Early Childhood Outcomes Center Orientation for New Outcomes Conference Participants Lynne Kahn Christina Kasprzak Kathy Hebbeler The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 2 What We Will Cover  Why measure child and family outcomes?  Family Indicator C4  Indicators C3 and B7  The three child outcomes  The 5 progress categories  The 2 summary statements  Approaches to child outcomes  Common challenges

Why are state early intervention and preschool special education agencies collecting data on child and family outcomes? 3

Why? Accountability Federal government (Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education) requires that states submit data on outcomes In some states, policy-makers are asking for outcome data Program Improvement State agencies (and local programs) want to use data on outcomes to improve services for children and families 4

Federal Forces Proving Impetus for Data on Child Outcomes Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 5

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 6 SEC > MONITORING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND ENFORCEMENT. `` Federal and State Monitoring`` (2) Focused monitoring.--The primary focus of Federal and State monitoring activities described in paragraph (1) shall be on-- `` (A) improving educational results and functional outcomes for all children with disabilities;

Family Indicator: C4 7 Early Childhood Outcomes Center

APR Requirements for Part C Percent of families participating in Part C who report that EI services have helped the family: Know their rights Effectively communicate their children’s needs Help their children develop and learn Early Childhood Outcomes Center

APR Requirements for Part B, Section 619 Preschool Programs Percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities no specific indicator for preschool, nor the expectation for examining preschool family involvement separately from Part B Early Childhood Outcomes Center

Data collection instruments ECO Family Outcomes Survey, Items (25 states) NCSEAM Impact on Family Scale (25 states) State Survey (6 states)

Comparison of the ECO and NCSEAM instruments in relation to content  The instruments were developed separately by ECO and NCSEAM, but both centers used significant input from families and other stakeholders to develop instrument content  The content of both instruments goes beyond the content of the three indicators specified in Part C Indicator 4

Challenges Related to Family Surveys Need to increase the response rates Determining and increasing the representativeness of the data Interpreting the data to improve outcomes for families Early Childhood Outcomes Center 12

OSEP Reporting Requirements: Child Outcomes 13 Early Childhood Outcomes Center

14 Goal of Early Intervention “…To enable young children to be active and successful participants during the early childhood years and in the future in a variety of settings – in their homes with their families, in child care, in preschool or school programs, and in the community.” (from Early Childhood Outcomes Center,

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 15 Understanding the Three Child Outcomes

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 16 Three Child Outcomes Children have positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships) Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (including early language/communication [and early literacy]) Children use appropriate behaviors to meet their needs

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 17 Outcomes Are Functional Functional outcomes: Refer to things that are meaningful to the child in the context of everyday living Refer to an integrated series of behaviors or skills that allow the child to achieve the important everyday goals

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 18 Functional Outcomes are NOT A single behavior The sum of a series of discrete behaviors or splinter skills such as….. *Knows 10 words*Pincer grasp (picks up a raisin) *Smiles at mom *Goes up and down stairs with one foot on each stair *Stacks 3 blocks

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 19 Functional Outcomes Not domains-based, not separating child development into discrete areas (communication, gross motor, etc.) Refer to behaviors that integrate skills across domains Almost always involve multiple domains Emphasize how the child is able to carry out meaningful behaviors in a meaningful context

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 20 Thinking Functionally Discrete behaviors (e.g., those described by some items on assessments) may or may not be important to the child’s functioning on the outcome Individually, they are not especially informative Summed, they may or may not be useful, depending on the functionality of the behaviors/items

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 21 Children Have Positive Social Relationships Involves: Relating with adults Relating with other children For older children, following rules related to groups or interacting with others Includes areas like: Attachment/separation/autonomy Expressing emotions and feelings Learning rules and expectations Social interactions and play

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 22 Children Acquire and Use Knowledge and Skills Involves: Thinking Reasoning Remembering Problem solving Using symbols and language Understanding physical and social worlds Includes : Early concepts—symbols, pictures, numbers, classification, spatial relationships Imitation Object permanence Expressive language and communication Early literacy

