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The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Children’s Administration (CA) asked the Institute to develop outcome measures to establish how the educational prospects of foster students have changed over time. This report includes detailed definitions and results on four long-term measures related to the educational status of youth in foster care. These measures include:
The 2012 Legislature directed the Institute to evaluate three topics related to public pension policies: benefit levels, portability, and excess compensation. The Institute consulted with the Office of the State Actuary, Department of Retirement Systems, and local government plan sponsors in conducting this study. We surveyed public pension plans in the 50 states to compare benefit levels. We also analyzed state data on recent retirees in Washington State to examine overtime and excess compensation. Finally, we contracted with a professional actuary who has expertise in public employee retirement systems to review our methods and findings. This report summarizes our findings.
In 2010, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy was directed to study the commitment of sexually violent predators to the Special Commitment Center. The study assignment concentrated on two topics: a population forecast, as well as issues related to treatment participation and less restrictive alternatives.
This first report of two examines the projected future demand for the Special Commitment Center. The second report, which will be published by the end of December 2012, examines residents’ participation in treatment, the annual review process, and the capacity and future demand for less restrictive alternatives.
Washington’s Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) provides a comprehensive array of information, resources and services to unpaid family caregivers caring for adults with functional disabilities. One objective of this program is to delay or avoid placement of the care recipient in long-term care. To expand the program to serve more caregivers, the 2011 Legislature increased funding for the FCSP by $3.45 million for fiscal year 2012. The additional funding was based on assumed savings associated with delayed or avoided placements into more costly Medicaid-paid long-term care (LTC). The legislature also directed the Institute to assess whether the expansion of this program delayed or reduced entry of care recipients into LTC and thereby reduced LTC costs.
The short legislative timeline for this study precluded a comprehensive evaluation. Nonetheless, based on the limited data available, we report two preliminary results. First, we observed a significant delay in the use of LTC by those served during the expansion. Second, we estimate that the maximum savings possible from the expansion would have been $1.67 million in the first year. Since $3.45 million was budgeted for the FCSP expansion, it appears unlikely that the expansion would have been cost neutral, at least in the first year, as assumed in the budget.
We recommend that a longer term evaluation of the expansion be conducted to determine if benefits match cost over an extended period.
Educational Advocates work with schools, social workers, foster families and students to help youth in foster care succeed in school. Advocates were initially available to assist foster students in King County. In 2006, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) started a statewide Educational Advocacy program for foster youth in need of educational assistance.
The 2011 Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to “examine the child welfare and educational characteristics and outcomes for foster youth who are served by educational advocates.” This report includes the results of the evaluation
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy updated its findings on a key public policy question for the Washington State legislature: does spending more money on the K–12 school system lead to better student outcomes? To investigate, we conducted a systematic review of research by analyzing all scientifically rigorous studies we could find on the topic.
Washington State provides supplemental funding to school districts through the Learning Assistance Program (LAP) to help students at-risk of not meeting state learning standards. The state Quality Education Council (QEC) makes recommendations to the legislature regarding basic education, including LAP. The QEC requested that the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) study the impact of LAP-funded remediation strategies on student achievement.
The Institute published a preliminary report in December 2011, finding that the state’s K–12 data system does not reliably identify which students receive LAP-funded services. In response, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) modified district reporting requirements to ensure that LAP students will be identified in state data from 2011-12 and beyond.
This final Institute report describes how LAP is implemented in Washington State, and presents results from a school-level analysis of the association between LAP and student outcomes.
The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) has jurisdiction over offenders when a superior court orders community supervision. While on supervision, offenders must adhere to conditions such as reporting regularly to their Community Corrections Officer (CCO). If conditions are violated, DOC may impose sanctions ranging from reprimands to confinement. Between fiscal years 2002 and 2008, approximately 72 percent of all offenders who had a violation received confinement as a sanction.
We investigate whether the use of confinement—as a sanction for a violation—has an impact on recidivism.
The Independent Youth Housing Program (IYHP) was created in 2007 by Washington’s legislature to provide housing assistance and case management for former foster youth ages 18 to 23. In the current biennium, $1,800,000 is budgeted for IYHP.
The legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study measuring outcomes for youth participating in IYHP. For this study, we identified former foster youth who received IYHP during fiscal year 2010 and looked at their use of state-paid services, and arrests and employment during fiscal year 2011.