Early Childhood Outcomes Center Orientation for New Outcomes Conference Participants Lynne Kahn...

Early Childhood Outcomes Center

Orientation for New Outcomes Conference

Participants

Orientation for New Outcomes Conference

Participants

Lynne KahnChristina Kasprzak

Kathy Hebbeler

The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center

Early Childhood Outcomes Center 2

What We Will Cover

Why measure child and family outcomes?

Family Indicator C4 Indicators C3 and B7

The three child outcomes The 5 progress categories The 2 summary statements Approaches to child outcomes Common challenges

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

3

Why? 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

4

Federal Forces Proving Impetus for Data on Child Outcomes

Government Performance and Results

Act (GPRA)

Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART)

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act (IDEA)

5

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

6

SEC. 616. <<NOTE: 20 USC 1416.>> MONITORING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND ENFORCEMENT. ``Federal and State Monitoring``(2) Focused monitoring.--The primary focus of Federal

and State monitoring activities described in paragraph (1) shall be on-- ``

(A) improving educational results and functional outcomes for all children with disabilities;

Family Indicator: C4

7Early Childhood Outcomes Center

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


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


Data collection instruments

ECO Family Outcomes Survey, Items 16-18 (25 states)

NCSEAM Impact on Family Scale (25 states)

State Survey (6 states)

Comparison of the ECO and NCSEAM instruments in relation to content

The instruments were developed separately by ECO and NCSEAM, but both centers used significant input from families and other stakeholders to develop instrument content

The content of both instruments goes beyond the content of the three indicators specified in Part C Indicator 4

12

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


OSEP Reporting Requirements:

Child Outcomes



Goal of Early Intervention

“…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, in preschool or school

programs, and in the community.”

(from Early Childhood Outcomes Center,http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pdfs/eco_outcomes_4-13-05.pdf)


Understanding the Three Child Outcomes


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


Outcomes Are Functional

Functional outcomes: Refer to things that are meaningful to

the child in the context of everyday living

Refer to an integrated series of behaviors or skills that allow the child to achieve the important everyday goals


Functional Outcomes are NOT

A single behavior

The sum of a series of discrete behaviors or splinter skills such as…..

*Knows 10 words *Pincer grasp (picks up a raisin)

*Smiles at mom*Goes up and down stairs with one foot on each stair

*Stacks 3 blocks


Functional Outcomes

Not domains-based, not separating child development into discrete areas (communication, gross motor, etc.)

Refer to behaviors that integrate skills across domains

Almost always involve multiple domains

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


Thinking Functionally

Discrete behaviors (e.g., those described by some items on assessments) may or may not be important to the child’s functioning on the outcome

Individually, they are not especially informative

Summed, they may or may not be useful, depending on the functionality of the behaviors/items


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 rules and expectations Social interactions and play


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 language and communication Early literacy


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


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


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


OSEP Reporting Categories

Percentage of children who: a. Did not improve functioningb. 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


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, ECSE is trying to move children closer to age expected behavior


13

Functioning


Entry

14


Entry Exit

15


Entry Exit

16


Key Point

The OSEP categories describe types of progress children can make between entry and exit

Two scores or ratings (entry and exit) are needed to calculate what OSEP category describes a child progress


Understanding the reporting categories a - e

e. % of children who maintain functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers


Entry Exit


d. % of children who improve functioning to reach a level comparable to same-aged peers


Entry Exit


c. % of children who improved functioning to a level nearer to same aged peers, but did not reach it


Entry Exit


b. % of children who improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to same aged peers


Entry Exit


a. % of children who did not improve functioning


Entry Exit

The Summary Statements

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 turned 3 [6] years of age or exited the program.

c + d/ (a+b+c+d)

48

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

49

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?

50

Approach Part C (56 states)

Preschool(59 states)

7-point COSF 41 (73%) 36 (61%)

One statewide tool

7 (13%) 9(15%)

Publishers’ online analysis

3 (5%) 6 (10%)*

Other 5 (9%) 7 (12%)

State Approaches to Measuring Child Outcomes


All approaches have challenges

Approach Challenges

One tool statewide

Defining age expectations Determining cutoffs for

enough progress to be considered a change in growth trajectory



Approach Challenges

Publishers’ analysis of on-line assessment tools

Aligning assessment tool items with the 3 outcomes

Programming the analysis to be comparable to other measurement approaches



Approach Challenges

Child Outcome Summary Form

Getting consistency of interpretation and use

Requires understanding of child development


Themes of Agenda Sessions

Quality Assurance Training and TA – state strategies

and resources Collaboration

Part C and 619 Preschool Across Early Care and Education

Understanding and communicating outcomes data at the local and family level


Themes of Agenda Sessions

Using data for program improvement

Family outcomes Using data for improving family

services and supports Return rates and representative data

57

Questions or comments?


Early Childhood Outcomes Center Orientation for New Outcomes Conference Participants Lynne Kahn...

Documents

Transcript of Early Childhood Outcomes Center Orientation for New Outcomes Conference Participants Lynne Kahn...