The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), in collaboration with the Research and Data Analysis Division, recently released “School Works,” a study utilizing administrative data from multiple sources to measure the effects of frequent school mobility. It primarily takes data from INVEST, a cross-agency limited dataset containing data from the DSHS Integrated Client Database (ICDB). The study population includes two student cohorts of first and seventh graders. These students were determined to have previously used social services, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Basic Food, Developmental Disabilities Services, Children’s Administration Services, and Foster Care. Key findings indicate that increased school mobility leads to higher involvement with child welfare services, foster care and the juvenile justice system, heightened risk of homelessness, and lower academic performance. This report demonstrates how data from multiple backgrounds may be integrated to observe the potential impact of issues that threaten the academic performance of high-needs students.
For more information: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ms/rda/research/11/209.pdf