Lyonel B. Tracy
Mary S. Heath
Commissioner of Education
Tel. 603-271-3144
Deputy Commissioner
Tel. 603-271-7301
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, N.H. 03301
FAX 603-271-1953
Citizens Services Line 1-800-339-9900
Bureau of Special Education FY’07 Memo # 2
Date:
July 12, 2006
To:
Superintendents of Schools
Directors of Special Education
From:
Lyonel B. Tracy, Commissioner
Santina Thibedeau
Administrator, Bureau of Administrator
State Director of Special Education
RE:
Preschool Special Education Outcomes Measurement System
A key goal of the NHDOE Follow the Child initiative is to improve the personal, physical, social and academic wellbeing of each New Hampshire child. Based on federal monitoring per IDEA 2004 (20 U.S.C. 1416 (a)(3)(A)), all states
are now required to report on the progress of preschoolers with disabilities in three outcome areas. This assessment
of child progress will promote NH districts’ work to improve the well-being of preschool children with disabilities. Part C
of IDEA, early intervention, (known in NH as Family-Centered Early Supports & Services) will also report on these
outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities.
What are the three outcome areas?
1. Children have positive social relationships.
2. Children acquire and use knowledge and skills.
3. Children take appropriate action to meet their needs.
What do NH districts need to do first?
Effective September 1, 2006, districts are required to assess all newly identified preschool children with IEPs to
determine each child’s status relative to the three outcome areas. Districts will report this status data to the NHDOE.
Local teams may find this assessment process useful for other children; however it is required only for preschool
children with IEPs identified as of September 1, 2006. This assessment will occur within six weeks of the child
beginning to receive special education services.
What role do families have in this process?
Families have critical information about their child’s strengths and how their child is progressing. Their input should
always be incorporated when assessing the child. Many of the assessment tools have detailed procedures for
including families in the assessment process. Resources for discussing the preschool outcome measurement system
with families will be developed this summer.
How often will districts need to assess the child?
Assessments on the three outcomes will occur at least annually for each child. Local teams may decide that
assessments occur more frequently based on the selected assessment process, the tool, the need to inform
curriculum and instruction, and individual child needs.
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Bureau of Special Education FY’07 Memo #2
July 12, 2006
Page – 2 –
How will progress on the outcomes be determined?
For state reporting purposes, progress will be determined based on the first (status) assessment data and the final
assessment data completed prior to the child exiting preschool special education.
What about a child who is in preschool special education for a short time?
Preschool children with IEPs who receive special education for at least six months will be included in the outcome
measurement system.
What Assessment Tools/Instruments will districts use?
Much work has been done on both a national and state level to determine which assessment systems are most
desirable and most readily used to assess and report child progress on the outcomes. Based on considerable
research and feedback from NH practitioners, three tools are being recommended by the NH Department of Education
for assessing preschool outcomes. These tools are listed alphabetically below:
a) Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming (AEPS®):
http://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/bricker-aeps/osep.htm
b) Brigance® Inventory of Early Development II (IED-II):
http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.asp?title=BrigIED2&Type=SCH&CustId=2385205916
706160649593
c) The Creative Curriculum® Developmental Continuum Assessment for Ages 3-5:
http://www.creativecurriculum.net/
Districts may choose to use one or more of these three tools to assess progress. By mid-September, districts will
notify the NHDOE which assessment instruments have been selected. A template for this notification will be sent to
the districts by the NHDOE later this summer. This will allow the state to coordinate training and technical assistance,
help negotiate the most cost effective price for assessment instruments, and inform data collection and analysis
procedures.
Each of the recommended assessment systems has web-based data collection and analysis capabilities that will
create the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) federal reports needed by the state. Districts will need to
utilize these data systems or will have to engage in data collection and a conversion process to generate data that can
be used for federal reporting.
What if we prefer to use another assessment instrument?
If you select another instrument, you will need to consider the implications of implementing the preschool outcome
measurement system using that tool.
Some criteria that you need to consider are:
 Does the tool assess all three outcome areas?
 How do the test items match the outcome areas?
 Has the publisher completed the crosswalk of test items to the outcome areas or will you need to develop this
on your own?
 Will all test items carry the same weight?
 Who will be involved in the assessment?
 How much time will it take away from instruction to complete the assessment?
 How convenient will it be to incorporate the assessment system into my program?
 How does the assessment system link to the curricula we use?
 What are the pros and cons for using this tool (staff time, ability to use assessment to enhance instruction,
compatibility with other activities and community resources)
Prior to selecting a tool other than the ones recommended by the NHDOE, you will need to contact Ruth Littlefield at
271-2178 to determine if your choice will meet the reporting requirements.
Bureau of Special Education FY’07 Memo #2
July 12, 2006
Page – 3 –
Are there any funds available to help us get started?
This year, the NHDOE has increased district preschool entitlement allocations by 75%. We encourage you to use
these funds for this effort. The NHDOE is negotiating with the publishers of the recommended instruments to get cost
breaks for districts.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
The NHDOE is working with publishers of the recommended tools and state and national technical assistance
providers to establish a comprehensive and responsive plan for professional development and technical assistance.
More information will be forthcoming later this summer. Additional information on resources will also be provided
before September 2006.
What is the purpose of this work?
The purpose of collecting and reporting this data is to assist with program and service improvement efforts at the
federal, state and local levels. On the federal level, OSEP will use this information to demonstrate to Congress the
effectiveness of early intervention and preschool special education programs. This data will also assist state-level
decisions about resources and opportunities for training and technical assistance. At the local level, districts and
programs will be able to use the data for planning, instruction and interventions for whole groups of children within the
district as well as for individual children. Child progress will be communicated to families and used to support IEP
development. Local information may be used to gain community support for your program.
How will the state report improvement on the outcomes to the federal Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP)?
By February 1, 2007 the state will report to OSEP on the development of the preschool outcomes measurement
system and the preliminary status data.
Progress/improvement will be reported in subsequent years for each child after the child has exited preschool special
education in one of the following OSEP reporting categories:
a.
b.
c.
d.
% of children who maintain functioning at a level comparable to same-aged peers
% of children who improved functioning to reach a level comparable to same-age peers
% of children who improve functioning but did not reach a level comparable to same-age peers
% of children who did not improve functioning
How will this data be used?
Once the state has sufficient data to establish a baseline (February 2008 at the earliest), state targets for improvement
will be set. Although not a compliance indicator, improvement of performance will be expected statewide.
Who can I call if I have more questions?
For more information, contact your region’s PTAN facilitator or the PTAN coordinator (Joan Izen) at 206-6800.
Final thoughts:
The Preschool Outcome Measurement System is ultimately about improving the well-being of preschool children with
disabilities. This initiative is new for all states and districts, as well as for early intervention. We are all just learning to
build systems that will support us in demonstrating the effectiveness of our programs by measuring child progress. By
working together on this new requirement, we can enhance the quality of programs and services, resulting in better
outcomes for NH children.
RL:BJR