Early Childhood Outcomes Project
The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
2004 included a heightened emphasis
on accountability, focused on
improving educational results for
children with disabilities.
As a result, the federal
Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) now requires that each state
measure the percent of preschool
children with Individualized
Education Programs (IEPs) who
demonstrate improvement in three
outcome areas: positive
social-emotional skills, acquisition
and use of knowledge and skills, and
use of appropriate behaviors to meet
needs.
|
CHILD
OUTCOME
1
Positive
Social
–Emotional
Skills
(including
Social
Relationships)
|
|
Includes:
- Relating with adults
- Relating with other children
- Following rules related to groups and interacting with others
|
Examples:
- Attachment/separation/autonomy
- Expression of emotions and feelings
- Learning rules and expectations
- Social interactions and play
|
|
CHILD
OUTCOME
2
Acquisition
and
Use
of
Knowledge
and
Skills
|
|
Includes:
- Thinking
- Reasoning
- Remembering
- Problem Solving
- Understanding physical and social worlds
- Using symbols and language
|
Examples:
- Early concepts – symbols, pictures, numbers, classification, spatial relationships
- Imitation
- Object Permanence
- Expressive language and communication
- Foundations for Reading
- Foundations for Writing
|
|
CHILD
OUTCOME
3
Use
of
Appropriate
Behaviors
to
Meet
Their
Needs
|
|
Includes:
- Taking care of basic needs
- Getting from place to place
- Using tools (ex. fork, toothbrush, crayon)
- Contributing to their own health and safety
|
Examples:
- Integrating motor skills to complete tasks
- Self-help skills (ex. dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting, household responsibility)
- Acting on the world to get what one desires
|
Rhode
Island recognizes the importance of
having a comprehensive early
childhood curriculum and assessment
system and has worked to implement
systems and procedures for assessing
child outcomes in the Early
Childhood Outcomes Project.
Teaching Strategies
GOLD™ (http://teachingstrategies.com) was
selected as the tool for
measuring child outcomes, not only
because it meets federal data
collection and reporting
requirements, but also because it
provides a research-driven,
criterion-based tool that utilizes
authentic assessment practices; is
aligned the Rhode Island Early
Learning Standards; and can be used
to inform instruction which prepares
children for school success both
academically and socially.
The use of Teaching
Strategies
GOLD™
allows special education teams to
measure the three outcomes within a
comprehensive assessment process
informed by families and community
partners that improves teaching and
learning.
Outcome assessment data is reported to RIDE by Local
Education Agencies (LEAs).
Based on the comparison of
entry and exit assessment data, RIDE
aggregates the date and reports the
following outcomes to OSEP:
-
Percent of preschool
children who did not
improve functioning
-
Percent of
preschool children
who improved
functioning but not
sufficient to move
nearer to
functioning
comparable to
same-aged peers
-
Percent of
preschool children
who improved
functioning to a
level nearer to
same-aged peers but
did not reach it
-
Percent of
preschool children
who improved
functioning to reach
a level comparable
to same-aged peers
-
Percent of
preschool children
who maintained
functioning at a
level comparable to
same-aged peers
Early childhood outcomes data provides each state, district
and program, as well as OSEP, with
information to demonstrate the
effectiveness and benefits of early
childhood special education.
Additionally, child outcomes
data can inform program improvement
and professional development
initiatives at national, state,
district, program and classroom
levels.
Additional Resources
·
Teaching Strategies Gold Teacher
Procedural Checklist
·
Teaching Strategies Gold
Administrative Procedural Checklist
·
Teaching Strategies Gold
Speech/Language Therapist Procedural
Checklist
·
Outcomes Measurement Portfolio Rubric
·
Outcomes Measurement Observation
Rubric
·
Outcomes Matter Newsletters
November 2011
·