Title: Early Childhood Special Education
1Early Childhood Special Education
- Connecticut State Department of Education
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Maria Synodi
2What is the primary purpose of Connecticuts
outcome evaluation?
- To identify and guide continuous improvement
efforts that demonstrate positive outcomes for
children who receive programs and services
through the states 619 program.
3Primary purpose of Connecticuts outcome
evaluation resulted from .?
- the states self-assessment, continuous
improvement intended to guide target
improvement efforts and measure results - the need, as identified by stakeholders, to
identify positive results of 619 program for
eligible children ages 3-5 - the need to align with other state efforts for
children without disabilities important not to
do something separate - the need to utilize existing data systems and
resources for measurement, maximize resources
(time, money, resources) - the need to coordinate with the Part C B System
4What is the impetus for the states outcome
evaluation?
- Self-assessment, continuous improvement process
- GPRA
- PART
- Heightened focus and emphasis on standards,
accountability, results - Ensuring preschool-age children with disabilities
(3-5) were included in SEA efforts for 6-21,
integrated with Part C (0-3) - Ensuring preschool-age children with disabilities
were included in state outcome and accountability
efforts for preschool-age children without
disabilities One integrated effort for all
children
5What is the focus and scope of the states
outcome evaluation?
- Specifically, children ages 3-, 4-, and 5-years
of age receiving special education and related
services - --------------------------------------------------
------ - Provides data for children who received services
in the states Part C Program - provides the
ability to report outcome information for 619 and
the 619 sub-group of children who received early
intervention
6What did the state want to be able to say about
children?
- Identify results of children receiving 619
services, program - Children with disabilities were entering
kindergarten with skills and competencies that
provided the opportunity for participation in a
regular education environment in the general
education curriculum - Children with disabilities exited special
education by kindergarten - Children needed less frequency, intensity of
special education services and supports by
kindergarten - Children spent greater amounts of time in
regular education - Children performed on statewide assessments at
Grade 3
7What did the state want to be able to say about
children and why?
- Answer policy questions based upon data
- Should preschool-age children with disabilities
be retained in kindergarten because they are not
ready? - Make policy and programmatic decisions based upon
data - Part C and 619 policy question Do all children
exiting Part C need special education at some
point during the preschool years and/or are
identified in kindergarten? - 619 question Is suspension, expulsion of a 3-,
4-, 5-year-old ever appropriate?
8What did the state want to be able to say about
children?
- Important to Note
- State was not evaluating individual children, no
intention on a statewide level to measure,
collect data on child progress - State was evaluating impact, effect of 619
services and/or programs on the children served
(macro level) - Outcomes were developed for a class (e.g., 619)
rather than for individual children and families - Outcomes were evaluating and measuring the
effects of the system of services rather than
individual children families - Outcomes and evaluation reporting developed
reflected (a) short-term measurements (b)
provision for long-term measurements
9How and why were certain questions, statements
chosen?
- Factors In Choosing Statements Included
- GPRA, State self-assessment, continuous
improvement efforts - Answering the question As a result of 619, what
do we want the result to be for children?
Stakeholder feedback - Results of data analysis for identification of
priorities - Research, literature
- Relied on available data collection systems,
current or modified infrastructure for data
collection and analysis - Evaluation and integration of other state efforts
on standards, benchmarks, accountability in early
childhood, pragmatically and philosophically (do
for all children and dont reinvent the wheel)
10What outcome areas were included in the states
evaluation?
- One kindergarten outcome
- Children with disabilities will enter
- kindergarten at age 5 prepared for success.
- --------------------------------------------------
-----------------One transition outcome - Families and children are able to access
- appropriate educational and community supports
and services when children leave the Birth to
Three System
11Kindergarten Outcome
- School Readiness
- Children with disabilities will enter
kindergarten at age 5 prepared for success.
12Children with disabilities will enter
kindergarten at age 5 prepared for success
- All eligible 3- and 4-year-old children with
disabilities will have access to - (1) a high-quality preschool experience
reflecting the general education curriculum - (2) A school readiness experience that will
prepare them for school and - (3) Will enter kindergarten at age 5, the same
age as their typical peers.
13Three K Indicators - Evidence of Change
- Increase the percent of eligible preschool
children with disabilities, 3- and 4-years of age
who participate in regular education kindergarten
at age 5 - Increase the percent of eligible preschool
children with disabilities, 3- and 4-years of
age, who receive their special education and
related services in settings that are least
restrictive - Decrease the number of preschool and kindergarten
children with disabilities who are suspended or
expelled from school
14Children with disabilities will enter
kindergarten at age 5 prepared for success
- Evidence of Change
- Increase the percent of eligible children with
disabilities 3- and 4- years of age, who
participate in regular education kindergarten at
age 5.
