A Community-Based Participatory Investigation of Consequential Validity With Youth Risk Assessments

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 5:10 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Using Data for Decision Making to Promote Student Learning (Table 2)

Abstract

Educators, administrators, courts, and youth service providers use youth risk assessments to identify behavioral, academic, and social risks to inform tailored interventions and action plans for students. Through a year-long community-based participatory research approach with three Washington school districts, local educators co-developed three models of use to document how these assessments are historically, socially, and politically embedded within their communities. We explore the intended and unintended consequences of youth risk assessments in rural, suburban, and urban districts. Some districts enhanced student engagement through targeted interventions, while others faced setbacks due to an overreliance on quantitative metrics. Results emphasize the importance of context in applying assessments and advocate for greater community involvement in the development and evaluation of youth risk assessments.

Authors

• Thao Vo, Washington State University

• Brian F. French, Washington State University