The Wisconsin Early Childhood Screening and Assessment System Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaboratin

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The Wisconsin Early Childhood Screening and
Assessment SystemWisconsin Early Childhood
Collaborating PartnersVideoconferenceFebruary
8th, 2007

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Assessment is

• Assessment is a generic term that refers to the
  process of gathering information for
  decision-making.
• (Mary McLean, 2004)

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The Wisconsin Early Childhood Screening and
Assessment System (Birth to Age 8)

• A statewide screening and assessment system for
  young children includes different purposes, such
  as
• identifying children to assure provision of
  services and resources to address special needs
  (Surveillance, Screening and Evaluation),
• supporting childs growth and learning
  (Assessment),
• program evaluation and monitoring trends, (Child
  Outcomes)
• high stakes accountability.

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Purpose 1 What is Surveillance?

• A flexible, continuous process, in which
  knowledgeable professionals perform skilled
  observations of children during child health care
  (in consultation w/families, specialists, child
  care providers, etc).
•  
• SM Dworkin, A Shannon, and P Dworkin. ChildServ
  Curriculum. Center for Childrens Health and
  Development, St Francis Hospital and Medical
• Center 1999 Hartford, CT.

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Purpose 1 What is screening?

• Brief, objective, and validated test
• Goal to differentiate children that are "probably
  ok" vs. "needing additional investigation
• Performed at a set point in time

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Screening is defined as

• A process using standardized methods and tools
  to identify children who may need further
  evaluation or assessment because they may have
  health or developmental concerns.

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Benefits of Screening

• Sorts children into 3 categories
• Needs additional evaluation - Did not pass
  screening test
• Needs close monitoring- Passed screening test but
  has risk factors
• Needs ongoing monitoring in the context of
  well-child care - Passed screening test and has
  no known risk factors

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Purpose 2 Support Learning

• To inform caregivers, parents, and teachers about
  what the child can do and what the child is ready
  to learn
• Assessment is an on-going process that includes
  collecting, synthesizing and interpreting
  information about pupils, the classroom, and
  their instruction. NEEIR

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Purpose 2 Support Learning

• Early childhood assessment is a flexible,
  collaborative decision-making process in which
  teams of parents and professionals repeatedly
  revise their judgments and reach consensus about
  the changing developmental, educational, medical
  and mental health services needs of young
  children and their families.
• (Bagnato and Neisworth, 1991)
• Quoted in DEC Recommended Practices, 2005

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Purpose 3 Program Evaluation and Monitoring
Trends

• Data gathered for groups of children used to make
  policy decisions. This information is not used to
  make decisions about the individual children that
  participate in programs but to evaluate the
  programs. Help document the quality of program
  delivery and to determine whether programs are
  effective in achieving intended outcomes
  (consequences for programs or state, not
  individual children)

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Purpose 4 High Stakes Accountability

• Assess academic achievement and hold students,
  teachers, and schools accountable

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The Wisconsin Early Childhood Screening and
Assessment System (Birth to Age 8)

• The Vision
• A screening and assessment system will be
  developed to assure every young child in
  Wisconsin is achieving their optimal growth and
  development and to assure the provision of
  services and resources to address special needs.

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The Wisconsin Early Childhood Screening and
Assessment System (Birth to Age 8)

• Kindergarten First through
  Third Grade
• Birth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
• Purpose 1 Screening
• Identifying children to assure provision of
  services and resources to address special needs
• All children should be screened Children
  entering early All children
  entering school
• regularly for health and development education
  programs should should be screened for
  vision,
• needs including social-emotional, be screened
  for health and hearing and potential
  learning needs.
• hearing and vision screens. development needs
  including
• social-emotional, hearing and
• vision screens.
• Purpose 2 Assessment
• Assessing to promote childrens growth and
  learning to assure optimal development

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The Wisconsin Early Childhood
Collaborating Partners Screening Work Group

• Develop clear guidelines and supportive resources
  for Wisconsin providers regarding the nature,
  functions, and uses of early childhood screenings
  including the following
• Screening Periodicity Schedule (similar to
  Immunization Schedule) for parents to keep
  documentation of screening dates.
• Inventory of current screening programs and
  providers and a tool for communities to identify
  the roles with in their system.
• Inventory of current supportive materials for
  providers conducting screening including
  screening tool information, as well as guiding
  principles and competencies for providers
  conducting screenings.
• Recommendations on policy changes and data
  collection strategies which will strengthen
  screening practices across all providers.

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• 1. Screening Periodicity Schedule
• Creating a clear and concise timeline for parents
  and providers based on best practices.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING PERIODICITY SCHEDULE
FOR CHILDREN AGES BIRTH TO AGE 8

• Birth 6 mos. 9 mos. 1 year 18 mos. 2 years 3
  years 4 years 5 years
• Newborn Vision Develop. Lead Develop.
  Develop. Develop.
  Hearing,
• Screening Screening Screening Screening
  Screening Screening Screening
  Vision and
• Includes Includes Includes Includes
  Includes Learning
• Hearing Maternal Social Blood Social
  Social Social Needs
• And 47 Depression Emotional Lead Levels
  Emotional Emotional Emotional
  Screening
• Inherited Screening Screening for children
  Screening Screening Screening
  upon school
• Conditions in Medicaid
  entry
• Maternal Lead Hearing
• Depression Screening and Vision
• Screening Screening
• (at least 2 Blood
• Weeks after Lead Levels
• Birth) for children
• in Medicaid

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2. Mapping the System An inventory of current
programs and providers who may be able to conduct
screening, a listing of initiatives contributing
to the development of a screening system and a
tool for communities to strengthen their early
childhood screening system.
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Building an Early Childhood Screening and
Assessment SystemInventory of Current Programs
and Providers
Young Children
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Building an Early Childhood Screening and
Assessment System Initiatives contributing to
the development of a screening system
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Mapping the System A Tool for Communities to
Implement the Early Childhood Screening
Periodicity Schedule

• Information Collection
• Who is responsible for conducting and documenting
  each scheduled screening?
• What are the strengths we have in our community
  to implementing scheduled screenings?
• What are the barriers we have in our community to
  implementing scheduled screenings?
• Strategic Planning
• What action steps do we need to take to implement
  screening schedule?
• What resources and programs exist in our
  community to assure provision of services and
  resources to address special needs?
• Identification of Supports
• What existing resources are we aware of? What
  additional resources would be most helpful?
• What policies changes and data collection
  strategies would we recommend to policy and
  decision makers to strengthen our communitys
  ability to implement the screening schedule?

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Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating
Partners Developing an Early Childhood
Screening and Assessment System in Our Community

• Task Using the Periodicity Schedule, Inventory
  of Programs and Providers and the Tool for
  Communities, develop action steps to build a
  system that results in the following
• All children, upon entering (insert name)
  School District, have received the necessary
  supports and resources to achieve their optimal
  development.

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• 3. Compilation of existing supportive materials
  for providers conducting screening
• Including screening tool information, as well as
  guiding principles and competencies for providers
  conducting screenings.

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• 4. Recommendations on policy changes and
• data collection strategies
• Strengthening screening practices
• across all early childhood providers.

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Questions and Feedback about The Wisconsin
Early Childhood Screening and Assessment
SystemShould be addressed toLoraine
Lucinski, MPH608-267-0329Lucinla_at_dhfs.state.wi.u
s