- Definition
- The total number of eligible 3- and 4-year-old
children with disabilities who at age 5 are in
and participate in a regular education
kindergarten placement.
15Increase the percent of eligible preschool
children with disabilities, 3 and 4-years of age,
who participate in regular education kindergarten
at age 5
- During the 2002-03 school year there were a total
of 2,925 eligible students, 5 years of age, with
disabilities. - Of that, 2,262, or 77.3 were placed in a regular
education kindergarten - 575 children, or 19.7 of 5 year old children
with disabilities were placed in preschool
16Increase the percent of eligible preschool
children with disabilities, 3 and 4-years of age,
who participate in regular education kindergarten
at age 5
- Five years of data identifies a fluctuation in
the utilization of kindergarten settings for
eligible 5-year-old students with disabilities. - In 2000-01, more eligible 5-year-olds were in
kindergarten grade placements commensurate with
their peers although 2002-03 shows and increase
from the previous year.
17Transition Outcome
- Transition From EI to 619
- Families and children are able to access
appropriate educational and community supports
and services when children leave the Birth to
Three System
18Three Transition Indicators - Evidence of Change
- Increase the percent of eligible preschool
children with disabilities who exited from B-3
and received a FAPE at 3 - Increase the percent of eligible 3-year-old
children with disabilities who receive their
special education and related services in
inclusive settings - Increase the percent of eligible 3-year-old
children with disabilities who receive their
special education and related services in
settings with non-disabled peers
19FAPE at Age 3
- Evidence of Change
- Increase the percent of eligible students with
disabilities, who transitioned from Birth-3 at
age 3 and who received a FAPE by their 3rd
birthday.
- Indicator Definition
- The total number of students in the Birth-3
System, who exited at age 3 and were found
eligible for Special Education, who had their IEP
implemented no later than their 3rd birthday.
20FAPE at Age 3 - Status
- Of the 1,591 students, Birth to Three formally
referred 646 (40.6) to special education and
convened a transition meeting for these children
at least 90 days prior to the childs third
birthday. Nearly seventy-six percent (490) of the
646 children received FAPE at three, this
includes 3 of the 9 students who had already
exited by the December 2002 data collection.
21What methods were used to conduct evaluation,
measurement information?
- Statewide data collection system for special
education, December 1st reporting (primary) - Part C data provided to the SEA
- Program review, monitoring information collected
- Parent interviews, survey results
- Information reported annually to the public and
identification of next steps - Follow-up at the statewide level and at the
school district level - Setting targets and re-evaluating strategies and
activities
22What were the major findings, results of the
evaluation?
- Most significant findings came from data analysis
conducted to identify status of 619, what is the
state-of-the-state? - Identified need to correct data, data
definitions, validate data - Identified that data not always reflective of
what is occurring in the state, in school
districts or with individual children - Allowed the SEA to target policies and practices
impacting eligible children ages 3-5 - Provided a data profile that schools could learn
from in changing their own practices - Created opportunity for courageous conversations
and change
23Did the availability of resources pose
challenges?
- Multiple resource challenges data systems,
resources for data analysis, report writing,
follow-up - Funding, personnel, federal state fiscal crisis
- Data system capacity for new data elements
- Resources to capture and validate data through
other than statewide data collection - Dueling political footballs do more with less
- Training, technical assistance, professional
development
24What important lessons were learned about the
approach and methods used?
- Challenges in merging Part C data
- Challenges in 619 LRE data
- Challenges in reliability, validating data
- Differences between data and actual school
district implementation of promising practices,
meeting individual child needs - Challenges in coordinating with other state early
childhood activities, initiatives measuring
results
25What would you recommend to others who want to
report outcome data?
- Create one results system that has meaning and
can help identify effects of positive change - Utilize resources well
- Critical to work between C and B Programs
- Critical to work within early care and education
activities
26Using Data To Monitor Progress
- Compare data against statewide average
- Compare data to like districts
- Identify triggers cut off point
- Follow-up with identified school districts
27THE END
28IDEA, Part B, Section 619Preschool Special
Education
- Contact Information
- Maria Synodi
- Program Manager
- Preschool Special Education
- State Department of Education
- 25 Industrial Park Road
- Middletown, Connecticut 06457
- (860) 807-2054
- maria.synodi_at_po.state.ct.us