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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Women’s Height

6. Investing in Quality Early Childhood Education in Maryland

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.

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

18. 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.

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

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

21. Complementary Processes of Assessment
Documentation
Evaluation

22. 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

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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Morning Break

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

28. 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

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

30. 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

31. Organization of Guidelines
Domain
Functional Component
Performance Indicator
Rationale
Examples

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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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.

39. 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

40. 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

42. 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).

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. “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

46. 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

47. 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

48. Maryland’s Birth through Five Child Outcomes System

49. 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

50. Vocabulary
MMSR
WSS
ECAS
COSF
Framework
Tool
Data system

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

52. 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)

53. 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.

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

55. 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

56. 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.

57. 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

58. Child Outcomes Summary Form
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

59. 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.

60. Why do we care about___ ?
MMSR
WSS
ECAS
COSF

61. 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

62. 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.

63. 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
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