Collecting Data and Sharing Information To Improve School-Justice Partnerships

• NCJ Number: 251336
• Author(s): Andrew Wachter MS; Hunter Hurst IV MS; Teri Deal M.Ed.; Douglas Thomas MS
• Date Published: 2017
• Length: 28 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2014-JZ-FX-K006
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Instructional Material (Programmed)
• Award: OJJDP FY 2014 School Justice Partnership Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court[Category 2: School Justice Partnership Program National Training and Technical Assistance]

Annotation

This bulletin describes the seven-step process that can facilitate School-Justice Partnerships in collecting and sharing reliable data that ensure such partnerships keep youth in school and out of juvenile court.

Abstract

The first step in developing School-Justice Partnerships is the development of meeting agendas for data planning. Agendas should focus on data-specific topics, such as what data are needed, where it is located, who is responsible for collecting it, and how it can be shared. The second step is to develop a data-sharing vision. This requires that the partnership define its purpose, goals, and objectives, along with clarification of roles, responsibilities and expectations for all the partners. The third step is the mapping of the partnership's case flow. This requires making a case-flow chart that shows the process of a student being referred from school to court, documenting key decision points, and possible outcomes at these decision points. The fourth step is the identification of data sources that will document the status and outcomes at each stage of case processing. The fifth step is the selection of primary measures and data elements. Measures represent how data are used to make information and can be in the form of counts, percentages, or rates. Data elements are pieces of information to be collected. The sixth step is the documentation of data commitments. Once the data elements and measures have been defined, partnerships must document them in a plan that names the agency and the position that is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting each piece of information. The seventh step is to set data reporting objectives. This involves the use of discretion in focusing available resources on collecting the most valuable data for partnership goals. 1 figure, 1 table, and 3 references