Abstract

Improving Educational Outcomes of Vulnerable Children, Evidence Based Decision Making of Financing, Programming and Funding Allocation in British Columbia

Martin Wright

Since 1996, the province of British Columbia has funded services, delivered in schools, designed to improve educational outcomes of vulnerable children (children living in socio-economic deprivation). Despite much anecdotal testimony as to their effectiveness, more rigorous measures were required to satisfy the evidence -based funding criteria needed by the provinces's Treasury Board. This presentation outlines the research undertaken that statistically linked services to positive outcomes through calculating socio-economic gradients in education and testing the hypothesis of 'double jeopardy'. It also includes how the issue of regional funding allocation was addressed and the implications for performance measurement.

Bio

Martin Wright is the Senior Economist of the Ministry of Children and Family Development of British Columbia. He leads a team of Economists whose primary responsibilities include resource allocation modelling, caseload and expenditure forecasting, cost/benefit analyses, producing key evidence for decision making, program effectiveness and economic and program/policy impact and evaluation. Martin has a keen interest in solution-focussed applied research and has several publications pending. He also recently co-authored a chapter that examined trends and their reasons of Children in Care in BC (Too Small to See, Too Big to Ignore, Hayes & Foster, Western Geographical series 35). Martin holds a Master of Science degree in economics from the university of Wales, Cardiff, UK.

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