Transcript How the Heck Do We Contact Some of Our Former Students?

How the Heck Do We Contact
Some of Our Former Students?
Learn How States Are Finding
“Hard-to-reach” Students for
Post-school Outcome Data Collection!
Presented by Robert Shepherd
Potsdam Institute of Applied Research (PIAR)
Using New York State as An Example: Background
 NYS Samples for Indicator #14 (6 year cycle)
 Contracts with PIAR at State University of New
York, Potsdam
 The team at PIAR is responsible to:
 Work with contacts at each District
 Interview Exiters
 Generate statewide, district, and other reports
 Collaborate with NYSED staff to draft the APR
and revise SPP as needed
NYS: The Potsdam Institute for
Applied Research (PIAR) …
 Runs an on-site central call center
 Uses Excel and secure web-based databases
 Subscribes to CASES survey software (from
UC Berkeley) to program the survey for phone
interviewers and for web surveys
 Processes survey data using Excel, SPSS, and
locally developed tools
New York State Has Achieved Relatively
High Response Rates (~65%)
We believe this is primarily due to:
 Strong assistance to District contacts
 Availability of surveys in multiple formats
(phone, web, mail), in multiple languages
 Planning ahead and being creative
 Persistence by staff once interviewing starts
NYS: How PIAR Works with Districts
 Districts designate a primary contact for SPP#14.
 PIAR staff is responsible for informing District contact
of tasks, tools, and deadlines.
 PIAR tracks each District’s progress and reminds and
assists contacts as needed.
 PIAR compiles District-submitted information into a
complete list of Exiters statewide:
 ALL Exiters
 ALL Demographics
 ALL Contact Info
NYS: PIAR Informs Districts of Tools,
Tasks, and Deadlines
 Common sense directions are provided.
 Submission tools are geared to a district staff’s
technology skill level.
 The variety of formats easily accommodates
different working styles.
 Personalized assistance is given in the use of
tools and technology.
 Message: “Don’t struggle; we’ll make it easy.”
“Call or e-mail us for help!”
NYS: PIAR Develops a Complete
List of Exiters Statewide
 ALL EXITERS: Everyone who should be included is included.
 ALL DEMOGRAPHICS:
 Gender
 Disability type
 Exit type
 Ethnicity
 Language preference of student (family helpful)
 Accommodations needed to take part in the survey
 ALL CONTACTS:
 Multiple unique contacts (three requested)
 Address, phone(s), e-mail, other
 Bring up-to-date, then update and update again!
NYS: District/PIAR Notify and Inform
Students and Families about SPP#14
 PIAR provides Districts with a sample
Notification/ Consent letter to be personalized.
 PIAR encourages District staff to use every
opportunity to inform students and families:
 What SPP#14 is and why it is important
 Expect a contact about one year after exit
 PIAR sends an informational letter and contact
update sheet to students and families shortly
before interviewing begins.
NYS: Opportunities to Inform Students and
Families About SPP#14
 CSE/IEP meetings
 Open House
 Parent-Teacher meetings
 Newsletters
 Student Exit Summary meeting
 Direct mailings:
 At the start of the process (District)
 Just before interviewing begins (PIAR and
Districts use USPS “Return Address Service
Requested”)
NYS: Surveys Are Available in Multiple
Formats and Languages
 Survey is available by phone, web, or mail.
 All materials are available in English and
Spanish.
 Bilingual interviewers are available.
 Help is available via a toll-free number,
web, and e-mail.
NYS: Planning and Persistence by PIAR
Staff Once Interviews Start
 Call center is open 7 days a week from early
morning through evening.
 Interviewers make calls strategically across
days of the week and hours of the day.
 Prioritizing calls is managed using both high
tech and low tech tools.
 Staff make at least 15 attempts to complete
interviews.
NYS: Other Strategies
 Interviewers know about SPP#14 and are
prepared to use strategies to encourage Exiter
participation.
 Interviewers offer information (by county)
about services that can help students succeed.
 This not only “adds value” for the respondent,
but it is actually a Transition intervention –
getting information about services to youth
approximately one year out of high school.
NYS: Other Strategies
The sooner after school exit we attempt to
contact Exiters, the more successful we are:
According to the revised Indicator, we must
wait at least a year before contacting Exiters.
We collect the date of school exit as part of the
Demographics. We began contacting 2008-09
Semester 1 Exiters in February 2010.
NYS: What if Contact Information Is
Incomplete or Unproductive
 District staff are asked to verify or provide new contact
information:
 Are any relatives of Exiter still in school?
 A phone call from the District can verify the phone
number and the validity of the interview call.
 PIAR subscribes to a data mining service
 Uses web searches (White Pages, Google, MySpace,
etc.)
 Interviewers sometimes are told “wrong number” or
“they don’t live here anymore.” We verify, wait, and try
again.
NYS: It’s about Relationships
and Communication
 Students and families who feel connected to their
school – and feel they have open communication
with District staff – will be more likely to respond to
our inquiries.
 Staff must build and sustain these relationships
while youth are still in school.
 Transition Services must demonstrate commitment
to each student’s success.
 Students prepared for Self Determination and Self
Advocacy will be more likely to respond.
PIAR Contacts
J. Patrick Turbett, Director
Robert Shepherd, Field Coordinator
Potsdam Institute for Applied Research
44 Pierrepont Avenue
Potsdam NY 13676
[email protected]
1-888-419-2697
Thank you for your time and attention.