UNDERSTANDING THE THREE CHILD OUTCOMES 1 Maryland State Department of Education - Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services

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UNDERSTANDING THE THREE CHILD OUTCOMES

Maryland State Department of Education - Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services

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Goal of Early Intervention & Preschool Special Education

“…To enable young children to be active and successful

participants during the early childhood years and in the future in a

variety of settings – in their homes with their families, in child

care, in preschool or school programs, and in the community.”


Family and Child Outcomes for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Outcomes

Center. (April 2005). Available at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/assets/pdfs/eco_outcomes_4-13-05.pdf

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/assets/pdfs/eco_outcomes_4-13-05.pdf

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Public Policy Context

•Age of accountability

•Accountability means both compliance and results

•U. S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded the Early Childhood Outcomes Center to develop measures to show effectiveness of early intervention and preschool special education programs


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Child Outcomes Measurement, As Required by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

1. Children have positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships)

2. Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy)

3. Children use appropriate behaviors to meet their needs


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OSEP Reporting Categories for Each OutcomePercentage of children who:

a. Did not improve functioningb. Improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to

functioning comparable to same-aged peers c. Improved functioning to a level nearer to same-aged

peers but did not reach itd. Improved functioning to reach a level comparable to

same-aged peerse. Maintained functioning at a level comparable to same-

aged peers


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OSEP Summary Statements

•Summary Statement 1:

Of those children who entered the program below age expectations in each Outcome, the percent who substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they exited the program


•Summary Statement 2:

The percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each Outcome by the time they exited the program

Big Picture: Outcomes, Progress, and Summary

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A. Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships)

B. Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language

/communication and early literacy)

C. Use of appropriate behavior to meet needs

(a)Percent of

preschool children who did not

improve functioning

(% children above / # of preschool children with IEPs assessed) x 100

(b)Percent of

preschool children who improved

functioning but not sufficient to move

nearer to functioning

comparable to same-aged peers

(% children above/ # of preschool children with IEPs assessed) x 100

(c)Percent of

preschool children who improved

functioning to a level nearer to

same-aged peers but did not reach it


(d)Percent of

preschool children who improved functioning to reach a level

comparable to same-aged peers


(e)Percent of

preschool children who maintained functioning at a

level comparable to same-aged peers


Summary Statement 1Of those children who entered the preschool program below age

expectations in each Outcome, the percent who substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they entered

kindergarten or exited the program.

% = # of children reported in (c) plus # of children reported in (d) / [# of children reported in (a) plus # of children reported in (b) plus # of children

reported in (c) plus # children reported in (d)] x 100

Summary Statement 2The percent pf preschool children who were functioning within age expectations in each Outcome by the time they entered

kindergarten or exited the program.

% = # of children reported in (d) plus # of children reported in (e) / [the total # of children reported in (a) + (b) + (c) + (d)+ (e)] x 100


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Why Collect Child Outcomes Data?In gathering child outcomes data, programs are able to

• Inform stakeholders, including families, about the effectiveness of the program

• Identify program strengths and weakness for improving program services and delivery

• Provide information for policymakers to justify future funding of programs

• Meet the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) reporting requirements


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The Three Child Outcomes

1. Children have positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships)

2. Children acquire and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy)

3. Children use appropriate behaviors to meet their needs


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Child Outcomes Are Functional

Functional outcomes refer to

•Things that are meaningful to the child in the context of everyday living

•An integrated series of behaviors or skills that allow the child to achieve the important everyday goals


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Outcomes Reflect Global Functioning

•Each outcome is a snapshot of: • The whole child• Status of the child’s current functioning• Functioning across settings and situations

•Rather than:• Skill by skill• In one standardized way• Split by domains


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Outcome 1:Children Have Positive Social Relationships •This outcome involves:

• Relating with adults• Relating with other children• For older children, following rules related to groups or interacting with others

• Includes areas like:• Attachment/separation/autonomy• Expressing emotions and feelings• Learning rules and expectations• Social interactions and play

Early Childhood Outcomes Center (2009, November). The child outcomes. Available from http://ectacenter.org/eco/assets/pdfs/Child_Outcomes_handout.pdf


http://ectacenter.org/eco/assets/pdfs/Child_Outcomes_handout.pdf


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Outcome 2:Children Acquire and Use Knowledge and Skills •This outcome involves:

• Thinking and reasoning• Remembering• Problem solving• Using symbols and language• Understanding physical and social worlds

•This outcome includes:• Early concepts—symbols, pictures, numbers, classification, spatial relationships• Imitation• Object permanence• Expressive language and communication• Early literacy





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Outcome 3: Children Take Appropriate Action to Meet Needs

•This outcome involves:• Taking care of basic needs• Getting from place to place• Using tools (e.g., fork, toothbrush, crayon)• In older children, contributing to their own health and safety

•This outcome includes:• Integrating motor skills to complete tasks• Self-help skills (e.g., dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting, household

responsibility)• Acting on the world to get what one wants





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Child Outcomes Make a Difference

•Early intervention and preschool special education strives to achieve all three of the outcomes for all children receiving services

•Gathering child outcomes data is an important part of the process to show areas for program improvement that can help participants


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Questions?

Nancy Vorobey

Section Chief, Prevention Initiatives and Early Childhood

410-767-0234

[email protected]

Pam Miller

Quality Assurance Specialist

410-767-1019

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

UNDERSTANDING THE THREE CHILD OUTCOMES 1 Maryland State Department of Education - Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services