1. Early Childhood Outcomes Approved Assessment Tools:
Brigance Inventory of Early Development III (IED III)
Standardized Version
The Brigance Inventory of Early Development III (IED III), Standardized Version – 2013 publishing date, is one of four tools approved by the NM Public Education Department, Special Education Bureau for use as the assessment part for the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) process. It is available in English only.
This standardized version contains 55 key assessment items from the Inventory of Early Development III (normed version). This revised edition was standardized in 2012 using a sample population representative of the U.S. in terms of race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status and geographic location.
Although the Brigance Inventory of Early Development II is still used by many districts, this edition contains updated formatting, clearer directions, and several new tasks. Please note there are substantial, positive differences between the Brigance IED II and the IED III.
The purpose of these webinar is to provide an overview of the Brigance IED III, highlighting unique features of the tool. If you compare it with other approved assessments for the ECO process which have been included in this series, you can see similarities and differences among them. If your district is choosing a new assessment, this overview will help you in your path toward making an informed decision.

2. The Brigance IED III is published by Curriculum Associates
The Brigance IED III is published by Curriculum Associates. For detailed information and contact with the regional rep, go to the website on the slide.
Website:

3. Introduction
The standardized BRIGANCE IED III includes the following skill areas which are designed to align to state and national standards for early childhood:
Physical Development - gross and fine-motor skills
Language Development – expressive and receptive
Academic/Cognitive - literacy and mathematical concepts
Adaptive Behavior - daily living
Social and Emotional Development – interpersonal and self-regulatory
Domains:
Physical Development includes gross and fine motor skills
Language Development includes expressive and receptive language areas
Academic/Cognitive items include literacy and mathematical concepts
Adaptive Behavior domain includes daily living skills
Social and Emotional Development looks at interpersonal and self regulatory skills.
Age Range- Birth through 7 years, 11 months
This is a skill (or domain) based assessment tool. There are 55 total items on the standardized version.

4. Administering the Brigance IED III:
Who can give the assessment?
Is special training needed?
How long does it take to complete the assessment?
Who can give the assessment?
Designed to be administered by classroom/special education educators, developmental and school psychologists, and other education and early childhood professionals including therapists (SLP, PT, OT), health care providers, early childhood providers.
General knowledge of assessment practices and experience administering standardized assessments to children within the age group being assessed.
Is special training needed? NO, but for reliable and valid results, it is necessary for the examiner:
To be very familiar with directions and scoring procedures, including having understanding of the entry, basal, ceiling rules.
To have practice in administering the tool to a child so there is no pause between items.
To strictly follow the directions for each item.
To understand how to accurately record responses on the Scoring Sheet.
How long does it take?
Average of minutes for the first assessment, depending on the child’s developmental level and the number of assessments administered.
Less time after that as the examiner begins with items near previous ceiling to reach a new entry. Unless the examiner thinks the child is regressing in an area, she/he does not need to go back and reassess skills child has shown he/she has previously. There is always the need to re-establish basal and ceiling ranges.

5. Administering the Brigance IED III cont’d:
How often can it be administered?
What materials are needed?
What environments are required?
Publisher provided professional development training videos are located here:
development/subjects.aspx?Subject=brse
How often can it be administered?
The child’s information on the Brigance IED III is updated as needed according to the publisher.
To comply with New Mexico Early Childhood Outcomes reporting, a child is assessed/re-assessed when updating the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF).
What materials are needed?
Standardization and Validation Manual provides standard scores, percentiles, age equivalents, instructional ranges and generates total developmental score.
Other than materials and equipment found in natural environments, the Brigance IED III kit provides specific testing items needed.
What environments are required?
Many items are assessed in the natural environment including while the student is playing in the classroom with peers (e.g. playing dress up and relationships with adults/peers) and outside on the playground (e.g. walking, skipping, jumping).
Some items require the child to work individually with the examiner in a 1-1 situation (e.g. identifying pictures and repeating sentences); others are assessed as the child participates in activities with a group of peers.
Families and others who know the child well can serve as informants for some items (e.g. self-help).
For a video introducing the Brigance IED III in more detail including purpose, features and organization of the tool, visit the link at the bottom of the slide: .

6. Early Childhood Outcomes Categories and the Brigance IED III
Gaining Positive Social Emotional Skills
Learning and Using New Knowledge and Skills
Using Appropriate Behaviors to Meet Their Needs
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) identified 3 early childhood outcomes to examine the effectiveness of programs serving children with disabilities from birth through five years of age.
The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) accountability process has as its overarching goal that children will “be active and successful participants now and in the future in a variety of settings”. There are 3 outcome categories measured and documented on the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF).
Here is a review of each outcome category
1. Gaining positive social emotional skills, including social relationships. This outcome measures how children interact and play with their family members, other adults, and other children. It includes how they communicate, follow group rules and join others in play and work.
2. Learning and using new knowledge and skills. This outcome measures how children learn and use language and communication skills as well as how they gain a better understanding of the world. It might include using math concepts such as counting and applying their knowledge to problem-solve situations.
3. Using appropriate behaviors to meet their needs. This outcome measures how children gradually become more independent by learning how to move from place to place, feed themselves, take care of basic health and safety needs and obtain materials, for example. Skills would also include use of communication skills (gesture, oral language, signing, etc.) to express a message.
Some ECO approved tools include items which assess the child’s functional behaviors that are applicable to all outcome categories. Other assessment tool items do not give information at all or limited information for an outcome. The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center at Frank Porter Graham in North Carolina has created “Crosswalks” which break down each skill item included in a tool into the outcome category to which it relates. Although the publisher has created their own crosswalk chart, it is important to be familiar with the one ECTA has posted on it’s website as this is the one aligned with the ECO outcomes.

