Stephanie Lee, Steve Aos, Marna Miller - May 2008

The 2007 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to study evidence-based, cost-effective programs and policies to reduce the likelihood of children entering and remaining in the child welfare system, including both prevention and intervention programs.
The “bottom line” goal of the study is to provide the legislature with reliable estimates of the costs and benefits of prevention and intervention programs that are designed to reduce involvement in the child welfare system.

Roxanne Lieb, Corey Nunlist - March 2008

The 1990 Legislature directed the Institute to evaluate the effectiveness of the Community Protection Act. As part of this evaluation, the Institute contracted in 1997 with the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center (SESRC) at Washington State University to conduct telephone interviews with a sample of Washington State residents regarding the community notification provisions of the Community Protection Act.

In 2007, the Institute again contracted with SESRC to conduct a nearly identical survey and learn how responses may have changed. The results from both surveys indicate that the vast majority of Washington State residents are familiar with Washington’s community notification law and consider the law very important.

Mason Burley - March 2008

A 2001 report by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) reported the gap in standardized test scores between Washington State foster youth and non-foster youth. The analysis conducted in 2001 was based on statewide, norm-referenced assessment tests. In 2005, however, the state no longer required school districts to administer these tests, shifting instead to the criterion-based Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The Children’s Administration (DSHS) has asked to Institute to analyze WASL results for foster youth in 4th, 7th, and 10th grades. This report builds on previous work by the Institute analyzing the educational attainment of foster youth. In addition to comparing WASL results for foster and non-foster youth, we 1) analyze factors that influence the WASL test scores of foster youth, 2) describe the background of youth in foster care and analyze how these characteristics are related to their educational status, and 3) review relevant research findings and policy changes.

Jim Mayfield, David Lovell - February 2008

In 1999, legislation was passed to better identify and provide additional mental health treatment for mentally ill offenders who were released from prison, who pose a threat to public safety, and agree to participate in the program. A “Dangerous Mentally Ill Offender” (DMIO) is defined by the legislation as a person with a mental disorder who has been determined to be dangerous to self or others.

As part of its legislative mandate, the Institute has published a series of reports that evaluate the DMIO program. Reports published in 2005 and 2007 demonstrated that the DMIO program significantly reduced felony recidivism, and this 2008 follow-up report finds that reductions in felony recidivism were sustained at the 3-year mark. The benefit-cost analysis in this report indicates that the reductions in DMIO recidivism generated greater financial benefits than program costs.

Elizabeth Drake - January 2008

The Institute was directed by the 2002 Legislature to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug offense sentencing grid implemented in 2003. This preliminary report discusses changes in the sentencing grid and outlines our research design for the final report due in December 2008. In the final report, we will evaluate the effectiveness of the drug offense grid on recidivism and determine the financial impacts.

Wade Cole - January 2008

This report examines the effectiveness of Promoting Academic Success (PAS) for students in the class of 2008, where effectiveness is defined as the difference in performance on WASL retakes for students who did and did not participate in PAS. We conducted statistical analyses to evaluate effectiveness by subgroup, by PAS session, and overall effectiveness.

Wade Cole - January 2008

This report provides an updated look at student performance on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) for the classes of 2008 and 2009. The analyses include results from the most recent WASL administration in summer 2007.

Annie Pennucci - January 2008

The Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to “develop an estimate of the number of students statewide likely to participate in” high school completion programs authorized by 2007 legislation (HB 1051). Based on the most recent data available, up to 424 students in the class of 2008 would be eligible statewide. This report briefly reviews the methods used to develop this estimate.

Stephanie Lee - January 2008

The 2007 Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to study programs and policies that show evidence of reduced involvement in the child welfare system. The study intends to provide the legislature with reliable estimates of the costs and benefits of evidence-based prevention and intervention programs; this update outlines our research steps.

Laura Schrager, Corey Nunlist - January 2008

The Foster Care to College Partnership is a three-year collaboration among six agencies to improve high school graduation and college enrollment rates among foster youth. One of the major initiatives undertaken by the partnership is a four-day summer program to encourage post-secondary enrollment and persistence among youth in foster care.

This report presents information from surveys filled out by participants at the first three summer programs. These surveys show an increase in readiness to apply to college, knowledge of how to apply for financial aid and pay for college, and knowledge of college life. Later reports by the Institute will examine whether the program affects college enrollment and college persistence rates.