Child Outcomes Data: Performance of Preschool Aged Children with Disabilities

"The goal of early intervention and early childhood special education is to enable young children with disabilities to be active and successful participants during their early childhood years and in the future. States collect, analyze, and use data on three childecta outcomes to measure individual child and family progress toward improved results and to improve their systems and services." -Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)

Child Outcome Areas of Functioning include:

• Child has positive social-emotional skills (e.g., social relationships)
• Child acquires and uses knowledge and skills (e.g., early language/communication, math)
• Child uses appropriate behaviors to meet their needs (e.g., self-care, dressing)

Definitions of Child Outcomes Data Points:

• COS Rating Scores:The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) summarizes information on a child's functioning in each of the three child outcome areas using a 7-point scale upon entry to the program and at exit. They are a snapshot of the child’s overall functioning at one given point in time, informed by the full team of people who know the child best across settings and situations where the child spends his/her time.The scores are organized into two main groups: Overall Age-Approproate (score 6-7), Overall Not Age-Appropriate (score 1-5).
• Average point difference between entry and exit:  compares the entry score to the exit score. Nationally, the average change between entry and exit is one point. 
• Progress Categories-
  • Category a: Children who did not improve functioning.
  • Category b: Children who improved functioning but not sufficient to move nearer to functioning comparable to same aged peers.
  • Category c: Children who improved functioning to a level nearer to same aged peers but did not reach it.
  • Category d: Children who improved functioning to reach a level comparable to same aged peers.
  • Category e: Children who maintained functioning at a level comparable to same aged peers.
• Summary Statements- This ECTA video describes the conversion of Progress Categories to 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 turned 6 years of age or exited the program. Using the outcomes data of children from the trajectories, this is calculated using the following formula: c+d/ a+b+c+d
  • Summary Statement 2: The percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each Outcome by the time they turned 3/6 years of age or exited the program. Using the outcomes data from the trajectories, this result is calculated by the formula: d+e/ a+b+c+d+e

National and State Data Charts for Each Outcome Area

IDEA Child Outcomes Highlights for FFY 2020 (most recent) Part C and Part B National data highlights

Child Outcomes Data Preschool Special Education FFY2017 to FFY2021 Arizona Preschool Outcomes data