The Maryland Model for School Readiness for Preschool a statewide collaborative approach to promote school readiness through professional development

Alphabet Soup COSF ECAS IDEA MMSR MSDE NCLB OSEP PLOD PLOP WSS

Alphabet Soup IDEA MMSR MSDE COSF ECAS Child Outcome Summary Form ECAS Early Childhood Accountability System IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act MMSR Maryland Model for School Readiness MSDE Maryland State Department of Education

Alphabet Soup NCLB No Child Left Behind Act OSEP Office of Special Education Programs PLOD Present Levels of Development PLOP Present Levels of Performance WSS Work Sampling System

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Investing in Quality Early Childhood Education in Maryland

Purpose: To improve results for children ages 3 and 4 with disabilities and their families Modules 1 &2 To demonstrate efficacy of early intervention & preschool special education services To maximize intervention and instructional strategies

Purpose: To improve results for children ages 3 and 4 with disabilities and their families Modules 3 & 4 (next session) To provide developmentally appropriate services to promote a child’s school readiness To provide supports, services, and programs for all children that are individualized and differentiated

GOAL# 1 To demonstrate efficacy of early intervention & special education services To understand relationship to Maryland early childhood and general education curriculum, development and assessment MMSR WSS To understand federal accountability and program effectiveness ECAS COSF

GOAL# 2 To maximize intervention and instruction strategies To measure accurately the PLOD, PLOP, and individual child progress WSS Exemplars Healthy Beginnings To develop IFSP outcomes & IEP goals School Readiness To provide differentiated Strategies Activities Learning opportunities Objectives

All children in America will start school ready to learn National Education Goal # 1: Ready to Learn All children in America will start school ready to learn

The Purpose of the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) To improve the performance of kindergarten, prekindergarten, and preschool special education students by providing intensive professional development for teachers and other early childhood providers such as Head Start and child care

The Five Components of MMSR Maryland Model for School Readiness The Five Components of MMSR Communication Collaboration and Coordination Staff development Five Components Assessment Instruction M M S R

The Five Components of MMSR Maryland Model for School Readiness The Five Components of MMSR Communication IFSP, IEP Collaboration and Coordination ECAS, COSF Staff development MMSR for Preschool Five Components Highlighting children ages 3 and 4 with disabilities and their families Instruction Differentiation Assessment WSS M M S R

MMSR Framework Defines what children should know and be able to do by the end of kindergarten. It encompasses: Maryland’s definition of school readiness Learning standards, indicators, and objectives for kindergarten, prekindergarten, and preschool three-year-olds A systematic assessment method that is aligned with the State Curriculum and supports classroom instruction

MMSR School Readiness Definition The state of early development that enables an individual child to engage in and benefit from early learning experiences. As a result of family nurturing and interactions with others, a young child in this stage has reached certain levels of social and emotional development, cognition and general knowledge, language development, and physical well-being and motor development. School readiness acknowledges individual approaches toward learning as well as the unique experiences and backgrounds of each child.

Reflections What do you bring to MMSR? How do you define assessment? What assessment strategies are you currently using?

Definition of Assessment The process of gathering specific information about a child’s knowledge, skills, preferences, behavior, and/or other unique characteristics for the purpose of making a decision about a child. Source: McLean, M. E., Wolery, M., & Bailey, D. B. (2003). Assessing infants and preschoolers with special needs (3rd ed.). NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Purposes of Evaluation and Assessment Eligibility determination Individualized results-oriented decision making for individual children and families Accountability for federal, State and local requirements

Evaluation and Assessment Best Practices Families as Partners Culturally Sensitive Evidence Based Quantitative & Qualitative Data Multidisciplinary, multidimensional across domains Authentic & Functional

Complementary Processes of Assessment Documentation Evaluation

Features of Authentic Performance Assessment Keeps track of individual student achievement Based on actual examples of activities in classrooms and natural environments Provides ongoing information from multiple points in time

On-Demand Assessment Students perform tasks when asked Tasks may or may not be familiar to the student

Curriculum-Embedded Assessments Assessment occurs in the context of classroom, childcare, or activities in the home Student’s routine performances are the “data” for the assessment

