Indicator 7: Measuring Preschool Outcomes

Cycle II – Cohort 3

Web/Call Training – November 2009

Pat Cameron – Department of Early Education and Careand

Donna Traynham – Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Review of Indicator 7

Measuring baseline and progress/exit data on preschoolers with disabilities in three developmental domains:

Positive social emotional skills (including positive social relationships)

Acquisition of skills and knowledge (including early language/communication and early literacy)

Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs

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Reporting Baseline Data

Baseline data are:

the percentage of preschool children with disabilities who exhibit skills and behaviors that are comparable to same age peers

the percentage of preschool children whose skills are not comparable to same age peers

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Assessment Tools

Districts are able to use a wide variety of formative assessment tools that measure a child’s functioning in these developmental domains

IMPORTANT – these three domains may or may not be in the area of disability – so eligibility assessments can not be your only data source and may in fact be irrelevant

Gather data from various sources who know the child (i.e., classroom teachers, related service providers, child care, parents)

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Early Childhood Outcomes Center

ECO Center has “crosswalked” assessment tools to the outcomes

Crosswalks show which sections of assessment are related to each outcome

The number of items addressing an outcome does not necessarily mean that the assessment captures functioning across settings

www.the-eco-center.org

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The High/Scope Preschool Child Observation Record (2003): Crosswalk to Child Outcomes

Outcome 1:

Positive social relationships

Outcome 2:

Knowledge and skills

Outcome 3: Action to meet needs

I. Initiative C. Initiating play [social context of play] II. Social Relations E. Relating to adults F. Relating to other children G. Resolving interpersonal conflict H. Understanding and expressing feelings V. Language & Literacy Q. Listening to and understanding speech

III. Creative Representation I. Making and building models J. Drawing and painting pictures K. Pretending V. Language & Literacy R. Using vocabulary S. Using complex patterns of speech T. Showing awareness of sounds in words U. Demonstrating knowledge about books V. Using letter names and sounds W. Reading X. Writing VI. Mathematics & Science Y. Sorting objects Z. Identifying patterns AA. Comparing properties BB. Counting CC. Identifying position and direction DD. Identifying sequence, change, and

causality EE. Identifying materials and properties FF. Identifying natural and living things

I. Initiative A. Making choices and plans B. Solving problems with materials D. Taking care of personal needs

Note: Areas that are not precursor to or components of any of the three outcomes, and therefore not included in the crosswalk, were: IV. Movement & Music:

L. Moving in various ways M. Moving with objects N. Feeling and expressing steady beat O. Moving to music P. Singing

Children Have Positive Social Relationships

Involves:Relating with adultsRelating with other childrenFor older children- following rules

related to groups or interacting with others

Includes areas like:Attachment/separation/ autonomyExpressing emotions and feelingsLearning rules and expectationsSocial interactions and play

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Children Acquire and Use Knowledge and Skills

Involves:Thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-

solvingUsing symbols and languageUnderstanding physical and social worlds

Includes:Early concepts – symbols, pictures, numbers,

classification, spatial relationships ImitationObject permanenceExpressive language and communicationEarly literacy

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Children Take Appropriate Action to Meet Their Needs

Involves:Taking care of basic needsGetting from place to placeUsing tools 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

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Functional Outcomes

Functional refers to things that are meaningful to the child in the context of everyday living

Refers to an integrated series of behaviors or skills that allow the child to achieve the outcomes

They are not a single behavior; nor are they the sum of a series of

discrete behaviors

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Functional Outcomes, cont.

They cross domains– do not separate child development into discrete areas (communication, gross motor, etc.)

Emphasis is on how the child is able to carry out meaningful behaviors in a meaningful context

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Thinking Functionally

Uses finger in pointing motion Knows how to make eye contact Smiles Give hugs when prompted Can imitate a gesture when prompted by

others Takes 4 steps on 6 inch balance beam Climbs 6 stairs, one foot on each step

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Using your baseline data

Once you have gathered and reported baseline data – use it to inform instruction inform curriculum identify areas that need improvement

and areas of child’s strengths for success

“peer pairing”

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Why the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF)?

