1	Child Outcome Summary Tool (COST) WV Birth to Three
2	Welcome and Introductions
3	Housekeeping
4	Ground Rules for the Day Cell phones should be turned off or on vibrate Limit side bars as it can be a distraction to the group If you have questions related to the material, please put them on cards. We will have times in the agenda set aside to address them.
5	Training Outcomes Participants will understand the value of measuring outcomes for all infants, toddlers and their families Participants will be introduced to the OSEP Child Outcomes and indicators and WV ‘s Outcome Measurement System Participants will be trained in the intended use of the Child Outcome Summary Tool
6	Public Policy Context Age of accountability Accountability increasingly means looking at results – not just process Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is under increasing pressure to produce outcomes data on children (ages birth to five) participating in early childhood programs
7	PART Review for Part C and Part B Preschool Results not demonstrated Part C “While the program has met its goal relating to the number of children served, it has not collected information on how well the program is doing to improve the educational and developmental outcomes of infants and toddlers served.”
8	PART Review for Part C and Part B Preschool Part B Preschool “The Department has no performance information on preschool children with disabilities by this program.” Note: ‘Department’ refers to the U.S. Department of Education
9	OSEP Response Require states to submit outcomes data in their Annual Performance Report (APR) on key indicators of quality services and supports States are required to report on child and family outcomes for all children and families receiving early intervention or special education services under IDEA
10	Why Is Collecting Data So Important? To document the system’s effectiveness To improve services to children and families To allocate needed resources such as technical assistance
11	Early Childhood Outcome Center (ECO Center) www.the-eco-center.org Five year federally funded project to research, provide technical assistance and support states in designing a child outcome measurement system Develop national child and family outcomes Crosswalks of assessment tools to child outcomes Guidance to states on designing child and family outcome measurement systems
12	Child Outcomes for Part C and B of IDEA Positive social emotional skills (including positive social relationships) Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication) Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs
13	What Must Be Tracked and Reported For Each Child a. % of infants and toddlers who did not improve functioning b. % of infants and toddlers who improved functioning, but not sufficient to move nearer to functioning comparable to same age peers c. % of infants and toddlers who improved functioning to a level nearer to same-age peers but did not reach it
14	What Must Be Tracked And Reported For Each Child % of infants and toddlers who improved functioning to reach a level comparable to same age peers % of infants and toddlers who maintained functioning at a level comparable to same-age peers
15	Family Outcomes for Part C Percent of families participating in Part C who report that early intervention services have helped the family: Know their rights; Effectively communicate their children’s needs; and Help their children develop and learn
16	Family Outcomes for Part B % of parents with a child receiving special education who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities
17	Making a Difference Initiative WV Birth to Three, in collaboration with WV Department of Education, Special Education, have kicked off the Making A Difference Initiative to design and implement a child and family outcome measurement system to meet our obligations to OSEP.
18	Vision of Making a Difference Through this initiative, practitioners will understand the importance of: Linking assessment to intervention How on-going authentic assessment can inform the team when a change in intervention strategies or services is needed Evaluating child progress over time, instead of during diagnostic testing
19	Rethinking Early Childhood Assessment Major changes have occurred in the last 15 years in how assessment of young children is viewed On-going assessment is part of high quality early childhood programs Use of curriculum-based tools reflects best practice
20	Rethinking Early Childhood Assessment We should be getting a rich picture of what a child can and can’t do and use the information to help family and other caregivers to help the child acquire new skills
21	Interesting Fact Even though the disability community has designed many wonderful curriculum-based assessments, many early interventionists do not understand or use on-going assessment to support children/families The early childhood community is taking the lead on this best practice
22	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment zerotothree.org Developmental assessment should be a dynamic, ongoing, multi-dimensional and individual process Developmental assessment should guide the design and implementation of early intervention services, supports and activities
23	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment Assessment means working together as a team to learn about the child
24	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment Assessment should take into account all aspects of the baby or young child’s development
25	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment An assessment should give a picture of the child in different settings, and gather information from many people, with the family playing an important role
26	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment Professionals who assess young children should understand the sequences, timetables, and variations of typical development
27	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment The assessment process should identify the child’s current strengths and abilities as well as competencies that will help the child develop further
28	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment Assessment should feel like help
29	Guidelines for Developmental Assessment The process of assessment should always be viewed as the first step in a potential intervention process
30	Break
31	The Overarching Goal for Early Intervention “…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 programs, and in the community.”
