1. Orientation to Outcomes
Lynne Kahn
Kathy Hebbeler
The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center
October 16, 2012
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

2. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
What We Will Cover
Background on child and family outcomes
Family Indicator C4
Indicators C3 and B7
The three child outcomes
Progress categories & summary statements
Approaches to measuring child outcomes
Emerging trends
Conference overview
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

3. Background on Measuring Outcomes
Why are state early intervention and preschool special education agencies collecting data on child and family outcomes?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

4. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Need for Outcomes Data
Accountability
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
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

5. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Background
Part C and Part B, Section 619 are line items programs in IDEA funding
OSEP had no data on these programs.
In 2003, funded the ECO Center to convene stakeholders to make recommendations on the outcomes and what to report.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

6. Why do we care about outcomes for families?
Pt. C of IDEA is based on expected benefit to families
Achieving child outcomes requires healthy families
Families can be affected by having a child with a disability- early intervention/preschool can reduce negative impacts and promote positive adaptation
Family outcomes may be especially important for families whose children, despite intensive early intervention/preschool, make relatively little progress and suffer serious health or developmental challenges
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

7. Ultimate Goal for EI and ECSE: Families
“to enable families to provide care for their child and have the resources they need to participate in their own desired family and community activities. .”
Based on the ECO stakeholder process when identifying outcomes
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

8. Considerations in Developing Family Outcomes for Part C and 619
How can a national system to assess family outcomes accommodate the wide range of individualized outcomes?
What measurement strategies should be used that are objective yet sensitive to the fact that many outcomes are perceptions?
Should a similar set of family outcomes be expected of early intervention and preschool programs?
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

9. Input Process and Recommendations
Technical Workgroup on Family Outcomes
Developed priority outcome statements based on commonalities across the literature
ECO Constituent Workgroups
Reacted to and tweaked the resulting list of outcome statements
Recommended that the same set of family outcomes be used birth through five
Recommended family report of perceptions as the measurement strategy
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

10. Stakeholder Recommendation: Family Outcomes
Families understand their child’s strengths, abilities, and special needs
Families know their rights and advocate effectively for their child
Families help their child develop and learn
Families have support systems
Families are able to gain access to desired services and activities in their community
Note: 1 through 3 were recommended for EI and ECSE. There was not consensus on whether 4 and 5 applied to ECSE.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

11. Family Outcomes: Additional Resources
Family and Child Outcomes for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. The Early Childhood Outcomes Center (April 2005)
Recommended Outcomes for Families of Young Children with Disabilities. Bailey, D. B. Jr., Bruder, M.B., Hebbeler, K., Carta, J., Defosset, M., Greenwood, C., Kahn, L., Mallik, S., Markowitz, J., Spiker, D., Walker, D., & Barton, L. (2006).
What Is the Future of Family Outcomes and Family-Centered Services? Bailey, D., Raspa, M., & Fox, L. (2012).
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

12. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Family Indicator: C4
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

13. APR Requirements for Part C
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

14. APR Requirements for Part B, Section 619 Preschool Programs
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
no specific indicator for preschool, nor the expectation for examining preschool family involvement separately from Part B
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

15. State Approaches for Family Indicator: 2012
Original ECO Family Outcomes Survey, Items (17 states)
Revised ECO Family Outcomes Survey (6 states)*
NCSEAM Impact on Family Scale (25 states)
State Survey (7 states)
*One additional state used both ECO Surveys
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16. Family Survey: Additional Resources
ECO Family Surveys
NCSEAM* Survey
*National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring
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17. Early Childhood Outcomes Center

18. Challenges Related to Family Surveys
Need to increase the response rates
Determining and increasing the representativeness of the data
Interpreting the data to improve outcomes for families
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19. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Child Outcomes: C3 and B7
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

20. Themes from the Stakeholders: Child Outcomes
Consistent with IDEA and legislative intent
Reflect what EI and ECSE are trying to do
Develop one set of outcomes for all disabilities
Develop one set of outcomes for birth to five
Make the outcomes functional
Have the potential to positively influence practice; do not drive the field backwards
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

21. Ultimate Goal for EI and ECSE
“To enable young children to be active and successful participants during the early childhood years and in the future in a variety of settings – in their homes with their families, in child care, preschool or school programs, and in the community.”
Based on the ECO stakeholder process when identifying 3 functional outcomes
Outcomes aren’t just about accountability…
This is where we want our children (EI and ECSE children) to accomplish and so we want to be accountable for helping children/families achieve this goal…
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

22. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Understanding the Three Child Outcomes
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23. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Three Child Outcomes
Children have positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships)
Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (including early language/ communication [and early literacy])
Children use appropriate behaviors to meet their needs
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24. Outcomes Are Functional
Functional outcomes:
Refer to using skills to accomplish things that are meaningful to the child in the context of everyday life
Refer to an integrated series of behaviors or skills that allow the child to achieve the important everyday goals
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

25. Children Have Positive Social Relationships
Involves:
Relating with adults
Relating with other children
For older children, following rules related to groups or interacting with others
Includes areas like:
Attachment/separation/autonomy
Expressing emotions and feelings
Learning social rules and expectations
Social interactions and play
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

26. Children Acquire and Use Knowledge and Skills
Involves:
Thinking
Reasoning
Remembering
Problem solving
Using symbols and language
Understanding physical and social worlds
Includes:
Early concepts—symbols, pictures, numbers, classification, spatial relationships
Imitation
Object permanence
Expressive and receptive language and communication
Early literacy
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27. Children Take Appropriate Action to Meet Their Needs
Involves:
Taking care of basic needs
Getting from place to place
Using tools (e.g., fork, toothbrush, crayon)
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
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

28. Taking Action to Meet Needs
Includes
Integrating various skills (gross motor, fine motor, communication skills) to complete tasks
Self help skills (feeding, dressing, toileting, household task)
Acting on the world to get what he or she wants
Not JUST acting on the world: takes APPROPRIATE action to meet needs
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

29. Outcomes Reflect Global Functioning
Each outcome is a snapshot of:
The whole child
Status of the child’s current functioning
Functioning across settings and situations
Rather than:
Skill by skill
In one standardized way
Split by domains
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

30. Child Outcomes: Additional Resources
Family and Child Outcomes for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. The Early Childhood Outcomes Center (April 2005)
Child Outcomes Video: Step by Step
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

31. OSEP Reporting Categories Percentage of children who:
a. Did not improve functioning
b. Improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to functioning comparable to same-aged peers
c. Improved functioning to a level nearer to same-aged peers but did not reach it
d. Improved functioning to reach a level comparable to same-aged peers
e. Maintained functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers
3 outcomes x 5 “measures” = 15 numbers
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

32. Who is included in the reporting
In February 2013, states will report progress on all children who
Exited the program between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, and
Were in the program for at least 6 months.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

33. Helping Children Move Toward Age-Expected Functioning
Assumption: Children can be described with regard to how close they are to age expected functioning for 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, EI and ECSE are trying to move children closer to age expected behavior
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34. Functioning

35. Entry

36. Entry
Exit
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37. Entry
Exit
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38. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Key Points
The OSEP reporting categories describe types of progress children can make between entry and exit
Data from two time points (entry and exit) are needed to calculate what OSEP category describes a child’s progress
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

39. Understanding the reporting categories a - e
e. % of children who maintain functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers
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40. Entry Exit Both 6 and 7 indicate age appropriate functioning.
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41. Entry
Exit
Entry
Exit
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42. d. % of children who improve functioning to reach a level comparable to same-aged peers
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43. Entry
Exit
Entry
Exit
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44. An exit rating of 6 or 7 indicates the child is now showing age expected functioning.
Entry
Exit
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45. c. % of children who improved functioning to a level nearer to same aged peers, but did not reach it
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46. Child showed sufficient improvement in functioning to move to a higher developmental trajectory (i.e., higher point on scale) but had not yet achieved age appropriate functioning.
Entry
Exit
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47. Entry
Exit
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48. b. % of children who improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to same aged peers
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49. Note the slope - the line is not flat; the child is showing improved functioning
Entry
Exit
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50. Note the slope - the line is not flat; the child is showing improved functioning
Entry
Exit

51. Entry
Exit
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52. a. % of children who did not improve functioning
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53. Entry
Exit
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54. Entry
Exit
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55. The Summary Statements
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 turned 3 [6] years of age or exited the program.
c + d/ (a+b+c+d)
The statements on which states set targets this year.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

56. The Summary Statements
2. The percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each Outcome by the time they turned 3 [6] years of age or exited the program.
d + e/(a+b+c+d+e)
Targets set for summary statements this year.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

57. The concepts are easier than the words or the formulas
Summary statement 1: How many children changed growth trajectories during their time in the program?
Summary statement 2: How many children were functioning like same aged peers when they left the program?
Other ways to think of SS1 – how many made more than expected growth. Sometimes called ‘significant.’ SS2 – for preschoolers – ‘ready for kindergarten.’ At age level.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

58. State Approaches to Measuring Child Outcomes – 2010-11
Part C
(N=56)
Preschool
(N=59)
COS* 7 pt. scale
43/56 (77%)
36/59 (61%)
One tool statewide
7/56 (13%)
9/59 (15%)
Publishers’ online analysis
3/56 (5%)
6/59 (10%)
Other
5/56 (9%)
8/59 (14%)
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

59. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
The National Data
Child Outcomes
Two-page summary
Some recent presentations
APR analysis
Part C
Preschool
Family Indicator for Part C
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

60. ECO Child and Family Measurement Frameworks and Self-Assessment
Identify components of a high-quality measurement system for child and family outcomes
Assist states in making informed decisions as to which option is most effective and best suited to the state's context.
Child and Family Outcomes Measurement System Tools
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

61. Integrating Outcomes into IFSP/IEP Process
Using the child and family outcomes as a framework to guide practice as well as outcomes measurement
Framework for assessment, planning, service delivery
Resources on integrating outcomes
Learning community
Contact
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

62. Themes of Agenda Sessions
Measurement System Framework Areas
Purpose: These sessions address aspects of articulating and communicating the purpose of your state’s measurement system.
Data Collection and Transmission: Sessions address data collection procedures (e.g. entering, transmitting, and storing data) and professional development related to data collection.
Analysis: Sessions may focus on processes of data analysis, accountability, and identification of program improvement questions.
Reporting: Topics address how state and local programs interpret, report, and communicate information related to child and family outcomes.
Using Data: These sessions address how state and local programs can use data to improve programs.
Evaluation: These sessions focus on evaluation of measurement systems.
Cross-system Coordination: These sessions address longitudinal data, coordination across Part C and Section 619 and early childhood programs.
Program Improvement
Improving Practices: These sessions specifically highlight practices aimed at improving outcomes.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center

63. Contact ECO for assistance (please)
How we can help
General:
Specific staff person:
for and phone numbers for ECO staff
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64. Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Questions or comments?
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