Using 21st Century Technology to Plan, Monitor, and Advocate Locally

Brenda LeTendre, Ed.D.

Branagh Information Group

External Evaluator to The Cal-SAFE Program

The script that Brenda LeTendre used as she presented this slide show is included on the notes page of each slide. To view the script and the accompanying slide at the same time, go to the View menu in the Tool Bar for PowerPoint and click Notes Page.

The script that Brenda LeTendre used as she presented this slide show is included on the notes page of each slide. To view the script and the accompanying slide at the same time, go to the View menu in the Tool Bar for PowerPoint and click Notes Page.

Brenda’s NumbersBrenda’s Numbers

• 37

• 1986

• 25

Why collect the data?

For legislative report To guide services to students and their

children

To provide numbers for local advocacy To complete the Con App

Why evaluation?

Legislative Report

After 1st 5 years -- March 2005

After 2nd 5 years -- March 2010

Report on Status on the Legislative Goals # students who earn a high school diploma or its equivalent

# who transition to postsecondary education or into the world of work.

# who did not have a repeat birth before graduating from high school

# who had normal weight babies

# children who are on their immunizations

Why Legislative Report so important –

will sway the decisions about future funding

Typical Cal-SAFE student:Typical Cal-SAFE student:

Female Single Hispanic Aged 16 or 17 In the 10th or 11th grade

If she was parenting at entry,If she was parenting at entry,

Had only one child

And held custody

If she birthed her child while in the If she birthed her child while in the Cal-SAFE Program,Cal-SAFE Program,

Delivered a healthy baby

Began prenatal care in her 1st trimester

Received prenatal care in a health care clinic

Paid for her prenatal care through Medi-Cal

Typically, the child of a Cal-SAFE Typically, the child of a Cal-SAFE Program student was:Program student was:

An infant A boy Healthy with no serious medical condition

Developmentally normal Up-to-date on his immunizations

The typical child of aThe typical child of aCal-SAFE ProgramCal-SAFE Programstudent:student:

Normal weight at birthStayed at Cal-SAFE sponsored child care center

English primary language in the home

High level of involvement with both his parents

The Typical Cal-SAFE Program The Typical Cal-SAFE Program Student Who Exited the ProgramStudent Who Exited the ProgramLeft having received a high school diploma

Was 18 years of agePlanned to enroll in a local community college

Was not pregnantWas parenting only one child

March 2005:March 2005:

SubstantiveSubstantive progress on the progress on the program goals established by program goals established by the Legislaturethe Legislature

Graduation Rate:Graduation Rate:Graduation Rate

76%

20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Cal-SAFE 1998 Rate Cited in Cal-SAFE Legislation

Legislative Goals REPORT CARD MetGoal 4: Students served who graduate will transition to postsecondary education, including a technical school, or into the world of work.

√

Plans After Exit  

Pursue Further Education 48.12%

Have or look for a Job 19.31%

TOTAL 67.43%

n = 7,967

Legislative Goals REPORT CARD MetGoal 7: Students served will not have a repeat birth or father a repeat pregnancy before graduating from high school.

√

Percentage of Repeat Births Among

0.60%

2.98% 3.45%

25%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Birth a childwhile in Cal-SAFEProgram (2002

data)

Parenting ANDPregnant atEnrollment

Parenting ANDPregnant at Exit

Berglas, Brindis,and Cohen

(2003)

Legislative Goals REPORT CARD MetGoal 8: Pregnant students served will not have a low birth weight baby.

√

7.29%

13.80%

9.90%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

Born whilemother in Cal-SAFE Program

Nation underAge 15

Nation Age 15-19

Percentage Low Birth Weight Babies

Legislative Goals REPORT CARD METGoal 10: Children of enrolled teen parents will receive health screening and immunizations. √

Percent of Children Who Are Up-to-Date on Immunizations

94%

89%

82%81%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

Enrolled in Cal-SAFE Child

Care

All Cal-SAFEChildren

Nation California

The March 2005 drew from an extremely RICH database created using the original GradStar software.

