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Session Title: Evaluating Outcomes for Young Children With Disabilities: Issues at the National, State, and Local Levels

Panel Session 675 to be held in Preston Room on Friday, November 9, 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM

Sponsored by the Special Needs Populations TIG

Chair(s):

Kathy payday loan  Hebbeler payday loan ,  SRI International,  kathleen.hebbeler@sri.com

Abstract: In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education required states to submit outcomes data on all children birth through 5 years of age receiving services through IDEA. Responding to pressure from OMB, the Department specified what the states are to report but did not specify how they were to collect the information. The presenters, staff from a Center funded by the Department of Education to assist states an implementing an early childhood outcome measurement system, will describe activities undertaken, as well as issues and challenges at the national, state, and local level that have emerged as states set about to collect these data. Contrasting state approaches will be described including approaches that are incorporating child outcomes data into a broader system of ongoing evaluation. The papers will address the intended and unintended consequences thus far, both positive and negative, of instituting national outcomes measurement for young children with disabilities.

The Federal Need for Outcome Data on Young Children With Disabilities Kathy payday loan  Hebbeler payday loan ,  SRI International,  kathleen.hebbeler@sri.com This paper will describe the background for the federal reporting requirement for outcomes data on children birth through age 5 years served in programs for young children with disabilities. The numerous challenges to measuring outcomes for this population will be explained to help the audience understand why this is so difficult and why so little progress was made in this area for so long. The paper will summarize the recommendations from stakeholders on what outcomes should be addressed for children and families and summarize what states are required to report. The rationale along with the strengths and limitations of the current requirements will be addressed. The presenter is the Director of the Early Childhood Outcomes Center and has researched issues related to measuring outcomes for young children in large scale data collections for over 25 years.

State Approaches to Collecting and Using Data on Child Outcomes Lynne payday loan  Kahn payday loan ,  University of North Carolina,  lynne_kahn@unc.edu This paper will summarize how state early intervention programs (birth to age 3) and preschool special education programs (3 to 5 years) are collecting data on child outcomes. Based on information reported in the State Performance Plans and Annual Performance Reports and other data collected from states, we know that the majority of state agencies for both programs have opted to use a process developed by the ECO Center to summarize data on young children from a variety of sources. Contrasting state approaches will be described along with examples of the kinds of questions states plan to address and how they plan to use these data for program improvement. The presenter is the director of the Technical Assistance component of the Early Childhood Outcomes Center and has provided technical assistance to state agencies around evaluation for over 25 years through the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.

Value at the Grassroots Level: Implications of Child Outcomes Data for Teachers, Providers, and Local Administrators Christina payday loan  Kasprzak payday loan ,  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,  christina_kasprzak@unc.edu This paper will describe how some states have developed systems that provide meaningful information for decision-making at the local level, in addition to providing data for the state and federal government. Examples of what early childhood teachers and early interventionists are learning because of the national push for outcomes data and how this is changing their practice will be presented. Examples of some of the implementation challenges being encountered at the local level also will be described. The ECO Center has trained hundreds of providers around the country in how to collect child outcomes data and this paper will share what has been learned about the kinds of support teacher and other local staff need to be able to collect valid outcomes data and use it for decision-making. The presenter, a former Family Service Coordinator, trains providers in child outcomes data collection and also provides evaluation-related technical assistance to state agencies.