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Structured Decision Making Risk Assessment

Child Welfare
  Literature review updated August 2017.

The Structured Decision Making (SDM) model is a system of assessment tools used at various decision points in the child welfare system. Washington State’s child welfare system has implemented the SDM risk assessment tool to classify families on their risk of further child maltreatment. This effect size is specific to Washington’s implementation of the SDM risk assessment, comparing outcomes for children entering the system after SDM was implemented to children entering the system when the state was using a consensus-based risk assessment. The effect size should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of SDM as a whole or as implemented elsewhere.
 
ALL
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
ES SE Age ES p-value
Out-of-home placement
The removal of a child from parental care, most often to foster care.
 0 1 17986 -0.006 0.015 9 -0.006 0.692

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Miller, M. (2011). Structured Decision-making risk assessment: Does it reduce racial disproportionality in Washington’s child welfare system? (Document No. 11-05-3901). Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy.