ND Early Childhood Outcomes ProcessNancy Skorheim – ND Department of Public Instruction,

Office of Special Education

NECTAC Support

February - May 2006– Development of ND Early

Childhood Outcomes Process

• Phone calls and in-person trainings

May 2006 - July 2007– Implement Pilot Project

May 2007 - July 2008– Training Phase I Group– Continue Pilot Process with

Pilot and Phase I Units– Develop Guide/Training Plan

Winter and Spring 2008– Statewide Trainings

July 1, 2008– Statewide implementation of

the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process

Purposes of ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Pilot Project

• To determine the effectiveness of predetermined Anchor Tools used to measure the OSEP early childhood outcomes requirements and state determined criteria

• To develop a Child Outcomes Summary Form to meet the needs of ND

• To determine a process to implement the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process within the current ND evaluation and IEP process

• To determine the appropriate method to collect child outcome information at the district level and report to the state level

• To determine the process and needed resources to implement statewide use of the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process, e.g. technical assistance, training, funding, and data collection

ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Guide

ND Early Childhood Outcome Process Guide can be found at:

http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/speced/early/outcomes_process_guide.pdf

Guide Development Process

1. Determined the need to develop a training document that would provide a general understanding of the major components of the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process

2. ND Early Childhood Outcomes Committee developed a basic outline to meet state needs • Reviewed pilot process and forms• Reviewed other state documents• ECO website

3. Draft developed and reviewedDr. Mary McLean, NECTAC staff, NDDPI staff and early childhood staff involved in the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Pilot Process

4. Final Guide placed on NDDPI website prior to first Interactive Video Network, IVN, Training

ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process GuideSection 1 - IntroductionSection 2 - Early Childhood Outcomes, Federal RequirementsSection 3 - ND Early Childhood Outcomes ProcessSection 4 - Anchor ToolsSection 5 - Early Childhood OutcomesSection 6 - ND Child Outcomes Summary FormSection 7 - Family Involvement Section 8 - Children with Articulation/Phonological Impairments

AppendicesND Early Childhood Outcomes Project BrochureND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Anchor Tool ListND Child Outcomes Summary FormQuestions and Answers – ND Early Childhood Outcomes ProcessFoundational Skills by Dr. Keith Gustafson

http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/speced/early/outcomes_process_guide.pdf

Early Childhood Outcomes Center - COSF Resources

• The Decision Tree is located at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pdfs/Decision_Tree_5-1-07.pdf

• Child Outcome Summary Form (COSF) Discussion Prompts at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pdfs/COSF_discussion_prompts_4-4-07.pdf

• Age-Expected and Immediate Foundational Skills and the Child Outcome Summary Form (COSF) 7-Point Rating Scale at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pdfs/Immediate_foundational_skills.pdf

• What if We Can’t Reach Consensus? at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pdfs/Consensus.pdf

Section 1 Introduction

• What is the framework of the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Guide?

• Who are the intended readers of the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Guide?

• What are the purposes of the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Guide?

• ND Early Childhood Outcomes Committee

Section 2 Early Childhood Outcomes –

Federal Requirements

• Why do we measure child outcomes?

• How were the child outcomes developed?

• How will the data from the child outcomes be reported?

Section 3 ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process

• How was the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process developed?

• What is the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process?

What are the Steps in the Process?

1. When a child enters into early childhood special education services, discuss the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process with parents and professionals.

2. As part of the process to gather information needed to determine the child’s outcome ratings, determine and administer the most appropriate Anchor Tool.

3. As part of the IEP process, the team should discuss the three child outcomes areas and the COSF rating score that most closely matches to the child’s performance.

4. Complete the Child Outcomes Summary form.

5. Submit a copy of the completed form to the designated district or special education unit administrator.

6. Repeat the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process when the child exits ECSE services, or by age 6.

Section 4 Anchor Tools

• What are Anchor Tools?• How were the initial Anchor Tools chosen?• What criteria were used to select the approved Anchor Tools?• How did the pilot sites determine the effectiveness of each

Anchor Tool?• How are the Anchor Tools classified?• What are some of the variables to consider when selecting an

Anchor Tool?• How is an Anchor Tools approved for statewide use?

ND Early Childhood Outcomes ProcessApproved Anchor Tool and Screening Tool List

May 2008

Approved Anchor Tools• *Battelle Developmental Inventory - Second Edition • *Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC) • *Brigance Inventory of Early Development - II • *Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and

Children (AEPS) – Second Edition• *Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs

Psychoeducational Profile – Third Edition• *Hawaii Early Learning Profile for Preschoolers (HELP)

*Crosswalks can be found at http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/crosswalks.cfm

Approved Screening Tools For Children with Articulation/Phonological Impairments

• Battelle Developmental Inventory – Second Edition Screening Test• Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning - DIAL-3• Brigance Inventory of Early Development – Screen II

Section 5 Early Childhood Outcomes

1. What are the three child outcomes?

2. What are functional outcomes?

3. How do I learn to think functionally?

Section 6 ND Child Outcomes Summary Form

1. Benefits of using the ND Child Outcomes Summary Form2. What is the 7-point scale used within the ND COSF?3. What are immediate foundational skills?4. How does the team complete the ND ECO Child Outcomes

Summary Form?5. What types of Sources of Information should the team consider?6. What is included in the Supporting Evidence section of the ND

COSF?7. When does the team complete the entry scores and exit ratings?8. When does the team complete the ND COSF section relating to

Progress?9. Where should the COSF be filed?10. What resources are available to assist in the team determining

the child’s rating scale?

Section 7 Family Involvement

The Team Process

ND ECO Brochure Who needs this information? The Department of Public Instruction, Office of Special Education, and preschool programs that serve children with disabilities are required to report on these outcomes as part of an Annual Performance Report (APR). This is required by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Summary information is available to the general public and is published annually. How will this information be used? ND is committed to assuring that young children with disabilities receive high-quality services and supports. This new process of measuring child outcomes will assist in improving results for all young children with disabilities. The data will be used to:

• Provide information on how programs are making difference for the children and families

• Provide information to improve early childhood special education in North Dakota

• Provide data to demonstrate results to all stakeholders at the local, state and federal level.

The Office of Special Education Program uses each state’s data to determine how well the state’s programs have helped young children. They submit an annual report to the U.S. Congress as required in the new IDEA law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004).

North Dakota Early Childhood Outcomes

Project

Dr. Wayne G. Sanstead, State Superintendent Department of Public Instruction 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 201 Bismarck, ND 58505-0440

What are Early Childhood Outcomes? The federal government requires states to report certain information about a child’s progress to determine whether local school district programs are making a positive difference for young children with disabilities. This is not additional reporting about your individual child. It is more like a “report card” for the program itself. The required information is specific to three outcome areas. An outcome is the benefit experienced as a result of a service or a program. These areas are broad and are designed to examine the variety of skills and abilities your child uses throughout the day. The evaluation process will look at your child’s functioning in each outcome area at the beginning of his/her time in the early childhood special education program and then again at the end of his/her time in the program. The results should demonstrate the progress made by your child between entering and leaving the program. The three outcome areas are:

(1) Children have positive social relationships. (2) Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (like early

communication and literacy skills). (3) Children take appropriate action to meet their needs.

How will the outcome data be gathered? Multiple sources of information will be used to assign a rating for your child in the three outcomes areas. Most of the information is already collected as part of determining your child’s eligibility for special education and related services and developing an individualized education plan, IEP. This process will incorporate an approved state assessment tool. When the information about my child is compiled, will our names be attached? The outcome data gathered relating to your child will be shared in a way that protects your child’s confidentiality. Data on individual children will be combined for reporting to provide an overall picture of the progress that children make during their participation in early childhood special education in North Dakota. Your name or your child’s name will not be attached to the information that is reported publicly.