A Bit of History: Cal-SAFE Data Collection

2000-01 No data collected other than number served2001-02 Original GradStar software2002-03 Original GradStar software

BUDGET CUTS2004-05 Consolidated Application data 2005-06 Consolidated Application data 2006-07 Consolidated Application data2007-08 Consolidated Application data2008-09 Data from Revised online GradStar forms 2009-10 Data from Revised online GradStar forms

March 2010 Legislative Report due

Original GradStar: TOO expensive

Consolidated Application: TOO basic

Solution: Use an inexpensive off-the-shelf, canned

piece of software to gather and store data state-wide

TIP to SAVE TREES:

In print dialog box, specify that 2 or 4 pages get printed on one sheet; some will even allow for printing front & back.

Suggest that keep a local log of which students and children entered online

Will post some Excel templates on www.gradstar next week

Demo of Demo of GradStarDataEntryLogV1LeT08Sept18.xls

NOTE: Once start a form MUST finish it. Can't come back at a later time & finish it.

This same procedure for all the online forms:

Student Enrollment Child Information Pregnancy Outcome Student Exit Child Care Enrollment Support Services RECEIVED (Oct 2008)

NOTICE

Needs Assessment/Support Services is NOT available online. – ONLY available in paper version – Will never be entered online – Scheduled for revision in Oct 2008

“Will I ever see my data again after hitting the SUBMIT button?”

YES: 3x a year

After the Quarter (cut off date Oct 31, Excel file to you Week of Nov 3)

After 1st Semester (cut off date Jan 16, Excel file to you Week of Jan 19)

Around June 1

Will send “RAW” Excel data file

May need to do some “polishing”

Can create reports, tables, and graphsof YOUR data

DEMO LeTendreUSD08Oct.xls

Other possibilities:

Sort by Student Exit form follow-up date on the Student Exit form and create a list of students who need to be contacted after they leave your program

Create a roster of students with contact information for home visits

“Marry” all the information for a family, mother/father/baby

Add additional information locally to the downloaded data set

COMING OCT to www.gradstar.com Today’s script & slides Excel templates to trackwhich students & children you

have entered into the online state-wide GradStar Database

Paper versions of the forms with * showing the online mandatory items

Revised Needs Assessment/Support Services Form Support Services RECEIVED Form (new) Step-by-Step instructions on how to polish the raw data

Excel files Expanded instructions (including helpful Tips) on how to

complete each of the forms Frequently Asked Questions document Some options for tracking child care attendance

AGENCY CODE

Make sure you're using the correct agency code - see list on www.gradstar.com

7 digits can be entered as 15-63529 with the hyphen OR 1563529 without the hyphen

If use OLD FORMS before Aug 22:

No need to complete new forms, EXCEPT must feed info into online system

Q: Can we enter babies before we enter the mom?

A: Yes. The two forms are in two SEPARATE databases. Later you can then "marry" the children's info with the parents' info.

Q: If I have the mom and dad in Cal-SAFE, what do I do about the Child Info sheet?

A: Complete ONLY ONE Child Information Sheet. You don’t want to count the same child twice. Same goes for the Child Care Enrollment Sheet.

Q: Will the online system be able to help us track child care attendance like the original GradStar software could do?

A: No. However, during October I will post some options agencies can use to track child care attendance for the P1, P2, and Annual reports.

Q: I have continued using the original GradStar software. Should I exit students from last year that have not return this year?

A: No need to exit students from last year who didn’t show this year. Since the online system is starting from scratch, it does not even know these students exist.

Q: Why do I have to keep inputting the same information – such as the student’s ID number and the agency number – into each of the forms? This is a pain!

A: Unfortunately, unlike the original GradStar software the online system is not a relational database that can pull information entered in one form to fill in the same information in another form. Each of the online forms is actually a separate database that cannot “talk” with the other forms.

QUESTIONS???QUESTIONS???

Call or email

Brenda LeTendrebletendr@pittstate.edu

cell: 417-437-9434