National Post School Outcome Data Community of Practice
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Hi Donna
I apologize for the delay in responding to your email. I have been in and out
of the office this month and wanted to devote time to give you a comprehensive
reply.
I would be interested in learning how the panel/focus/work group of
stakeholders is designed, designated and brought together.
The Texas Effectiveness Study has a long history of collecting post-school
outcome data which allows for a history of surveys to utilize. Other states
and the NPSO have valid survey protocols that afford the opportunity to utilize
as well (www.psocenter.org http://www.psocenter.org).
Aside from this tidbit about sources for PSO survey items, the current Texas
Effectiveness Study (TES) work group met the end of May for the purpose of
reviewing the current survey protocols used by the TES. Each survey item and
response categories were scrutinized against a set of priority and clarity
factors. Recommendations were made for revision, addition, and/or deletion of
survey items and/or response categories. The group looked at the federal data
requirements as well as supplemental data needs of the state and LEAs for
continuous improvement efforts. Other discussion topics included survey
accommodation, ways to increase response rate, and program improvements to the
TES Mini-Grant program. The work group members were specifically invited by
the TES decentralized technical assistance project to represent a diversified
yet experienced group of individuals to accomplish the tasks at hand.
Who are the individuals or the agencies represented on your panel?
The TES work group include representatives from business that support
individuals with disabilities, parent/advocate of individual with disability,
university instructor , independent researcher, district
administrators/coordinators, district transition specialist, Education Service
Center regional transition specialists,
What criteria do you use to determined who is considered a stakeholder in
developing the needed, appropriate, and beneficial PSO information--especially
if you plan to move beyond the minimal federal requirements.
The Texas Effectiveness Study has been collecting post-school outcome data for
the past 16 years in the areas of employment, post-secondary education and
training, independent living, and recreation/leisure/social engagement. In
2004 the current system of collecting PSO data was implemented to further
address state data needs and to provide a continuous source of reliable data.
Previous attempts at collecting data through a longitudinal follow-along design
resulted in high attrition rates. The current system is designed to sample
every exiting class and follow each sample for two consecutive years. Through
experience we found that at the two year mark the attrition rate increased
dramatically.
The survey protocols used are developed based on an analysis of prior surveys
as well as current data needs of the state. Revisions are reviewed by the
Statewide High School Transition Network, the TES Action Committee which is a
program evaluation committee for the TES Mini-Grant program, and the
Post-School Results Improvement Group which is connected with the Texas
Continuous Improvement Process. Recommendations from these various groups is
incorporated into a final draft of the survey.
The TES work group participants were chosen based on their ability to provide a
critical eye to the survey from a fresh point of view. Especially in light of
the federal perspective. District participants were familiar with the TES and
the survey protocols and had experience administering the surveys. This
provided valuable input regarding LEA needs, survey clarity from the student's
perspective, survey response issues, etc. The independent researcher has work
with the project over the past few years assisting with the qualitative and
quantitative analysis of data. This individual provided analytical perspective
of survey items and response categories. Business and postsecondary school
participation provided valuable perspectives on exit needs. The
parent/advocate provided an additional perspective on post-school linkages,
follow-up, and creating opportunities for employment.
What is the process in announcing the panel, inviting their participation?
An initial invitation to participate in the TES work group was made by email
followed up by a phone conversation. All correspondence was forwarded to my
contact at the state education agency as well as my director here at the
Regional Education Service Center. Of course I went through all the
appropriate paperwork to make arrangements for the work group meeting.
How open is this process for public participation and if it is not an open
process, in what way to you elicit public input?
The TES survey protocols are sent
