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ECATS Alternate Data Entry for Dark Period The EC Division has received feedback and concerns regarding the extensive ECATS data entry required for documents created during the dark period (June 16 – July 17) and early implementation. This process will allow LEAs to accurately document a minimum of critical data points in the system, rather than the entire IEP or eligibility process, to alleviate this burden. This effort will ensure that the necessary dates are captured in ECATS for accurate reporting of December Child Count and to assist LEAs in focusing their efforts on data entry for brand new and upcoming EC process related business.

The following process guide is intended to walk users tasked with this data entry through the process of completing required documentation in ECATS. This guide is not intended for previously migrated data or Private School Services Plans (PSSPs). Therefore, users can follow the directions for either the eligibility and/or IEP. Please be reminded that students must have a current eligibility + current IEP (if eligible) to be counted on headcount.

A video demonstration of this process can be found on the ECATS Training Video Channel HERE.

IMPORTANT - If you do not follow this process guide exactly as stated for the eligibility and/or IEP, your student may have an inaccurate or blank placement in Child Count and/or may NOT be included in Child Count at all.

Tip: The goal is to have a green checkmark at the end of your alternate data entry.

If you have any questions, please contact your ECATS ZenDesk designee.

WARNING – POTENTIAL RISKS • The Alternate Data Entry option relaxes the rules of completion for ALL user types.

o The expectation from the EC Division is that this option be time limited and restricted to EC processes completed during the dark period (June 16-July 17) and early implementation. All new EC processes (initial referral/evaluations, annual reviews, reevaluations, MDRs, etc.) should be completed using ECATS.

o LEAs should consider appropriate messaging to its users regarding local expectations and conditions under which this option should be limited. For monitoring purposes, the LEA should ensure that the authoritative record

used for alternate data entry is maintained in the student’s hard copy EC file.

• Potential Risks o Delayed local implementation – use of alternate data entry beyond the scope for which it

was intended o Delay in building the database for future EC process activities

Examples: • Delayed entry of evaluation results on the assessment summary will

mean increased data entry at the time of the next reevaluation –

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particularly if the next reevaluation is due three years from the dark period.

• The absence of finalized annual goals in ECATS further delays the ability to use the Progress Report Wizard. Therefore, use of the EC Division provided Progress Report template will be prolonged and will require careful monitoring to ensure that a final, hard copy is included in the student’s EC file when a new annual or an addendum IEP is created.

• Standard reporting functions may return incomplete data sets until an LEA has fully implemented ECATS.

o Incomplete EC records If users do not complete each step for alternate data entry exactly according to

the training materials, the student may not appear in the Child Count Report, thereby jeopardizing funding.

The alternate data entry mechanism does not enforce full record completion. For example, an IEP could be entered without a Referral.

If users do not enter accommodations for state-mandated assessments, the EC screen in PowerSchool will be incomplete and the accommodations reports used by local/building level testing coordinators will not populate correctly or be inclusive of all students requiring accommodations. This creates a significant risk for effective state mandated test administration in the Spring of 2020.

The student’s electronic ECATS record will have events on the Student History page for eligibility and IEP; however, there will not be any associated finalized documents available for the life of these events.

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1 ELIGIBILITY For completing an eligibility, the following fields are needed:

• Evaluation Purpose • Meeting Date/Determination Date • Eligibility Decision • Primary Disability

To complete these fields, search for your student, and then navigate to the ‘Eligibility’ process under the ‘EC Process’ dropdown.

Click on the step ‘Meeting Purpose and Suspected Disability’.

On this page, select the appropriate meeting purpose. The only meeting purposes that need to be selected are “Initial Eligibility” or “Reevaluation”. Do NOT select “Reevaluation – Programming change only”.

Then click ‘Save’. Next navigate to the eligibility information page located under Student Information>Eligibility. Enter the eligibility determination date in the “Initial Eligibility or Current Reeval

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Date” Field, and provide the disability determined (if applicable). Do not enter anything in the “Retention School Year” dropdown.

Click ‘Update the Database’. You’ll be taken to the confirmation page, where you can confirm your intent to finalize, review the eligibility determination date, and indicate the eligibility decision:

Click ‘Update the Database’.

To confirm that the Eligibility Determination has been entered successfully:

1. Hover over ‘Student Information’ and select ‘Student History’ 2. In the Student History, you will see either an ‘Eligibility Determination’ event if the student is

determined eligible or a ‘Non-Eligibility Determination’ event if the student is determined not eligible.