Guidelines for Appropriate Assessment Developmentally appropriate assessment is: Ongoing, strategic, and purposeful Used to benefit children Systematic and integrated with curriculum planning Aligned with goals of the curriculum and goals for individual children Tailored to a specific purpose and used only for the purpose for which it has been designed Responsive to individual and cultural differences Dependent on multiple sources of information

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Purposes of Guidelines and Checklists Focus observation Summarize and interpret collected observations Provide valid criteria for evaluation Support curriculum and instruction

National Standards Work Sampling incorporates the standards of: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Council of Teachers of English American Association of the Advancement of Science Work Sampling is consistent with: National Education Goals Panel Developmentally Appropriate Practice as defined by NAEYC

Organization of Checklists Domain Functional Component Performance Indicator Collection Periods (F, W, S) Ratings Identifying Information Front Cover Back Cover

Checklist Ratings Needs Development The skill, knowledge, or behavior has not been demonstrated In Process The skill, knowledge, or behavior is emergent, and is not demonstrated consistently Proficient The skill, knowledge, or behavior is firmly within the child’s range of performance

Organization of Guidelines Domain Functional Component Performance Indicator Rationale Examples

Review Checklists Periodically, Make Preliminary Ratings Observe and Record Review and Rate

Completing the Checklist Documentation (Your ongoing observations) Ongoing observations are the data Data must be factual Evaluation (Your checklist ratings) Judgments or interpretations Based on multiple observations over time

What are the MMSR Exemplars? Describe the performance – Proficient, In Process, Needs Development for each of the 66 Kindergarten WSS indicators, and 55 Prekindergarten indicators and 49 indicators for Preschool-3 year olds for fall and spring. Developed by a cadre of early childhood educators Based on the MMSR/VSC Standards, Indicators, and Objectives Describe performance at the objective level which is more specific than the indicator level Illustrate behaviors a teacher looks for when determining student performance Used to ensure statewide consistency and reliability when rating students on the WSS indicators

Jablon, Dombro, and Dichtelmiller (1999). The Power of Observation Observing can help you go beyond your expectations and assumptions to see the many dimensions of a child that are revealed over time, The subtle shift from seeing observing as a skill to seeing it as an open attitude essential to good teaching makes an enormous difference. Jablon, Dombro, and Dichtelmiller (1999). The Power of Observation

After Lunch Understanding how ECAS fits Using the MMSR Exemplars for preschool-3 year olds Making ratings on WSS Healthy Beginnings Tool for outcome development, planning and programming To plan for a child you know

IDEA The Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 (IDEA 2004) requires that states report on the progress of preschool children with disabilities receiving special education and related services.

Maryland Early Childhood Accountability System (ECAS) Statewide system Measuring Collecting Reporting data Individual children’s participation Preschool special education programs and services Program Effectiveness Based on Results for Children

Maryland Early Childhood Accountability System (ECAS) Online data system & decision making tool Captures WSS ratings for Entry, Exit, and interim points in time For children 3 through 5 receiving special education or early intervention services

Maryland’s Approach The intent of MMSR is the use of developmentally appropriate practices with all children MMSR promotes a common language among early childhood general and special educators by enabling a view of children through a shared lens. MMSR is a developmental frame of reference for aligning IEP goals with the State Learning Standards/State Curriculum (SC).

What are the OSEP Child Outcomes? Children have positive social relationships. Outcome #2: Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (including language/communication). Outcome #3: Children take appropriate action to meet their needs.

Early Childhood Outcomes Center crosswalked indicators At each age level of the WSS With one or more of the three functional child outcomes required by OSEP For measuring the effectiveness of preschool special education programs.

“PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION” defined Children with an IEP* Children 3 through 5 years of age * In Maryland, children on the Extended IFSP Option are included

ECAS ENTRY (all items on WSS P-3, P-4) 3 years old with an Extended IFSP Upon entering special education Transitioning from Infants and Toddlers New through Child Find Moving in to jurisdiction EXIT (all items on the WSS P-3, P-4, K) Upon exiting special education; met goals and objectives End of kindergarten year Enter completed WSS checklist ratings into the web-based ECAS data collection tool

Kindergarten Readiness One time only Due within the first 2 weeks in November Only 30 WSS items completed Enter completed WSS checklist ratings into the On Line MMSR System

Maryland’s Birth through Five Child Outcomes System

MSDE requirements LOCAL jurisdictions Status at Entry into preschool special education, or at age 3 for those continuing on the IFSP, WSS sent to ECAS (all WSS items) Progress at Exit out of preschool special education WSS sent to ECAS (all WSS items) Fall of Kindergarten year in November of kindergarten year sent to MMSR Online (only WSS 30 items) LOCAL jurisdictions May choose to complete WSS more often Judy Centers Pre-k programs Kindergarten programs

Vocabulary MMSR WSS ECAS COSF Framework Tool Data system

COSF-ECAS-MMSR-WSS is the framework. is the observation tool is the data system is the framework . MMSR WSS ECAS COSF

Status At Entry /Exit Data Collection Process Work Sampling System: select appropriate checklist based on age of child JULY 1, 2011 is the implementation date for children on the Extended Option who turn 3 on or after 2/1/2011) Collect examples of child’s work (documented observations or actual samples); collection occurs over 6-8 weeks at age 3 with the Extended IFSP or after initiation of services under initial IEP At end of collection period, complete ratings for all indicators K for 5 year olds (66 items; not limited to 30 items modified checklist) P4 for four year olds (55 items; not limited to 29 items modified checklist) P3 for three year olds (49 items total)

E category is pink line – maintained functioning E category is pink line – maintained functioning. Regular developmental trajectory. D is beige line – children who caught up by the time they left services. Red line is those that narrowed the gap – C category. Yellow is B – children who made progress, but didn’t narrow or close the gap. Blue is children who did not make progress. That’s the a category. SS1 includes children in C and D. Those are the children who changed their developmental trajectory.

ECAS Reflections What is its relationship to MMSR? How does WSS fit in? Who benefits? How does it touch you?

Child Outcome Summary (COSF) Framework for measuring child outcomes for young children whose services are provided through an IFSP Provides a mechanism to create a comprehensive, coordinated, high-quality assessment system birth through five Supports national research and recommendations of Maryland’s Assessment Think Tank Supports results of Maryland’s PLOD/COSF comparison data Models evidence-based best practices for early childhood assessment

Assessment should focus on… What does the child usually do? Actual performance across settings and situations How the child uses his/her skills to accomplish tasks Not the child’s capacity to function under unusual or ideal circumstances Not necessarily the child’s performance in a structured testing situation Application of knowledge and skills in more realistic situations.

Best Practices for Early Childhood Assessment and the COSF framework A framework using multiple tools/sources of information gathered across settings including: Family input Formal & informal assessment Observation Clinical opinion Other caregiver input Other sources Engages family in the evaluation process

Child Outcomes Summary Form Early Childhood Outcomes Center

E category is pink line – maintained functioning E category is pink line – maintained functioning. Regular developmental trajectory. D is beige line – children who caught up by the time they left services. Red line is those that narrowed the gap – C category. Yellow is B – children who made progress, but didn’t narrow or close the gap. Blue is children who did not make progress. That’s the a category. SS1 includes children in C and D. Those are the children who changed their developmental trajectory.

Why do we care about___ ? MMSR WSS ECAS COSF

The Five Components of MMSR Maryland Model for School Readiness The Five Components of MMSR Communication IFSP, IEP Collaboration and Coordination ECAS, COSF Staff development MMSR for Preschool Five Components Highlighting children ages 3 and 4 with disabilities and their families Instruction Differentiation Assessment WSS M M S R

Planning for Krystopher Choose a WSS indicator in your assigned area for Krystopher. Identify a skill that is specific to that indicator and write it on a chart. List on the chart 3 daily routines during which you can reinforce that skill. Beside each of the 3 daily routines, describe what you will do to support Krystopher’s learning related to that skill.

Assignment Choose a 3 year old student Observe and practice using the WSS Bring the student’s file (without names) WSS Ratings Work samples IFSP outcomes or IEP goals/objectives JOIN US at the NEXT SESSION