Child and Family Outcomes
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NECTAC topic editors: Lynne Kahn, Christina Kasprzak, Siobhan Colgan Most recent additions to this page:
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This section includes information about:
- OSEP Requirements
- State Activities Related to Child and Family Outcomes
- Measurement tools
- Meetings and Conference Calls
- Additional ECO Center Resources
In April 2005 the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) announced new reporting requirements for child and family outcomes. States will begin reporting outcomes data in the Annual Performance Report (APR) due February 2007 and continue to report annually each February.
For child outcomes, state Part C programs must report the percent of infants and toddlers with IFSPs who demonstrate:
- Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships);
- Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication); and
- Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.
State 619 programs must report the percent of preschool children with IEPs who demonstrate:
- Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships);
- Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy); and
- Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.
For family outcomes, state Part C programs must report the 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.
State 619 programs must report the percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities.
Many resources on this page are available through The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center. The ECO Center is an OSEP-funded project providing national leadership in assisting states with the implementation of high-quality outcome systems for early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) programs. The ECO Center conducts activities in three major areas of outcomes measurement- knowledge development; technical assistance and dissemination; and leadership and coordination.
OSEP Requirements
Resources on the February 2010 APP/APR reporting cycle may be found on the SPP/APR calendar under 'Submission Tools' for both Part C and Part B/619. Additional resources to support states in implementing the State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) requirements are also available here.
FAQs Regarding the SPP/APR (2007)
(PDF: 171kb)
This document answers common questions related to SPP/APR for Part C Indicator #3 and Part B Indicator #7.
Child Outcomes
Reporting Timelines (2008) (PDF: 35kb) (PDF: 24kb)
This document was developed and approved by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It describes the requirements for
reporting child outcome data to OSEP for each APR through 2012, and outlines the 3 child outcome areas and the five reporting
categories.
ECO Suggested Formats
The ECO Center has created suggested formats for annual reporting on the child and family outcomes indicators. Formats are provided
for B7, C3 (two versions) and C4.
Target Setting
The ECO Center has additional resources available to states on target setting for the child outcomes indicators. Links are provided
for webinars and presentations, target setting recommendations, and the summary statement calculator.
State Activities Related to Child and Family Outcomes
State Approaches
Each year the ECO Center compiles information about the approach used in each state for measuring child and family outcomes. For
child outcomes, tables show assessment tools used, definitions for entry and exit, and approach to measurement (i.e. COSF, online
publisher, etc) for all states. Family data includes type of survey used (i.e. Family Outcomes Survey, NCSEAM, etc.) family
population surveyed, and information on representativeness.
State Outcomes Websites
This page provides links to states' outcomes-specific web sites. These provide state information related to child and/or family
outcome measurement system development, training, and resources. Links to state-developed materials on specific topics are also
available, including Quality Assurance,
Policy Guidance, Training
Materials, and Informing Families about Outcomes.
Measurement Tools
Multiple Data
Sources or Single Data Source (2005) 
(DOC: 33kb)
outlines the possible pros and cons of choosing multiple data sources or a single
data source for measuring child progress.
Norm-referenced or
Curriculum Based (2005) (DOC: 39kb)
outlines the possible pros and cons of choosing norm-referenced or curriculum based
assessment tools for measuring child progress.
Early
Childhood Measures Profiles (2004) (PDF: 3,647kb) authored by Lisa J. Bridges, Daniel J. Berry, et al. provides
information about more than 40 instruments developed to assess early childhood development in reference to participants':
approaches to learning, general cognition, language ability and literacy, mathematical skill, and social-emotional development. It
also describes instruments which can be used for ongoing observational assessment and those employed by Early Head Start. Each
instrument is described in reference to its overall purpose and major constructs, age range, status as norm or criterion
referenced, and reliability and validity, as well as the administrator training required, length of administration, and cost.
Meetings and Conference Calls
ECO/NECTAC National TA Meeting: Measuring and Improving Child and Family Outcomes (September 18-21, 2011) View the meeting agenda with links to presentations and materials from this working TA meeting. Sponsored by NECTAC and the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center.
Using Data for Program Improvement: Call series sponsored by the Outcomes Priority Team (February-May, 2011)
This call series presented a number of tools developed by federally funded TA providers to help states and local programs use their data to plan for program improvement.
ECO/NECTAC National TA Meeting: Measuring Child and Family Outcomes
(July 30-31, 2010)
View the meeting agenda with links to presentations and materials from this working TA meeting. Sponsored by NECTAC and the Early
Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center. The TA meeting provided opportunities for participants to learn about other states' strategies for
measuring child and family outcomes, hear the latest guidance from the Early Childhood Outcomes Center and the Office of Special
Education Programs, and discuss common challenges and effective practices.
ECO/NECTAC National TA Meeting: Measuring Child and Family Outcomes (June 22-23, 2009) View the meeting agenda with links to presentations and materials from this working TA meeting. Sponsored by NECTAC and the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center.
ECO/NECTAC National TA Meeting: Measuring Child and Family Outcomes (August 27-28, 2008) View the meeting agenda with links to presentations and materials from this working TA meeting. Sponsored by NECTAC in collaboration with the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center.
The ECO Center also maintains an Archive of Presentations (including webinars, conference calls, audio recordings, and PowerPoint slides). Materials are organized by year, with the most recent at the top.
Additional ECO Center Resources
Professional Development Resources
Materials available here address general outcomes topics (e.g. "Why Collect Outcomes Data?" and "Understanding the Three Child
Outcomes"); and using the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF) (e.g. "COSF Refresher" and "Involving Families in the COSF Process").
PowerPoint slides, activity descriptions and materials, and sample training agendas are all available to download.
Papers and Reports
Papers authored by ECO staff can be found on the ECO
Papers webpage, and additional publications on child and family outcomes topics can be found in the related resources section
under Publications and Reports.
Projects and Organizations provides links to websites for federal agencies, national organizations, and research projects and initiatives related to child and family outcomes measurement topics.