In this Share & Learn, the School Dental Programs Workgroup held an interactive session to discuss Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) data collection, data entry into the System for California Oral Health Reporting (SCOHR), and how to overcome challenges you might encounter in this process. You heard from project directors from a few local oral health programs (LOHPs), including San Mateo County and Sonoma County, along with COHTAC and OOH experts who shared resources and tools they have developed to support meeting LOHP work plan objectives 3.1, 3.1.b, 3.1.c, and 3.1.h. We ended the Share & Learn with additional KOHA resources from Smile, California. A subsequent Share & Learn will dive deeper into KOHA data analysis and effectively communicating with KOHA data – bring your KOHA and SCOHR questions to the team!

Learning objectives:

1. Explain the importance of KOHA data.   
2. Share and use tools and resources to help with KOHA data collection and entry into SCOHR.
3. Effectively overcome challenges with entering data into SCOHR.

Speaker bios

Slides

Recording (1:29:29)

Links and resources shared:

• COHTAC's KOHA webpage, Forms subpage, Data subpage, Communication subpage
• KOHA legislation, AB 2630 (adding TK to KOHA) guidance, FAQs about KOHA from OOH
• SCOHR
• Data Input Form
• CDE Free or Reduced-Price Meal Data
• Smile, California materials and resources
  • Medi-Cal Dental Care Coordination Referral Form
  • Smile, California outreach map
  • School readiness webpage
  • Request a KOHA toolkit
  • Smile Care Plan

Q&A:

1. Where can I find the KOHA forms? Are there Spanish or other languages available? You can find all the KOHA forms, including translations into Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, here: https://oralhealthsupport.ucsf.edu/our-programs/school-programs/KOHA/koha-forms.
2. Questions about SCOHR: What do we do if a school isn’t listed on SCOHR? Is it possible to remove schools that no longer exist or remove duplicate accounts for schools? How can I get access to SCOHR and remove users? These are all questions that the SCOHR team alone can help you with: please email them at [email protected] with your questions. If you are having trouble reaching someone, you can forward your question(s) to [email protected] and we will do our best to support you. For updating the list of schools, it may be helpful to provide SCOHR an accurate list of school (CDS) codes by year. The Office of Oral Health (OOH) is also working with SCOHR to see if they can follow up with CDE to get an accurate list of schools per county or if school districts need to contact CDE to place them in the appropriate county and ensure that the correct list of schools is populated for each school year.
3. Is using SCOHR for KOHA data submission mandatory? SCOHR is the state recognized KOHA database: "Upon receiving completed assessments, all school districts, by July 1 of each year, shall submit a report to a system designated by the state dental director." There are a few school districts that created their own database prior to SCOHR; however, we encourage all school districts to use SCOHR.
4. Who is responsible for entering data into SCOHR? It depends on the schools and districts to figure out the process that works for them. We have a KOHA workflow which shows the various ways schools, districts, and the COE can decide to enter in the data – there is no one way. In some places, schools enter in their own data. In more districts, schools total the data, then send it to one district (or LOHP) person who then enters it. Others send their data to one person at their COE. Here is the language regarding reporting: "(f) All school districts that have fulfilled the report requirement described in subdivision (e) by submitting a report to the county office of education and all county offices of education are encouraged to submit the report described in subdivision (e) to a system designated by the state dental director for the collection of those reports.”
5. Do we have to use the tools you’re sharing like the Data Input Form? It will take a very long time for our school staff to learn this, and we are short on nurses – can we continue using our own data collection and reporting systems? Of course you can use the systems you already have in place. The worksheet just helps the nurses do what they're already doing – having to total all the data for each student. Nothing is shared that shouldn't be if you use the Excel doc. Nurses can just use the document to help them more easily count all the totals that are required in SCOHR. That second tab auto-totals everything they need in SCOHR, and protects privacy because only aggregate data is getting entered in. It's just another tool for them, as they're already having to total all these numbers from each of the forms anyway.
6. Which schools are required to comply with KOHA requirements? All public schools are required to comply with KOHA per EC 49452.8. CDE’s definition of public schools can be found here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/si/ds/dos.asp. While there is currently no penalty for not complying, KOHA reporting is mandated. Empowering schools to input their data works: host SCOHR trainings, offer to provide them with a toolkit and signing their health tech team up for SCOHR, explain to them the importance of oral health, and create a safe space for explaining the mandate, etc. As LOHPs, you can offer school-based or -linked oral health programs and bring in providers to host KOHA events.
7. Can SCOHR data be shared with our coalition members? Yes! This is a great way to get school partners engaged in your work. One thing to watch is participation rates because if schools don’t have a very high percentage of returned forms, you can’t be confident that the outcome data are correct. If you have a higher percentage of “proof of assessment,” you can be more confident your untreated decay and caries outcome data are better and more accurate.
8. Do we need an MOU to notify parents if names/identifiers/demographic information is being shared as part of the summary report? Sonoma County does share this information with the clinics they work with to facilitate referrals (including name, phone number, age of child), since information sharing is HIPAA and FERPA compliant, though parents can opt out (passive consent). This is included in their school parent handbook here (see page 91): https://www.srcschools.org/families/handbooks. You can also add the data sharing in your MOU with schools/school districts and add a note in the consent language. In San Diego, school nurses follow up on urgent referrals by speaking with the parent/guardian and the parent/guardian would then provide the info and allow sharing. You can tell parents (in the consent or other forms) that the data might be shared with partners and to facilitate connections to care. Their demographic data is not being shared in SCOHR if the data are aggregate data, which is how the majority of LOHPs submit their data. Only if the school/district has a "participating" SCOHR account would this be the case. Very few schools and districts across the state are "participating;" most only submit aggregate data.
9. Why is the program letter regarding the 6/30/25 deliverables coming out so late? The OOH has been juggling multiple competing priorities, including community water fluoridation and other major changes in policy; however, part of the program letter will explain updated timelines and extensions to deadlines.
10. Have any LOHPs used the Medi-Cal Dental Care Coordination form? After we submit the form, what is the process usually? Will someone directly contact the client? Sonoma County has used it with success. Some families report challenges with translation/interpretation, but Medi-Cal Dental keeps detailed contact records, so you can follow up with them to check on a particular referral as long as all parties have consent for sharing this information. It can be a high-touch, resource-intensive process to get someone into care. Once you submit the form, a care coordination team member will contact the Medi-Cal Dental member in 24-48 hours.
11. Is the Smile Care Plan (from Smile, California) available electronically as a fillable PDF? I like this form, but most schools want to email it so since it's paper they decline to use it. Yes – here it is in several languages: English/Spanish, Cambodian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Korean, Hmong.
12. Is there a maximum amount of printed material that you (Smile, California) can provide the LOHP? We have small printing budgets. Up to 500! Provide information about the event(s) you want materials for – how many materials you want, expected number of attendees, demographic of attendees, when the event will take place – to [email protected]; they will get back to you within two business days.
13. Is the Smile, California KOHA toolkit for LOHPs or can we promote our schools requesting the kit? KOHA toolkits are for LOHPs, schools, and select nonprofits. These free toolkits are designed to support outreach events and provide valuable resources to the communities our partners serve. Each toolkit includes enough materials for an event of up to 50 people and contains: KOHA poster, Medi-Cal Has Dental Covered flyer, branded toothbrushes, and Seal Today to Prevent Decay fotonovela. Partners can request a toolkit by filling out this form.