Early Childhood Special Education

1
Early Childhood Special Education

• Connecticut State Department of Education
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Maria Synodi

2
What 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.

3
Primary 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

4
What 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

5
What 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

6
What 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

7
What 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?

8
What 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

9
How 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)

10
What 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

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Kindergarten Outcome

• School Readiness
• Children with disabilities will enter
  kindergarten at age 5 prepared for success.

12
Children 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.

13
Three 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

14
Children 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.

15
Increase 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

16
Increase 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.

17
Transition 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

18
Three 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

19
FAPE 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.

20
FAPE 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.

21
What 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

22
What 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

23
Did 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

24
What 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

25
What 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

26
Using 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

27
THE END

• Questions?

28
IDEA, 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
• [phone]
• maria.synodi_at_po.state.ct.us