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Learn the COS process for rating child outcomes & how it can improve local practices. Use ECTA & VA resources for better divisional processes.
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Purpose • What is the process used in your division to complete the outcomes rating? • What is the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process? • How can the COS process improve practices at the local level? • What Early Childhood TA (ECTA) and VA Resources can be used to improve the process used in my division?
3 Outcome Areas Positive Social-Emotional Skills Acquisition and Use of Knowledge and Skills Use of Appropriate Behavior to Meet Needs
2 Outcomes Required by the Office of Special Education Programs • Of those preschool children who entered or exited the preschool program below age expectations in Outcome ___, the percent who substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they turned 6 years of age or exited the program • The percent of preschool children who were functioning within age expectations in Outcome ___ by the time they turned 6 or exited the program
Process • Who • Team members (including family) • Well trained • Knowledgeable of outcome areas • Knowledgeable of typical development • What • Data sources • Tools • Materials • How • Procedures
What is the process used in your division? • Who completes the ratings? • Rate your process on a Scale of 1-5 (1 low-5 high). • How would you like to improve the process?
COS Process summarizing information team process multiple sources federal reporting own Recommended process to be used in Virginia for summarizing information related to a child’s progress and providing an exit rating on each of the three child outcome areas COS is a team process. It is an effective way to use multiple sources of information to describe a child’s functioning and provide a rating on each outcome area COS is a mechanism that allows programs to summarize assessment information for federal reporting as well as for their own purposes, such as for accountability, program planning, and program improvement COS is NOT an assessment instrument
Barriers to Data-InformedDecision Making Ingram, D. S. (2004). Accountability policies and teacher decision making: Barriers to the use of data to improve practice. Teachers College Record, 106(6), 1258–1287. Many providers/teachers have developed their own personal metric for judging the effectiveness of their intervention/teaching. Many providers/teachers and administrators base their decisions on experience, intuition, and anecdotal information (professional judgment) rather than on information that is collected systematically.
Barriers to Data-Informed Decision Making Ingram, D. S. (2004). Accountability policies and teacher decision making: Barriers to the use of data to improve practice. Teachers College Record, 106(6), 1258–1287. Some providers/teachers disassociate their own performance and that of children, which leads them to overlook useful data. 4. Programs and schools rarely provide the time needed to collect and analyze data.
Resources for Completing the COS Process • Virginia Department of Education Website. You can find information on the pages for Early Childhood Special Education, Indicator Data Collection. Scroll to the section with resources for Indicator 7. http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/early_childhood/data/index.shtml • Leadership in Effective And Developmentally-Appropriate Services (LEADS) Website. You can find information on the pages for Data, Indicator 7 Outcomes. Click on the tab for Indicator 7 Resources. http://va-leads-ecse.org/indicator-7
Resources • Indicator 7 Overview • Child Outcomes Overview • Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships) • Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy) • Use of appropriate behavior to meet needs • Young Children’s Development and Age Appropriate Skills • The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process • ECTA/DaSY Online Module • A comprehensive online module has been developed jointly by the ECTA and DaSY Centers • The module provides key information about the COS process and the practices that contribute to consistent and meaningful COS decision-making • COS Documents • COS Outcome Summary Form and Instructions • Decision Tree for Summary Rating Discussions • Definitions for Outcome Ratings • COS Discussion Prompts
The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process • Providing Professional Development • ECTA provides resources designed to help with delivery of professional development (online, live, technical assistance) on the COS process • Ensuring Fidelity of the COS Process • ECTA also provides resources to increase teams’ fidelity of the COS process • Resources can be used by individuals or as part of a peer review process to reflect upon the extent to which the process used by the program meets quality expectations
When to Complete the COS Process Entry to Preschool, Under Part B • Entry includes all children who begin preschool special education and can receive six months of service or more before entering kindergarten • Children may have initial eligibility established by their resident district and may begin service from another district if the family moves • Entry ratings are the responsibility of the first district to deliver a service through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and are not the responsibility of the evaluating district • Entry ratings are typically made within the first month of service
When to Complete the COS Process Exit from Preschool • Exit ratings are to be provided for any child who received preschool special education for at least six months • Exit occurs when • Child is evaluated and determined to no longer be a child with a disability • Child is transitioning to kindergarten • Child is moving out of state • Parents are voluntarily discontinuing service • Child’s whereabouts are unknown and the school has been unable to locate him/her • Death of the child • Exit ratings are made as close to the child’s exit from preschool as possible
Child Moves • If a child moves into your division • If the child moves from out of state, the division is to complete their own entry rating • If the child moves in state, the receiving division can use the previous division’s entry rating or can complete their own entry rating (it is recommended for the receiving division to provide their own entry rating) • If a child moves out of your division • If the child moves out of state, an exit rating is completed • If the child moves in state and the division knows the child will continue to get special education services, the child should not be exited • If the child moves and whereabouts are unknown and the school has been unable to locate him/her, an exit rating is completed
Other Opportunities The Department of Education (DOE) believes in the importance of ongoing assessment to provide critical information to parents and other members of a child’s IEP team and to inform instruction DOE requires assessment data to be converted to child outcome summary ratings at program entry and program exit only
Documentation The DOE provides the “Early Childhood Outcomes Progress Summary Form” Divisions may also create their own form or modify the DOE form provided the appropriate information is documented
EXITWas there Progress? ECTA Online Course Go to Session 8 Complete “Just for Me” activity
What are components of the COS process that can benefit the child, family, team? How can the COS process (and ratings) be used in your division?