32	Outcomes are Functional and Meaningful to the Child and Family Assists the child in participating within the context of everyday living Emphasizes how the child is able to integrate skills across domains to carry out complex meaningful behaviors An outcome is “ a benefit experienced as a result of services received”
33	Thinking Functionally Initiate affection toward caregivers and respond to others’ affection Watch what a peer says or does and incorporate it into his/her own play Point to indicate needs or wants Use a skill in actions across settings and situations to accomplish something meaningful to the child
34	Thinking Functionally Even in the best system, some children will not achieve all of the desired outcomes, but we should expect all children to make progress toward the outcomes Children with severe disabilities may make slower progress toward these outcomes However, with accommodations and supports, even children with severe disabilities should be able to make progress toward these functional outcomes
35	Child Outcome Summary Tool The COST is a tool for summarizing information related to a child’s progress toward each of the three functional outcome areas required by OSEP Information can include norm or curriculum referenced assessments, parent report on child skills or behaviors, progress notes from team members working with the child, observations and/or other sources of information
36	Child Outcome Summary Tool The COST is not an assessment instrument. Does not require teams to gather any additional information than they should be gathering now Is facilitated by trained developmental specialists
37	When Is The Child Outcome Summary Tool Completed? For children referred on or after March 1, 2007 in Regions III, IV, VI and VII and Barbour, Randolph and Taylor 1) At initial eligibility/ IFSP meeting 2) At annual IFSP meeting, if a COST has been completed previously 3) At exit, if a COST has been completed previously and the child has had an active IFSP for 6 months or more
38	When Is The Child Outcome Summary Tool Completed? For children referred on or after January 1, 2008 in Regions I, II, VIII and Lewis, Preston, and Tucker and Upshur Counties 1) At initial eligibility/ IFSP meeting 2) At annual IFSP meeting, if a COST has been completed previously 3) At exit, if a COST has been completed previously and the child has had an active IFSP for 6 months or more
39	Child Outcome Summary Tool How is the COST to be completed? The Child Outcome Summary Tool is completed for all eligible children as part of the conversation around the child’s present levels of development during the eligibility/ IFSP process
40	Child Outcome Summary Tool How is the COST information used to inform the IFSP and practice? The COST assists the team, including the family, to synthesize the rich information gathered around the child’s developmental skills across daily activities and routines. This information will help the team plan outcomes and strategies for the IFSP, and monitor the child’s on-going progress
41	Children Have Positive Social Relationships 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
42	Children Acquire and Use Knowledge and Skills Involves: Thinking Reasoning Remembering Problem-solving Using symbols and language Understanding physical and social worlds Includes: Early concepts – symbols, pictures, numbers, classification, spatial relationships Imitation Object permanence Expressive language and communication
43	Children Take Appropriate Action to Meet Their Needs Involves: Taking care of basic needs Getting from place to place Using tools In older children, contributing to their own health and safety 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
44	The Bottom Line Early intervention should strive to achieve the three outcomes for all children receiving services
45	Critical Issues in Rating Infants and Toddlers on the Outcomes Achievement of outcomes is age-based, (e.g., children of different ages will demonstrate achievement in different ways) There are many pathways to competence for children with atypical development (e.g., using sign language, wheel chair, etc).
