The Maryland Early Childhood Accountability System

1
The Maryland Early Childhood Accountability
System

• Program Effectiveness Based on Results for
  Children

Maryland State Department of Education Division
of Special Education/Early Intervention
Services September 2006
2
The Law

• The Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 (IDEA
  2004) requires that states report on the progress
  of preschool children with disabilities receiving
  special education and related services.

3
Federal Expectations

• The U.S.Department of Education (USDE), Office of
  Special Education Programs (OSEP) established the
  following for all States, including Maryland
• States are to collect data on 3 broad child
  outcomes
• Outcomes data should reflect progress over time
  made by children participating in preschool
  special education services
• Data are intended to be used as a means of
  informing and guiding local program improvement
  activities

4
What are the Child Outcomes?

• Outcome 1 Children have positive social
  relationships.
• Outcome 2 Children acquire and use knowledge
  and skills (including language/communication).
• Outcome 3 Children take appropriate action to
  meet their needs.

5
Why Measure Child Outcomes?

• We need to know how young children with
  disabilities are benefitting from preschool
  special education.
• Federal Reporting Requirements
• Accountability to OSEP/USDE
• Impact on federal funding (Congress)
• Program Effectiveness
• Evidence for State and local policymakers,
  sponsors
• See program as good investment
• See program as important with some challenges
  that
• must be addressed
• Program Improvement
• Find meaning in the data to make systemic
  changes
• Use data to improve IEP services to
  individual/groups

6
How Will States Get the Data?

• What assessment will be used?
• When will data be collected?
• Who will provide the data?
• How and when will it be reported?

7
Marylands Choice of Assessment Approach

• The Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) is
  a framework to assist early educators in
  instructing and assessing young children in the
  knowledge, skills and behaviors they need to be
  prepared for the learning demands of formal
  schooling.
• MMSR is based on the Work Sampling System (WSS),
  a performance based assessment.
• WSS addresses all three of the OSEP Child
  Outcomes.

8
Marylands Approach continued

• The intent of MMSR is the use of developmentally
  appropriate practices with all children
• MMSR promotes a common language among early
  childhood general and special educators by
  enabling a view of children through a shared
  lens.
• MMSR is a developmental frame of reference for
  aligning IEP goals with the State Learning
  Standards/Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC).

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Status At Entry Data Collection Process

• Work Sampling System select appropriate
  checklist based on age of child
• Collect examples of childs work (documented
  observations or actual samples) collection
  occurs over 6-8 weeks after initiation of
  services under initial IEP
• At end of collection period, complete ratings for
  all indicators
• K for 5 year olds (66 items not limited to 30
• items modified checklist)
• P4 for four year olds (55 items not limited to
  29 items modified checklist)
• P3 for three year olds (49 items total)

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What about single service only preschoolers?

• Information gathered from several sources may be
  used to inform ratings for non-IEP related WSS
  indicators
• For children transitioning from Infants and
  Toddlers, information from the childs early
  intervention record provided to Part B for
  eligibility determination may be used to help
  inform ratings
• Parent/Care Provider Interviews (example, Ages
  and Stages)
• Observations and progress notes from SLP, OT,
  and/or PT collected over 6-8 weeks of initiation
  of services

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Outcome Data Collected When the Child Enters and
When the Child ExitsExample
Child enters Part B Preschool Transition at
age 3 Child Find Entrance data is
collected using the WSS
Child exits Part B Preschool at 60
months IEP goals met and returned to general
education Exit data is collected using the
WSS
Progress At Exit Data
Status At Entry Data
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Progress At Exit
13
Progress At Exit

• Important Points to Remember
• Only children who had entrance data collected
  will have exit data collected.
• Exit data is only collected on children who
  received at least 6 months of intervention.

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When will local school systems collect
Progress At Exit Data?

• Prior to a childs exit from Preschool Special
  Education services, the LSS will complete an
  assessment of the childs current levels of
  performance using the WSS.
• At end of 5-year-old year, or sooner if the child
  is exiting the program for other reasons (moving
  out of state, no longer eligible), the exit
  assessment should be completed as soon as
  possible prior to exit.
• If a child begins to receive services in one
  jurisdiction and transfers to another
  jurisdiction in Maryland, the LSS from which the
  child is exiting is responsible for conducting
  the exit assessment.

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Key Points

• Assumption Children can be described with
  regard to how close they are to age expected
  behavior 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, special
  education is trying to move children closer to
  age expected behavior.
• Some children will never achieve this.
• Source Early Childhood Outcomes Center

16
Key Points

• Documenting childrens movement toward typical
  development is one type of evidence that
  preschool special education is effective.
• Documenting the extent of childrens progress is
  another.
• Source Early Childhood Outcomes Center

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Ultimate GoalPositive Results for Preschoolers
and Kindergarteners with Disabilities