Charlotte Y. Alverson, Ed. S. Secondary Transition State Planning Institute Charlotte, NC May 8, 2008 Blueprint for Success: Helpful Hints for Writing the SPP/APR

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 2 Session Purpose To share tips for ensuring you have the information need to successfully organize and complete the SPP for Indicator 14.

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 3 Helpful Hints for SPP Submission Primary Sources: Instructions Measurement Table Secondary Sources: Teleconferences Conversations Experiences

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 4 Part B - SPP/APR Requirements for Indicator #14 Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of postsecondary school, or both, within one year of leaving high school. (20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 5 NPSO Charge...to assist State Education Agencies to develop practical, yet rigorous data collection systems so that the SEA can describe the further education and competitive employment experiences of youth with disabilities as they transition from high school to adult life.

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 6 Data Collection System Data collection Reporting Use

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 7 Common stumbling blocks Definitions Representativeness Calculations

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 8 Definitions Competitive employment –VR, –includes military Post-secondary education –type of school or program –whether enrollment is full- or part- time –defining full- and part-time

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 9 Definitions Census = all leavers from the state Define the sample: –Who are the leavers in the sample? graduates, age outs, dropouts, etc. –Is the sample representative of the school leavers disability, race/ethnicity, age, gender, exit status

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 10 Writing suggestions Avoid assume-icide –Don’t assume others (i.e., OSEP, external reviewers) know what you mean –include definitions Provide meaningful details –50,000 ADM –data collection between April – Sept.

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 11 Representativeness 1. If sampling, need to select a representative sample from the target leaver group –disability category - age –race/ethnicity- gender 2. For both sampling and census, need to determine whether the respondents are representative of the target leaver group

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 12 Selection Bias Systematic difference in characteristics between those who are selected for study and those who are not. Occurs when selecting who will and will not be in the data collection efforts: –exiters- age outs, dropouts, –disability categories –time, day or method of contact

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 13 Response Rate No set minimum or ideal response rate Not primary concern Describe how representative the respondents are to the target leaver group

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 14 Writing Suggestions Describe the similarities and differences between the respondents and total leaver group Define the denominator –eligible for the survey –ineligible for the survey

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 15 Missing Data Occurs when data are not collected –geographic segments of the state do not return data (could also be selection bias) –the right questions were not asked –interviewers miskey information –questions are skipped

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 16 Writing Suggestions Look at missing data –who did not respond? –what questions were not answered Talk about what you do not know as a result of missing data Describe what precautions readers of the SPP should be aware of

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 17 Calculations Measurement – I-14 Response rate -

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 18 PSO Measurement: Percent = [(the number of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of postsecondary school, or both, within one year of leaving high school) divided by the (# of youth assessed who had IEPs and are no longer in secondary school)] x 100.

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 19 Calculation Calculating 1 number- –employed only –enrolled in school or training only –both working AND in school Results in an unduplicated count

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 20 PSO Measurement: % = competitively employed only + enrolled in postsecondary school + both (working and enrolled in school) # of respondents to the survey or interviews OSEP requires that States provide actual numbers used to calculate this percent.

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 21 Response Rate (RR) Ratio of number of completed surveys : total number of surveys intended to be completed (target leaver group) RR = completed surveys ÷ (total number of surveys intended to be completed – ineligible) (ineligible b/c returned to school) RR = completed surveys ÷ (completed surveys + contacted & refused +no contact)

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 22 Writing suggestions Writing team –person/s responsible for data collection is different from the person/s writing the SPP –Share resources with others on the writing team Describe what was done –who, what, when, how, who collected data

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 23 Writing suggestions Acknowledge problems –if you discover, in October, that you were missing accurate exit information for 50% of your leavers– acknowledge it and describe what you will do differently next year (Improvement Activities) Describe what you don’t know and what you’re going to do differently Write for the audience who doesn’t know about SPPs & APRs

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 24 Improvement Activities OSEP –how will State improve performance for Indicator 1-14 Two Primary areas: –improving data collection system –improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 25 Writing suggestions Use the NPSO resources: –Helpful Hints –Sampling and Response Calculators –Community of Practice teleconferences –Post-School Outcomes: Response Rates and Nonresponse Bias, Roberta Garrison-Mogren, Westat –Call with questions

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 26 Helpful Hints for SPP Submission Primary Sources: Instructions Measurement Table Secondary Sources: Teleconferences Conversations Experiences

May 8, 2008Blueprint for SuccessPage 27 Contact Information Director: Mike Bullis OSEP Project Officer: Selete Avoke Coordinator: Jane Falls