3. In the top, right-hand corner, next to the student’s name, you may see that the compliance symbol is updated. The color of the compliance symbol will depend on the other events present on this page and on the dates entered for the Eligibility Determination. For Kaitlin Test below, this is her first Eligibility Determination. The yellow compliance symbol is notifying us she does not have an IEP, even though she has been determined eligible. Note – no document link will be available for this Eligibility Determination, as a document was not created through this alternate data entry method.

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You have now successfully entered the information required for eligibility. This is part one of two critical data elements needed for December 1 Child Count.

2 IEP For the IEP, the following fields are required:

• Meeting Purpose • Meeting Date • Start Date • End Date • Accommodations • Services • Where services will be rendered, if applicable

To complete these fields, search for your student, and then navigate to ‘IEP’ tab under the ‘EC Process’ dropdown.

Start with ‘Meeting Purpose’

On this page, complete ‘Meeting Purpose’, ‘IEP Meeting Date’, ‘IEP Start Date’, and ‘Date this IEP Ends’. Case Manager can remain blank.

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Click ‘Save’. Next, navigate to the ‘Services’ section. To do this, hover over the EC Process, click ‘IEP’, then choose the ‘Services’ link.

To add service, use the add button for either Special Ed and/or Related Services

Use the presented dropdowns to add services. Once complete, click ‘Save and Continue’. If you need to add more than 4 for either Special Ed or Related Services, add 4, click save and continue, then click the add button again.

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Once added, you’ll see additional fields to complete for each service:

Please make sure that amount of time, frequency, Duration, Location, and Service Type (if Related Service) are completed for each service.

Please ensure you also enter where services will be rendered under Additional Service Information if the student is 6 years or older and the student is 100% removed from the traditional school setting or if the student is less than 6 years.

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Once updated, click ‘Save’.

Next, you will add accommodations. To get to the accommodations page, hover over the EC Process, click ‘IEP’, then choose the ‘Accommodations’ link.

There are three sections: Class, District, and State. Accommodations are entered the same way for each section. The example below will be for state tests, but you can follow the same process for each.

Note: Only state tests are required for this Alternate Data Entry; LEAs may also require that class and district accommodations are entered.

To add Accommodations, start by adding the test.

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Select each area the student is participating in. Once selected, you will be prompted at the bottom of the page to indicate the participation level. Please enter that now:

Then, click ‘Save and Continue’.

You will be presented with a list of accommodations, if applicable. Select all accommodations the student is receiving. Note: Selecting the accommodation in one area will select it in others.

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Click ‘Save and Continue’.

You will be taken back to the main accommodations screen. Repeat these same steps for any district assessments or classroom activities. If individual changes need to be made to an activity, click the ‘Edit’ button for that activity. If you need to add implementation specifications for individual accommodations, click the ‘Add Implementation Specifics’ button.

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Once complete, click ‘Save’.

If the student is on Modified Day complete the next section, Data Collection. If the student is NOT on Modified Day, skip to ‘Creating the IEP Event’.

Data Collection

Next, navigate to the Data Collection page located under EC Process>Data Collection. Review the General Data tab, paying specific attention to the Length of School Day. If the length of school day is correct for the student, you do not need to do anything. If the student’s length of school day is different from what is currently listed, input the number of hours or minutes appropriate for this student. Once complete, click ‘Save’. This step is critical for properly calculating placement.

Creating the IEP Event

Next navigate to the eligibility information page located under Student Information>Eligibility. In the field labeled ‘Most Recent IEP Meeting Date’, enter the IEP Meeting Date.

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Click ‘Update the Database’. You will be taken to a confirmation screen. Click the checkbox to confirm you intend to submit the data, make sure your meeting date, start date, and end date are correct, and then click ‘Update the Database’.

To confirm that the IEP has been entered successfully:

1. Hover over ‘Student Information’ and select ‘Student History’ 2. In the Student History, you will see an ‘IEP’ event 3. In the top, right-hand corner, next to the student’s name, you will see that the compliance symbol

is updated. For Kaitlin Test below, all EC events in the system are up-to-date, so she has a green checkmark. Note – no document link will be available for this IEP, as a document was not created through this alternate data entry method.

You have now successfully entered the information required for the IEP. This is part two of two critical data elements needed for December 1 Child Count.

Reminders:

- Each student must have a current eligibility and a current IEP documented in the system to be counted in the December 1 Headcount.

- This alternate data entry option ensures that the critical data elements to achieve this are completed. The compliance symbol for this student should be a green checkmark.