2016 Improving Data, Improving Outcomes Conference New Orleans, LA August 2016 Introduction of Laura and Wendy, Roles, partnership, value of family engagement content for us.

Engaging Montana’s families in data practices and products Linking families and early intervention service providers as they use outcomes data for decision making with families, within local programs, and state-wide. Explanation and discussion of our journey to this point.

If we are to achieve a richer culture, we must weave one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place. ~ Margaret Meade

Family Data Institute 2015: How does Montana increase Part C families’ knowledge of social-emotional outcomes and Montana’s data collection and analysis systems to measure the progress of social-emotional skills? Explanation of how this was an identified improvement strategy for Montana – process Laura and Laura went through and your ideas for implementation.

1. Identify and recruit current families receiving Part C Early Intervention Services 1. Form an Advisory Group How do we identify and recruit families? How will this team meet? How will we clarify our purpose for forming the advisory group?

What are the best instructional components using adult learning strategies? How can learning about the purposes of data collection and analysis be applicable to the adult learner? 2. Develop a plan for Family Engagement regarding social-emotional outcomes Learn about the three Child Outcomes and Outcomes data at the local level with the regional early intervention provider. Learn about Outcomes data collected and analyzed at the State-wide level. How will we develop our “training” plan for the advisory group ensuring that learning about data is something that a family wants to learn about.

First Step…The Child Outcomes Summary Process Learning about a child’s progress What are the three Child Outcomes? Why is this information important to the child and the family? How can the family member(s) be part of the outcome measurement process? What information can the family member(s) share about the child’s progress? How will the family know if the child is making progress? Explain the Child Outcomes Summary Process past and present Train the trainer model Incorporating families in the rating process Using “A Family Guide to Participating in the Child Outcomes Measurement Process” as our guide to teaming with family members and other caregivers. This document provides Family Support Specialists with conversation prompts and questions to obtain rich information from families for use in determining the outcomes ratings both at entry and exit. We believe this component will be beneficial but know we need to do more.

3. Communication Products Create communication products such as accessible videos and presentations. “Let’s Chat About Early Intervention” Our state is massive. Seven agencies contract with the state to provide Part C services and supports in five different regions (one region is over 10,000 square miles). How do we develop a consistent message that is available on demand for a family, an early intervention provider, a Family Support Specialist? How do we make that message engaging, quick, and yet filled with information that is meaningful to our audience? Example of our Let’s chat About Early Intervention video. Revision of PLUK’s tool: First Steps: A Parent Information Handbook about IDEA for infants and toddlers early intervention program, Montana Milestones/Part C Early Intervention Program, and Montana’s preschool special education program. This is a collaborative effort between MT Milestones, 619/Part B of the MT Office of Public Instruction, and PLUK.

4. How to embed across Montana? Guidance Protocols for Family Support Specialists Talking Points Program accountability Measuring child progress Improving practices, interventions, services Another idea for embedding the strategy across the state: the development of guidance protocols with consistent talking points. Guidance needs to be compelling and useful for the Family Support Specialist. This is part of the improvement of the Child Outcomes Summary Process as we are hoping one of the results of the COSP trainings will be increased understanding of child outcomes, ratings, and their value across the state.

All Montana Milestones/Part C providers have worked collaboratively to determine the Recommended Practices for Early Interventionists in the State of Montana. Another group of Providers wrote the guidance document for the Child Outcome Summary. This group also worked with the Child Outcomes Cohort to adapt the Child Outcomes training to provide a consistent training to all FSS’s across the state. When all FSSs are trained with the same information and the same process our Child Outcomes Data will be valid and reliable both at the local and state level. We believe the addition of the communication strategies with the input from families enrolled in Part C will aid all providers in Montana.

5. Evaluate: Develop a monitoring and tracking system Are families more engaged in social-emotional competence and positive relationships? Are families able to describe their child’s behaviors and skills addressing both strengths and concerns or needs? Are practices, interventions, and services improved? Evaluation of a practice, strategy as well as monitoring is something the state is focusing upon with our new Comprehensive Monitoring Tool. For too long, we focused on very specific compliance indicators with little review of quality practices. The tool captures a variety of compliance and quality measures. We also are reviewing a statistically valid sample of child and family records which paints a much broader and deeper picture of the state of early intervention in Montana. There are drawbacks that we are trying to overcome: providers are not accustomed to the degree of scrutiny of their methods, practices, and outcomes. We believe that engaged families will promote integration with early childhood providers. If outcomes are meaningful for families, they will also be meaningful for providers and vice versa.

Imminent Actions Child Outcomes Summary Training state-wide Identification and recruitment of family members for advisory panel FSSAC Strategic Planning September 2016