Measuring Outcomes for Programs Serving Young Children with Disabilities Lynne Kahn and Christina Kasprzak ECO/NECTAC at FPG/UNC June 2, 2009 1

Early Childhood Outcomes Center Goals for the call: to provide the latest information on how programs are measuring child and family outcomes to meet federal requirements to provide information about how PTI staff can be involved in state efforts to measure child and family outcomes Early Childhood Outcomes Center 2

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

Why outcomes data? Accountability Program Improvement 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

Driving force from the federal level Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

How Office of Special Education (OSEP) responded to PART Required states to submit outcome data in their Annual Performance Report (APR) Funded the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center in October 2003 to gather input, conduct research, make recommendations, and assist states

Early work of the ECO Center Convened stakeholders in 2004 to address what the outcomes should be (i.e., what outcomes should states be required to report on for Part C and 619?) and what should be reported about the outcomes Based on stakeholder input, ECO recommended a set of child and family outcomes in February 2005. See http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pdfs/ECO_Outcomes_4-13-05.pdf

OSEP Requirement: Child Outcomes Percentage of children with IFSPs/IEPs who demonstrate improved: Positive social emotional skills (including positive social relationships) Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication [and early literacy]) Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs

State Approaches to Measuring Child Outcomes Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF) Publishers’ online assessments One tool statewide Other

OSEP Requirement: Family Indicator 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 10 10

OSEP Requirement: Family Indicator (3-21) 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 Early Childhood Outcomes Center 11 11

State Approaches to Measuring Child Outcomes ECO Family Survey NCSEAM Family Survey State-developed Family Survey Combination

States’ Reporting of Data: States submit these data (and other data) to OSEP annually in the SPP/APR SPP = State Performance Plan APR = Annual Performance Report

States’ Reporting of Data: Feb 2007 – 1st reported entry data Feb 2008 – 1st reported progress data Feb 2009 – 2nd year of progress data Feb 2010 – establish baseline

Work of the ECO Center After reporting requirements released, ECO focused on helping states build measurement systems to collect the data Continued to work with OSEP as issues related to data collection were uncovered (e.g., FAQs)

Early Childhood Outcomes Center For more information: Christina_Kasprzak@unc.edu Lynne_Kahn@unc.edu ECO web site: www.the-eco-center.org Early Childhood Outcomes Center 16