EIA:
Using data for program improvement
Evidence
Inference
Action
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
1
Evidence
• Evidence refers to the numbers,
such as:
“45% of children in category b”
• The numbers are not
debatable
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
2
Inference
• How do you interpret the #s?
• What can you conclude from the #s?
• Does evidence mean good news? Bad news?
News we can’t interpret?
• To reach an inference, sometimes we analyze
data in other ways (ask for more evidence)
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
3
Inference
• Inference is debatable- even reasonable people
can reach different conclusions from the same
set of numbers
• Stakeholder involvement
can be helpful in making
sense of the evidence
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
4
Action
• Given the inference from the numbers, what
should be done?
• Recommendations or action steps
• Action can be debatable – and often is
• Another role for stakeholders
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
5
Program improvement:
Where and how
• At the state level- TA, policy
• At the regional or local level- supervision,
guidance
• Classroom level- spend more time on certain
aspects of the curriculum
• Child level- modify intervention
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
6
Key points
Evidence refers to the numbers and the
numbers by themselves are meaningless.
Inference is attached by those who read
(interpret) the numbers.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
7
E – I – A Jeopardy
COSF users
unaware of the need
to$100
answer the
yes/no progress
question
90% of exit COSFs
Revise COSF
in Program B
procedures to
missing
a response
emphasize
$100
$100
to the yes/no
completion of yes/no
progress question
progress question
Conduct staff
development on
$200
using
the 7-point
rating scale
75% of children in
Program
A received
$200
entry ratings of 2
COSF users
misunderstand the
$200of points
definition
on the 7-point scale
Currently used tools
are not accurately
assessing
$300children’s
social emotional
skills
Invest resources in
materials for
$300
assessing socialemotional skills
45% of children
reported in category
‘e’$300
for statewide
progress data,
Outcome 18