Lessons Learned about Data System Development and Data-Driven Decision Making in Miami-Dade County’s QRIS

Christine R. Hughes, Ph.D. Melissa Elena Fernandez

Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe

Quality Counts (Miami-Dade County)

• Voluntary system • Approx. 500 participants

– centers – family child care homes – Head Start/Early Head Start – Miami-Dade County Public School Pre-K – Redlands Christian Migrant Association

• 1/3 of centers in county • 1/4 of family child care homes in county

Quality Counts Process

Application Self-Study Assessment Baseline Rating

Quality Improvement

Plan

Continuous Quality

Improvement Star Rating

Quality Counts Data System(s)

1. Web-based Early Learning System (WELS)

– Implementation: collects & stores all relevant QRIS information for participating programs

– Evaluation: generates reports for several levels of system users, data housed in PRISM cubes

Quality Counts Data System(s)

2. Professional Development Registry – The Children’s Forum

– All professional development data are collected by and stored in the Registry

– Relevant QRIS data are sent to WELS for rating

Quality Counts Data System(s)

• Also links to

– FL Department of Children & Families

– ERS Data System

– Early Learning Coalition (CCDF)

Challenges & Recommendations

• Organized for implementation

– When the system was being built, its use for evaluation was not priority

• More linkages = more challenging implementation…more opportunity for error

Involve a research team early in planning

Think of key questions that stakeholders/ implementation team will need to know from Day 1

Data-Driven Decision Making

Implementation:

• TA Activity Log caseload, QI time invested

• (SCREENSHOT)

Data-Driven Decision Making

Implementation:

• Quality Improvement Plan financial support

• (SCREENSHOT)

Data-Driven Decision Making

Evaluation:

• Key Performance Measures

– Example

– Example

• Investments

Small Group Discussion

Guiding Questions:

• “How do you use your data to inform the quality improvement process?”

• “Is there any part of your QRIS without data collection or reporting methods?”

Quality Counts 2.0

• Reasons for transition

– Level funding since inception

– Increase participation- allow for universal access

– Administrative costs

– Provider-driven focus

– Automation through online system

– Focus groups and historical feedback

– Prioritizing investments

Co-Creation of Value Concept

• Business strategy focusing on customer experience

• Encourages more active involvement from the customer

• Jointly creates a value rich experience

Co-Creation of Value in QC

• Before the transition:

Application completed on paper, manually entered into data system

Self-Study completed on paper, on-site and with assistance from Quality Improvement Specialists

Quality Improvement Plan completed on-site and by Quality Improvement Specialists

Support Grants completed primarily by administrative staff and Quality Improvement Specialists

Rating detail segmented and available upon request

Co-Creation of Value in QC

• After the transition:

Application fully online

Self-Study fully online and completed by program

Quality Improvement Plan viewable online

Support Grants fully online and completed by program with administrative support

Rating detail available online and in scorecard format

Quality Counts Scorecard

Quality Counts Scorecard

Quality Counts Scorecard

Lessons Learned

• Benefits:

– Aligned with co-creation of value in other programs

– Creation of transparency with existing processes

– Cost savings and investment reallocation

– Improved relationships between administration and community of early care and education programs

– Co-ownership of work product

– Shared experiences across job functions and roles within QRIS

Lessons Learned

• Challenges:

– Coordinating intertwined components of the QRIS

– Shifting the mindset of both providers and QRIS professional staff

– Connecting old and new data

– Supporting users at all stages of the transition

• Prior, during and after

– Knowing when to adapt or stay the course

– Documenting

Small Group Discussion

Guiding Questions:

• “What co-creation opportunities exist in your QRIS?”

• “What barriers to co-creation exist in your QRIS?”

Recommendations

• Thorough Cost-Benefit Analysis

• Increased efficiency Increased capacity to serve

• Create a co-creation model and set the environment for change

• Shift investments to programs and improvement efforts not administration

• PLAN