WorkAbility Data Reporting for 2004-2005 School Year

INTRODUCTION

The WorkAbility I (WAI) grant requires that student data be collected and recorded each year. The data will be collected in the schools, forwarded to the District Office of Transition Services (DOTS) and then sent to the California Department of Education (CDE). This data will help determine the dollar amount of our WAI grant for next year.

Data reporting will be recorded electronically. Technical support and training is in the process of being provided. Accuracy and timeliness of reporting are critical to the success of the WAI program. Thank you in advance for your diligence and attention to this project.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The data collection is divided into the three reports as follows:

A. Baseline/Follow-Along Report (students new to WAI and continuing WAI students from last year)
B. Follow-Up Report (students who have left school)
C. Business Partner Report

DATA COLLECTION RESPONSIBILITIES

Transition Teachers are responsible for the completion of the data collection for their assigned sites. DOTS teachers will collaborate with the transition team at each site to complete the collection of data.

A. Baseline/Follow-Along Report

This report collects data for students who are receiving WAI services in this 2004-2005 school year. This report includes both students new to WAI and continuing WAI students.

There are two new additions to this Baseline/Follow-Along Report for the 2004-2005 school year.

1. The California Special Education Management Information System (CASEMIS) number, which is our LAUSD District ID number, will be added to each record. The CASEMIS number is the identifying number LAUSD uses when reporting to the state about the variety of special education services we provide to our students. The District ID number (CASEMIS number) can be found in field #112 in the SIS system.

2. Check at LEAST ONE ITEM in the “Work-Based Component” and “Connecting Activities”. In addition, you MUST check the following TWO ITEMS in the “School-Based Component”:
a. Curriculum Integration of the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)
b. Special Career, Vocational Assessment

ATTACHMENT A “WorkAbility I Baseline/Follow-Along Data Entry Instructions” gives you more detailed instructions for data reporting. ATTACHMENT B “WorkAbility I BASELINE Data 0405 (New Students)” is a form that can be used as a template to assist in the data collection process.

The students to be included in the Baseline/Follow-Along Report are those in:

Data will be collected from the following schools:

• 48 comprehensive high schools
• 1 middle school from each Local District (8th grade students only), specific middle school to be determined by the Transition Coordinator of the Local District
• Secondary special education centers/schools
• K-12 schools with large special education populations

B. Follow-Up Report

The WAI grant requires that data be collected on students for two years after they have left the school system. This report is called the Follow-Up Report. Data will be collected on students who were reported as WAI students in school year 2002-2003 (0203) and school year 2003-2004 (0304). The attached “WorkAbility I Follow Up Survey for 0405” (ATTACHMENT C) provides the survey questions we need to ask students about their post-school activities. This information is then entered into the Follow-Up Report.

C. Business Partner Report

This database provides information about the business partners that we utilize in the community for work-based learning opportunities for our students. The database is located in the administrative module located in the WAI shortcuts folder on the desktop of your computer.

TECHNOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

When selecting a computer to record WAI student data, please consider the following:

1. One specific computer should be designated to record data at the school site.
Note: When choosing a computer, consider using one that will be available for use
next year because each year student data is automatically moved to the next school
year with the WAI database.

2. The computer must be a Personal Computer (PC) with the “Windows” operating system. You cannot use a Macintosh computer for this program. The program was written to operate in the “Microsoft Office” environment using the database component “Microsoft Access.”

MEDIA

Each school will receive the following disks:

1. WorkAbility I Program disk Version 6.0– (CD). This disk contains the WAI forms, templates and reports that are used to record data. This program will be transferred on to the hard drive of the computer at the school site. “WorkAbility I Version 6.0 Installation Instructions” (ATTACHMENT D) is attached. This attachment offers the instructions for installing the CD.

2. WorkAbility I (0405) reporting disk-3 ½ inch floppy. This disk will be used to report the data collected and forwarded to the DOTS office. Please print your school name and location code on the label. This disk will be used to send in Baseline/Follow-Along, Follow-Up and Business Partner data to the DOTS office.

TIMELINE

December DOTS teachers and Transition Facilitator training by local district
Installation of the database at school sites
Follow-Up reporting begins

January DOTS teachers and Transition Facilitator training by local district
Distribution of disks and instructions

May Follow-Up data entry
Baseline/Follow Along data entry
Business Partner data entry

June 1 Data disk due to DOTS office

By June 30 DOTS personnel consolidate the data and report the final data to CDE

SUPPORT

Transition Coordinators are available for technical support.
The following staff members are also available to assist:

Louis Toledo- School telephone # 310-547-2491 x221 Ricardo Hernandez- DOTS office # 213-241-8050
Daniel Gumarang- Pager # 818-587-0765
Bob Grycan- Pager # 818-587-0914
Charlie Jett Jr.- Cell # 310-722- 2360

Transition Coordinators will contact Bob Grycan or Ricardo Hernández to schedule support visits to schools if necessary.

ATTACHMENTS

A. WORKABILITY I STUDENT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-ALONG DATA ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS
B. WorkAbility I BASELINE Data 0405 (NEW Students)
C. WorkAbility I Follow UP Survey for 0405
D. WorkAbility I Version 6.0, Electronic Data Collection and Reporting Program Installation Instructions

If you have any questions or concerns about WorkAbility I data collection, please call your Transition Coordinator or Bob Grycan at (213) 241-8050 or email robert.grycan@lausd.net.