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Nebraska supreme court commission on children in the courts: Educational sub-committee and CQI implementation. Hon. Lawrence Gendler, Vicky Weisz, Ph.D, Kristin Kelly, J.D. History . December 2004: Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts established
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Nebraska supreme court commission on children in the courts: Educational sub-committee and CQI implementation Hon. Lawrence Gendler, Vicky Weisz, Ph.D, Kristin Kelly, J.D.
History • December 2004: Nebraska Supreme Court Commission on Children in the Courts established • June 2012: Educational work group makes recommendations to Commission • One recommendation was the establishment of an educational sub-committee to address and improve educational outcomes for court involved youth. • Commission approves recommendation and Nebraska Supreme Court authorizes creation of sub-committee
Sub-Committee Members • Broad based representation throughout the state • Judge Reggie Ryder; Lincoln • Judge Mike Burns; Hastings • Vicky Weisz; CIP • Karen Hasse; Counsel to 200 school districts in NE • Corey Steel/Jeanne Brandner; Probation • Emily Kluver/Kathleen Stolz/Tricia Kingsley; Department of Health and Human Services • Cala Heathershaw Risko; counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services • Kim Hawekotte; Foster Care Review Office • Michele Borg; Department of Education • Natalie Nelsen; Attorney and G.A.L • Kristin Kelly; American Bar Association • Amy Peters; Nebraska Children and Families Foundation • Brandy Buscher; North Platte Public Schools • Judge Larry Gendler; Sarpy County
Goals • Create an education information court report to be distributed to judges, counsel and agencies responsible for supervision of minors. • Improve the change of placement form distributed whenever a minor was moved from a placement to include educational best interests information.
Education Court Report Form • Pilot sites around the state agreed to use education court report form • Prior to implementation, a survey was developed by Kristin Kelly to determine initial thoughts about use and effectiveness of form • Follow up survey was created by Kristin Kelly to measure the form’s progress and to determine adjustments of content
Amendments to Form • As a result of the post-survey, and with input from the sub-committee, several changes were made, including: • Including information about infants/toddlers (Part C screenings/evaluations, pre-school, special learning needs) • How students were doing in core classes • Extra curricular activities • Post graduate plans
State-Wide Implementation • The sub-committee approved the education court report form at the July meeting • Effective September 1, the form is being used statewide and incorporated in probation pre-disposition court reports and case plans prepared by DHHS • Survey distributed to all Nebraska school districts regarding sub-committee efforts • Results show that schools and system need to continue these efforts to improve communication and exchange necessary information • Sub-committee will review a proposal that will require this information be provided to the court, counsel or record, and other necessary parties at upcoming September meeting
Best Interest Considerations for the Change of Schools • The student shall remain in the current school unless consideration of the following factors indicates that a change of school placement is in the child’s best interest: • The child’s permanency goal, plan and expected date for achieving the permanency supports a change in school placement. • The parents/prior custodians or child believe that changing schools is in the child’s best interest. • The length of the commute to return to the current school would negatively impact the child. • The child has only attended the current school for a short time or is not attached to the school. • Safety considerations favor a change in school placement. • Transferring schools will positively impact the child emotionally, socially or academically. • The new school will better meet the child’s academic needs. • The new school will better meet the child’s special education needs. • Changing schools will NOT undermine the child’s ability to stay on track to graduate. • The timing of the school transfer will NOT undermine school success.
Year’s End Goal • Change of placement/educational best interest form in use by year’s end • State probation office has already agreed to provide this information to us whenever a minor must change their placement (in NE probation is responsible for the supervision of all youth who are law violators or who are status offenders; however, they are not a custodial agency and therefore require court action to effectuate any change in enrollment)
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): …an ongoing process of identifying, describing, and analyzing strengths and problems and then testing, implementing, learning from, and revising solutions.
CQI Strategies • Gather information from multiple sources and stakeholders • Evaluate data and identify challenges and strengths • Make program and policy changes, develop or modify interventions • REPEAT
Long-term Goals • Where do we want to be? What are the ultimate outcomes that we hope to achieve? • Improved coordination between child welfare agency and school districts • Improved education outcomes including: • Increase proportion of children and youth in age-appropriate grade • Increased proportion of children scoring proficient or advanced on standardized tests • Increased GPAs among high school students • Improved graduation rates • Increased enrollment in post secondary education.
Short(er)-term goals • What do we hope to achieve through the pilot program in the near-term? • Increased focus on education issues in court hearings • Better information for the court to aid decisionmaking • Increased collaboration between schools, child welfare and probation • Increased attention by all parties to school stability and success
Data Collection (Past, Present, and Future) • 2012 “State Ward Statistical Snapshot” (July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011) http://dhhs.ne.gov/children_family_services/Documents/StateWardEdSnapshot.pdf • Foster youth liaison survey (June 2013) • Pre-pilot “baseline” survey (October 2013) • Post-pilot “follow-up” survey (March 2013) • 2014 education survey • 2014 “State Ward Statistical Snapshot” (Fall 2014)
Pilot Pre and Post Survey • Using Data to Inform Practice Change • Probation reported duplication in form; revised process • Using Data to Demonstrate Progress • 25% increase in respondents reporting that judges receive the educational information they need • Using Data to Highlight Areas in Need of Improvement • High school instability changes in child welfare policy
Lessons Learned (Data) • Don’t wait for “perfect” data • Use multiple sources, with multiple stakeholders, over a range of time • Look for strengths, but acknowledge weaknesses • Celebrate victories