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 23 Children Take Appropriate Action to Meet Their Needs Involves: Taking care of basic needs Getting from place to place Using tools (e.g., fork, toothbrush, crayon) In older children, contributing to their own health and safety Includes: Integrating motor skills to complete tasks Self-help skills (e.g., dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting, household responsibility) Acting on the world to get what one wants

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 24 Taking Action to Meet Needs Includes Integrating various skills (gross motor, fine motor, communication skills) to complete tasks Self help skills (feeding, dressing, toileting, household task) Acting on the world to get what he or she wants Not JUST acting on the world: takes APPROPRIATE action to meet needs

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 25 Outcomes Reflect Global Functioning Each outcome is a snapshot of: The whole child Status of the child’s current functioning Functioning across settings and situations Rather than: Skill by skill In one standardized way Split by domains

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 26 OSEP Reporting Categories Percentage of children who: a.Did not improve functioning b.Improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to functioning comparable to same-aged peers c.Improved functioning to a level nearer to same-aged peers but did not reach it d.Improved functioning to reach a level comparable to same-aged peers e.Maintained functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers 3 outcomes x 5 “measures” = 15 numbers

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 27 Helping Children Move Toward Age- expected functioning Assumption: Children can be described with regard to how close they are to age expected functioning for each of the 3 outcomes By definition, most children in the general population demonstrate the outcome in an age-expected way By providing services and supports, ECSE is trying to move children closer to age expected behavior

Early Childhood Outcomes Center FunctioningFunctioning

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 29 Entry 14

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 30 EntryExit 15

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 31 EntryExit 16

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 32 Key Point The OSEP categories describe types of progress children can make between entry and exit Two scores or ratings (entry and exit) are needed to calculate what OSEP category describes a child progress

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 33 Understanding the reporting categories a - e e. % of children who maintain functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 34 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 35 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 36 d. % of children who improve functioning to reach a level comparable to same-aged peers

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 37 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 38 c. % of children who improved functioning to a level nearer to same aged peers, but did not reach it

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 39 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 40 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 41 b. % of children who improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to same aged peers

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 42 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 43 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 44 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 45 a. % of children who did not improve functioning

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 46 EntryExit

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 47 EntryExit

The Summary Statements 1. Of those children who entered the program below age expectations in each Outcome, the percent who substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they turned 3 [6] years of age or exited the program. c + d/ (a+b+c+d) 48

The Summary Statements 2. The percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each Outcome by the time they turned 3 [6] years of age or exited the program. d + e 49

The concepts are easier than the words or the formulas Summary statement 1: How many children changed growth trajectories during their time in the program? Summary statement 2: How many children were functioning like same aged peers when they left the program? 50

Approach Part C (56 states) Preschool (59 states) 7-point COSF41 (73%) 36 (61%) One statewide tool 7 (13%) 9(15%) Publishers’ online analysis 3 (5%)6 (10%)* Other5 (9%) 7 (12%) State Approaches to Measuring Child Outcomes

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 52 All approaches have challenges ApproachChallenges One tool statewide Defining age expectations Defining age expectations Determining cutoffs for enough progress to be considered a change in growth trajectory Determining cutoffs for enough progress to be considered a change in growth trajectory

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 53 All approaches have challenges ApproachChallenges Publishers’ analysis of on- line assessment tools Aligning assessment tool items with the 3 outcomes Aligning assessment tool items with the 3 outcomes Programming the analysis to be comparable to other measurement approaches Programming the analysis to be comparable to other measurement approaches

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 54 All approaches have challenges ApproachChallenges Child Outcome Summary Form Getting consistency of interpretation and use Getting consistency of interpretation and use Requires understanding of child development Requires understanding of child development

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 55 Themes of Agenda Sessions Quality Assurance Quality Assurance Training and TA – state strategies and resources Training and TA – state strategies and resources Collaboration Collaboration Part C and 619 Preschool Part C and 619 Preschool Across Early Care and Education Across Early Care and Education Understanding and communicating outcomes data at the local and family level Understanding and communicating outcomes data at the local and family level

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 56 Themes of Agenda Sessions Using data for program improvement Using data for program improvement Family outcomes Family outcomes Using data for improving family services and supports Using data for improving family services and supports Return rates and representative data Return rates and representative data

Questions or comments? Early Childhood Outcomes Center 57