1 Assuring the Quality of your COSF Data

2 What factors work to improve the quality of your data? What factors work to lessen the quality of your data? How to address these factors?

3 Take Home Message If you conclude the data are not (yet) valid, they cannot be used for program effectiveness, program improvement or anything else. What do you do if the data are not as good as they should be? Answer: Continue to improve data collection through ongoing quality assurance

4 Many steps for ensuring quality data Before completing the COSF Good data collection/training During the completion of the COSF Ongoing supervision Feedback Refresher training After completing the COSF Review of COSF records Data analyses for validity checks

5 Many Steps for ensuring quality data Before Good data collection/Training

6 Promoting quality data Through training and communication related to: –Understanding the COSF process –Functional assessment –Age expectations for typical child development

7 Promoting quality data Through data systems and verification, such as: –Good data entry procedures –Data system error checks

8 Many steps for ensuring quality data During Ongoing supervision Feedback Refresher training

9 Promoting quality data Ongoing staff development: –Video team and child examples –Written child examples –“Quizzes” for ensuring learning Refresher trainings – Beware of Drift!!

10 Ongoing supervision Review of the process –Is the process high quality? –Are teams reaching the correct rating? –Provide feedback to the team Methods –Observation –Videos

11 Indicators of a quality COSF team discussion 1.All team members participate in the discussion 2. Parent input is considered in the rating 3. The team documents the rating discussion 4. The team discusses multiple assessment sources

12 Indicators of a quality COSF team discussion 5. The team describes the child’s functioning, rather than just test scores 6. The discussion includes the child’s full range of functioning, including skills and behaviors that are age appropriate, immediate foundational, and leading to immediate foundational

13 Quality review through process checks Provider surveys –Self assessment of competence –Knowledge checks –Process descriptions –Identification of barriers

14 Many steps for ensuring quality data After Review of COSF records Data analyses for validity checks

15 Indicators of quality COSFs The COSF is complete Evidence –matches the appropriate outcome area – is based on functional behaviors –considers the child’s functioning across settings and situations Ratings are consistent with the evidence

Supplemental Group Activities Discussion of factors that influence data quality Quality review of a COSF team discussion Quality review of family participation in a COSF team discussion Review a completed COSF for errors COSF documentation using supporting evidence 16