46	Critical Issues in Rating an Infant or Toddler on the Outcomes Outcomes refer to how a child functions across a variety of settings, including use of assistive technology or other supports Outcomes reflect the child’s everyday functioning – not what the child is capable of under ideal or highly unusual circumstances
47	Rating on the COST To what extent does this child show behaviors and skills related to this outcome appropriate for his or her age across a variety of settings and situations? Has the child shown any new skills or behaviors related to this outcome since the last outcomes summary? (yes-no)
48	Ratings on the COST Ratings on each outcome are a snapshot of The whole child Functioning A variety of settings and situations Rather than viewing development Skill by skill In one standardized way, or by single domains
49	Rating on the COST Ratings will be completed for every child across all three Child Outcomes Ratings are needed in all areas even if: No one has concerns about a child’s development A child has delays in one or two outcomes, but not in all three outcomes
50	Ratings on the COST The person/group making the rating needs to reach consensus on rating the child’s current function on each outcome. Descriptions of Ratings Completely Somewhat Emerging Not Yet Check the box that most clearly represents the child’s functioning
51	Completely Child shows behaviors and skills expected in all or almost all everyday situations that are part of a child’s life home, store, park, child care, with strangers, etc. Behaviors and skills are considered typical for his/her age. No concerns about delays on any of the components of the global goal area.
52	Somewhat Child shows behaviors and skills expected some of the time across situations Behaviors and skills are a mix of appropriate and not appropriate Behaviors may be more like a slightly younger child Some behaviors or conditions may be interfering with child’s ability to achieve age-expected behavior and skills
53	Emerging Child does not yet show behaviors and skills expected of a child of his/her age in any situation. Behaviors and skills include immediate foundational skills upon which to build age-expected skills. Behaviors may be more like those of a younger child Some behaviors or conditions may be interfering with child’s ability to achieve age-expected behavior/skills.
54	Not Yet Child does not yet show behaviors and skills expected of a child of his/her age in any situation. Behaviors and skills do not yet include any immediate foundational skills upon which to build age-expected skills. Behaviors may be more like those of a much younger child Some behaviors or conditions may be seriously interfering with child’s ability to achieve age-expected behavior and skills
55	None Quite Fit? Use the in-between categories for children who have some characteristics of two different descriptions
56	Rating on the COST On the form, the team will need to document: What evidence led to the selected rating Who participated in the conversation and decision-making Provides a record of the basis for the decision
57	Interim Service Coordinator’s Role Assist the family in selecting evaluation and assessment team members who can most appropriately assess the areas of concern Assure that the evaluation/assessment team includes a developmental specialist Assist the family in deciding what the family’s role will be in the assessment process
58	Interim Service Coordinator’s Role Provide information to the family on the Making a Difference Initiative and the Child Outcome Summary Tool Coordinate the sharing of evaluation and assessment information among team members
59	Interim Service Coordinator’s Role Coordinate and facilitate the eligibility determination and IFSP meeting Send or deliver the original IFSP and the completed Child Outcome Summary Tool to the RAU for inclusion into the early intervention record
60	On-going Service Coordinator’s Role Assist the family in selecting evaluation and assessment team members who can most appropriately assess the areas of concern at annual re-determination Assist the family in selecting a developmental specialist for the E/A team
61	On-going Service Coordinator’s Role Coordinate the sharing of evaluation and assessment information among team members Coordinate and facilitate the annual eligibility re-determination and IFSP meeting Send or deliver the original IFSP and completed Child Outcome Summary Tool to the RAU for inclusion into the early intervention record
62	Closure Meeting To be completed within 30 days before the child’s exit from the WV Birth to Three System Complete the COST, answer any questions Confirm family address and additional info that SC will need to complete the Transition/Transfer form at exit Review the AT loan agreement (this should have been done at the 90 day face-to-face meeting, but team could check one last time)
63	COST Q and A’s WV Birth to Three will be providing ongoing clarification on the COST through a series of Questions and Answers posted on our web site
64	Next Steps Developmental Specialists who attend the COST training will receive an agreement from the State Birth to Three office to sign Upon receipt of signed agreement and copy of the COST training certificate, the state office will notify the RAU of your availability to facilitate the COST
65	Next Steps Send the original COST Agreement and a copy of the COST training certificate to: Susan Hicks WV Birth to Three 350 Capitol Street, Room 427 Charleston, WV 25301
66	Questions