Building Analytic Capacity and Statistical Literacy Among Title IV-E MSW Students

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Public Administration
• Educational Research

Background:

• Effective child welfare practice necessitates professionals skilled in data utilization for targeted interventions and outcome assessment.
• Public agencies increasingly employ self-assessment models using administrative data for program evaluation.
• A gap exists between data analysis and practical application in child welfare services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a research curriculum designed to improve data utilization in public child welfare.
• To train students in using aggregated administrative data for evidence-based practice.
• To bridge the gap between data research and practice improvement in child welfare.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hands-on research curriculum focused on public child welfare administrative data.
• Curriculum designed for Title IV-E and other public child welfare students.
• Emphasis on developing statistical literacy for data interpretation and application.

Main Results:

• Students gain practical experience in analyzing California's administrative child welfare data.
• Enhanced understanding of connecting data insights to practice adjustments.
• Improved ability to assess program effectiveness using real-world data.

Conclusions:

• The curriculum effectively enhances "statistically literate" use of child welfare data.
• Provides a model for training professionals to leverage data for practice improvement.
• Addresses the critical need for integrating data analysis into child welfare services.