Section 8 Children with Articulation/Phonological Impairments

1. What are the steps of the adapted ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process?

2. How were the approved Screening Tools chosen?

3. How is a Screening Tool approved for statewide use?

Appendices

• ND Early Childhood Outcomes Project Brochure• ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Anchor

Tools and Screening Tools • ND Child Outcomes Summary Form• Questions and Answers – ND Early Childhood

Outcomes Process• Foundational Skills by Dr. Keith Gustafson

Questions and AnswersND Early Childhood Outcomes Process

1. Entry Data2. Anchor Tools3. Outcome Areas4. Child Outcomes Summary Form5. Exiting a Child from Early Childhood Special

Education Services6. Data Reporting7. Transfer Children8. Parent Involvement9. Children with Articulation/Phonological

Impairments

ND Early Childhood OutcomesProcess Guide Training

Trainings that focused on the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Guide were presented through three successive one-hour sessions on the ND Interactive Video Network (IVN). The sessions took place in 10 IVN sites throughout ND. Participants were encouraged to attend all three sessions.

Following each IVN training, the NDDPI made available the PowerPoint presentations on the NDDPI website. The PowerPoint presentations were to be used for individuals who were not able to attend the IVN trainings and for future professional development opportunities.

NDDPI WebsiteND Early Childhood Outcomes Process

• ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Guide • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Training PowerPoint - Part 1

January 10, 2008 • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Training PowerPoint - Part 2

February 7, 2008 • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Training PowerPoint - Part 3 March

6, 2008 • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Summary Form – May 2008 • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Parent Brochure – May 2008 • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process – Questions and Answers

Document – May 2008 • ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process Anchor Tool List – May 2008

•   http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/speced/early/index.shtm

IVN Training Topics

January IVN MeetingSection 1 - IntroductionSection 2 - Early Childhood Outcomes, Federal RequirementsSection 3 - ND Early Childhood Outcomes ProcessSection 4 - Anchor Tools

February IVN MeetingSection 5 - Early Childhood OutcomesSection 6 - ND Child Outcomes Summary Form

March IVN MeetingSection 7 - Family Involvement in the ND ECO ProcessSection 8 - Children with Articulation/Phonological Impairments Appendix

ND Child Outcomes Summary Form Trainings

The purposes of the trainings were that participants would:– understand the purposes and how to use the ND COSF,– practice using the COSF to ensure a common understanding of the 7-

point rating scale, and – determine next steps for collecting and reporting child outcomes data.

Two options were made available for professionals to receive training relating to the implementation of the ND COSF. Option 1The NDDPI and the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, NECTAC, provided one-day trainings for professionals who will have the responsibility to complete the COSF as part of a preschool child’s IEP. The face to face training opportunity took place from 9:00 – 3:00pm CST in three locations. Option 2As an alternative to the one-day trainings, NECTAC staff conducted a similar COSF training using a conference call format. These were conducted in a series of three phone calls with participants using a 1-800 call in number.

Welcome to virtual training in the use of the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF). This training was designed for the North Dakota early childhood special education program. The training consists of three virtual meetings via conference call, and interim activities to be completed by individuals and teams.

Participants will understand: •why we must collect outcomes data• the three child outcomes •assessment for the purpose of outcomes measurement •the purpose and design of the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF) •the COSF 7-point rating scale •how to use the COSF

May Statewide Conference

Conference Topics• Presentations and handouts focused on:

– Steps of the ND Early Childhood Outcomes Process – Areas of need determined through the previous

trainings, e.g. foundational skills, team process • Dr. Mary McLean

– Measuring Early Childhood Outcomes – Making the Most of Assessment Information – Assessing the Abilities of Children: Issues of Validity

• Pilot teams shared on “How to get Started” and the “Team Process including Parent Involvement”

• Pilot Sites Perspectives • District Planning

Example

Step 1

• When a child enters into early childhood special education services, discuss the ND ECO Process with parents and professionals.

HandoutND ECO Parent Brochure

PresentationThe Team Process

North Dakota Early Childhood Outcomes ProcessPoints to Remember and Questions to Ask

Points I want to Remember Questions—Clarifying and Expanding

Implication for My Individual PracticesImplications for My Program’s Practice

Team Planning—Environmental Scan

Gaps/Barriers Advantages—Things to Build On

Team Action PlanningConsidering what we have learned, the activities that we have in place now, and the change considerations we identified, what action steps do we need to take? Include in these steps considerations for who needs to be involved and how to get those people involved.

Our Vision—Where We Want to Be in One Year