Teachers Program • Early Childhood: Foundations for School Success (FSS) 2012-2013 • PAT listserv was used to announce Foundations for School Success training during the summer 2012 • Trainings were provided via regional in-person sessions in mid August • The audience was the PAT coordinator for each district or the consortium of districts • The half-day sessions provided an overview of the data being collected, demonstration of the system, and an opportunity to utilize a training environment for a hands-on practice session • The fall PAT conference included additional training on the details of the actual data being collected

17. Collection of Early Childhood Data:Parents as Teachers Program • Early Childhood: Foundations for School Success 2012-2013 • FSS was implemented late August 2012 • PAT coordinators and staff were required to request access to authenticated application to enter data into FSS • KIDS staff at each district may have been asked to submit records to generate SSIDs • FSS allows SSIDs to be generated when a few key data elements are entered

18. Data Collected by Early Childhood Systems Stock photo

19. Data Collected by SIS • Child Information • Skill levels as observed by classroom teachers • Once in the fall, once in the spring • Classroom Practices • Description of various instructional practices, environmental decision, and assessment practices • Home practices • Parent/adult practices that support child’s learning

20. Data Collected by FSS • Child Information • Child demographics • Ages & Stages Questionnaire 3: child development • Ages & Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional (SE): child SE development • Hearing screening summary • Vision screening summary • Home Visit Practices & Relationships: • Educator demographics • Home Visit Rating Scale • Family Information • Family demographics • Protective Factors Survey (PFS)

21. Evaluation of Early Childhood Systems in Kansas Stock photo

22. Evaluation of Early Childhood: Success in Schools Many districts did not map local courses to State courses for pre-kindergarten courses prior to this process which is required to submit student course records to KIDS The student course records sent to KIDS was only in the second year of collection and still had a few wrinkles The training targeted classroom teachers, but many districts also needed the KIDS staff and technology staff to be better informed

23. Evaluation of Early Childhood: Success in Schools Classroom teachers did not have experience with KSDE authenticated applications When a student did not display for a teacher in SIS, the troubleshooting involved both the classroom teacher and the district KIDS staff to resolve it Sometimes the distinction between Help Desk support gets blurred when one system is dependent upon records from another system

24. Evaluation of Early Childhood: Success in Schools Students already had SSIDs because KSDE was already collecting data on them for funding purposes The data collected were not new data, they were just submitted electronically instead of by paper The SIS data entry screens followed the paper forms exactly which makes data entry easier

25. Evaluation of Early Childhood: Success in Schools Because turnover is relatively low for this role, the training required for year two was minimal Incorporating both the KIDS trainer and the program area expert to provide the trainings allowed for a breadth of information to be shared KSDE staff was better able to provide guidance when questions were asked because joint training was provided and, as a result, a greater understanding for the other system was gained No new staff was added to provide technical support as existing Help Desk was utilized

26. Evaluation of Early Childhood: Foundations for School Success The children served by Parents as Teachers did not previously have data captured by districts Many school or district staff did not know who the PAT coordinator was for their district and vice versa Authoritative source had to be changed to allow for FSS to be a higher source than another non-KSDE system that uses KIDS SSIDs to gather infant/toddler early intervention services by another State agency

27. Evaluation of Early Childhood: Foundations for School Success The Parents as Teachers has a coordinator that oversees each program—this person is the point of contact for information sharing The FSS data entry screens followed the paper forms exactly which made data entry easier Hands-on training was beneficial for PAT Coordinators who were unfamiliar with KSDE’s Authentication and KIDS SSID systems Help Desk staff was trained in the system so they were able to provide guidance as soon as the system opened

28. Future Iterations to Our Early Childhood Systems Stock photo

29. Future Iterations to Early Childhood Systems in Kansas • A state-wide comprehensive early childhood data system in Kansas is still in its infancy • Additional early childhood programs will participate in data collection • Head Start • Childcare providers • FSS has been developed to allow for non-school-based programs

30. Future Iterations to Early Childhood Systems in Kansas • Head Start programs collect data • They have not been involved in a school-based system • There will need to be agreements developed between entities • Data collection is a new process, even concept, for many child care providers • Buy-in for the system will need to be built • Training and ongoing support will be essential

31. Future Iterations to Early Childhood Systems in Kansas • Collection of school readiness data elements • Has been determined by a task force and based upon research • They are elements that support school readiness and school success • The inclusion of the school readiness data elements is essential for a complete picture of a child’s education • Some data may not be collected consistently • Some data elements may not be collected at all

32. Contact Information and Links • Kimberly Wright: kwright@ksde.org • KIDS website: kids@ksde.org • Early Childhood webpages • Early Childhood: Success in Schools (State Pre-Kindergarten Program): http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3293 • Early Childhood: Foundations for School Success: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=5221