No assessment instrument assesses the 3 outcomes directly

Many states will allow local programs to use different assessment instruments, and outcomes data will need to be aggregated

The summary form’s 7 point rating scale defines a child’s current functioning in a metric that can be compared over time to reflect child progress

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Features of the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF)

Not an assessment tool Uses information from assessment

tools and other data sources to determine an overall rating of how the child is functioning in each outcome area, at one point in time

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Features of the Child Outcomes Summary Form

7-point rating scale Rating is based on child’s functioning:

How a child functions across settings and situations

Compared to what is expected of a child his/her age

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Helping Children Move Toward Age-Expected Functioning

Assumption: Children can be described with regard to how close they are to age-expected behavior in 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, Early Childhood Special Education is trying to move children closer to age-expected behavior

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Measuring Functioning Compared to Age-Expectations

Documenting children’s movement toward age-expected development is one type of evidence that program services are effective

The Child Outcome Summary Form (COSF) was designed to measure this type of progress

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Essential Knowledge for Completing the COSF

Team members need to know: The child’s functioning across

settings and situations Age-expected child development Content of the 3 outcome areas How to use the rating scale

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Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF)

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A Domain Score on an Assessment Tool Does Not Necessarily Translate Directly into an Outcome Rating

Ratings require Looking at functional behaviors, and

Collecting and synthesizing input from many sources familiar with the child across different settings and situations.

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Summary Ratings are Based on…

Types of Evidence Curriculum-based

assessments (e.g., HELP)

Norm-referenced assessments (e.g.,BDI-2)

Developmental screenings (e.g., Ages and Stages)

Parent and professional observation and report

Sources of Evidence Parents and family

members Service providers Therapists Physicians Child care providers Teachers People familiar with

the child in all the settings and situations that he/she is in

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Ratings on the 3 Child Outcomes

Ratings on all 3 outcomes should be reported for every child enrolled

Ratings are needed in all areas even if: No one has concerns about a child’s

developmentA child has delays in one or two

outcome areas, but not in all three outcome areas

Even if the domain is not in the area of disability

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Assistive Technology Considerations

Ratings should reflect the child’s level of functioning using whatever assistive technology or special accommodations are present in the child’s typical settings

Children who could benefit from assistive technology but don’t have it will get lower scores

This does not reflect on the child’s inability inasmuch as the fact the child does not have the necessary equipment/services

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Summary Ratings (1-7)

Provide an overall sense of the child’s current functioning in 3 areas

Reduce rich information from assessment and observation into a rating to allow a summary of progress across children

Information at this detailed level will be more helpful for intervention planning purposes

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Summary Ratings are not:

They are not: Information on the services provided

themselvesThe family’s satisfaction with servicesAn explanation of why the child’s

functioning is at that level Do not provide specific information for

planning for the individual child

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What about the Speech only kids?

How are articulation difficulties impacting the child in each of the outcome areas?social relationships? acquisition of skills and knowledge?ability to communicate wants and

needs? Necessary for the SP/L staff to look at

these three areas and seek data from other sources.

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Including Parents in the Discussion No consensus around the country on whether parents should

be included in deciding on the summary rating. Even parent groups don’t agree Some states are including parents to help reach a rating Others states are deciding on a rating without parent input

Parent input about the child’s functioning is critical Family members see the child in situations that

professionals do not Need to ask family members about what the child does at

home Need a way to learn about what family members know about

the child No expectation that parents will be able to determine if what

they are seeing is age appropriate

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Coming in the Spring….You’ll report progress data on each child in the sample as long as

they have been with the program for 6 months.

At progress, children’s scores will fall within five (5) categoriesPercentage of children who:

▪ Did not improve functioning

▪ Improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to functioning comparable to same-aged peers

▪ Improved functioning to a level nearer to same-aged peers but did not reach it

▪ Improved functioning to reach a level comparable to same-aged peers

▪ Maintained functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers

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Summary Statements

OSEP has taken the five categories and collapsed them into two summary statementsSummary Statement 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 exited the program.

Summary Statement 2: The percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each Outcome by the time they exited the program.

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Setting Targets

States will be required to set targets in the upcoming Annual Performance Report (APR) due to OSEP in February 2010.

Targets will be based on aggregate data from LEAs and LEAs will be setting their own targets.

More information is available athttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pages/fed_req.cfm#TargetSetting

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Logistics

Selecting sample of 40 studentsPrioritize the youngest, thenA representative sample• across disability categories• across settings• mixed gender

Review the excel reporting formSASIDsDOB“exit date”Baseline data

Review the security portal

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Timelines

Gather baseline assessment data now through mid-December

Your file will be available through the Security Portal on or about December 11

Complete the Excel spreadsheet and upload it back into ESE security portal by December 23

Be thinking of setting targets and how these data can be used now

Spring – progress data gathering in late May, reporting progress through the security portal in June.

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