7. Gaining Positive Social Emotional Skills
Domain
Assesses the Outcome?
Gross Motor No
Fine Motor
Receptive Language
Expressive Language
Literacy
Mathematics
Daily Living
Interpersonal
Yes
Self-Regulation
This slide shows that some of the items in the Interpersonal and Self-Regulation domains align with those skills measured by EC Outcome 1, gaining positive social emotional skills. The remaining 7 domains cannot be used to assess this indicator.
The specific sub domain item related to the outcome is included on the crosswalk at the ECTA and PSN websites listed in the Resources at the end of the power point.

8. Learning and Using New Knowledge and Skills
Domain
Assesses the Outcome?
Gross Motor No
Fine Motor
Yes
Receptive Language
Expressive Language
Literacy
Mathematics
Daily Living
Interpersonal
Self-Regulation
This slide shows that some of the items in the Fine Motor, Receptive and Expressive Language, Literacy, Mathematics and Daily Living domains align with those skills measured by EC Outcome 2, learning and using new knowledge and skills. The remaining 3 domains are not used to assess this indicator.
The specific items included on the assessment tool can be found on the ECTA crosswalk.

9. Using Appropriate Behaviors to Meet Needs
Domain
Assesses the Outcome?
Gross Motor
Yes
Fine Motor
Receptive Language No
Expressive Language
Literacy
Mathematics
Daily Living
Interpersonal
Self-Regulation
This slide shows that some of the items in the Gross and Fine Motor, and Daily Living domains align with those skills measured by EC Outcome 3, using appropriate behaviors to meet needs.. The remaining 6 domains are not used to assess this indicator.
See the ECTA crosswalk for more details.

10. Family and the Brigance IED III
Explanation to family of Early Childhood Outcomes
Brochure for families to support involvement from PSN website:
For families to understand the use of the Brigance IED III in the assessment of their children immediately upon entry into the preschool special education program and then again at least 6 months later in that same school year, a general explanation of the EC Outcomes will inform them so that they will be better prepared to respond to your request for information, as well as for participating in the COSF completion soon after. PSN has created the brochure pictured on the slide for families which can be downloaded from the website.

11. Family Role In Assessment
Supporting the family members in gaining confidence in their ability to observe their child and share those observations with special education staff.
Develop an increased understanding of how their child is functioning compared to age expectations.
Gain confidence in their ability to observe their child and share those observations with special education staff.
Contribute to IEP Team discussions about their child’s strengths and accomplishments and
the development of appropriate goals.
Families are an essential partner in helping to measure their child’s progress. They know how their child functions in environments that are typical for children (and for their families)! They spend more time with him/her than any other people and are aware of the values they wish to instill. They have been with them longer and know their histories. Encouraging them to share their stories of how their child gets along with family and friends, how he learns and does new things during play, and how she is able to get what she wants at home gives the team an invaluable perspective.
Learn to track and celebrate the progress that their child is making.

12. Family Resources: Home is a learning place -
Reading to kids -
Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) -
School readiness -
The websites included here has 1 – 2 page tip sheets for families that will support their understanding of the role they play and can continue to play in helping their children explore their world. With families providing experiences such as those mentioned in the resources, their children will be more confident and ready for their educational settings.

13. Working together to gather information: INCLUDING THE TEAM
Paraprofessionals
Occupational Therapists
Speech Language Pathologists
Family
Others
Physical therapists
Typically, the entire educational team will report on what they have observed to contribute to a comprehensive profile of the child using The Work Sampling System, 5th Edition assessment tool. However, there are times when some children will only be receiving services from a therapist (e.g. SLP). In that instance, the therapist will be responsible for the completion of the whole standardized assessment. For children enrolled in therapy-only services, the therapist might consider planning for a time when the child could join a classroom or a group setting temporarily to give an opportunity to complete items on the tool such as the social/emotional domains. OR perhaps the therapist could take the child to the playground to observe his/her gross motor skills, and social skills, for example. This information added to the family’s knowledge will satisfy the completion of the profile.

14. On Going Assessment
Assess the domain areas of the Brigance IED III for each child when completing the Child Outcome Summary Form
Certainly each time the child’s COSF is updated (within the first 30 days of the child receiving services in the school year and after at least 6 months of his/her receiving services in that school year), the Brigance IED III is updated. Information from the assessment is included on the form, as it is found relevant for the data summarized. Remember that the COSF is looking for FUNCTIONAL behaviors and actions and the Brigance IED III is isolating DOMAIN SPECIFIC SKILLs. Therefore, it will be necessary to understand how the tool’s information can be looked at as foundational to the actions of the child in typical environments and activities.

15. Resources video overview of Brigance IED III:
user guide with visuals:
Brigance IED III FAQ:
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Early Childhood Outcomes brochure for families:
These first 3 website addresses will give you more in-depth information about the Brigance IED III. The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) has developed many ECO resources through grants from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). You will find crosswalks for ECO use there. The brochure developed by PSN for families to better understand the ECO process in NM is found on the final website.

16. the Preschool Network (PSN)
For more information, contact:
the Preschool Network (PSN)
Thanks for joining us. Please contact the Preschool Network if you have questions about this assessment tool. There are consultants available to support you.