Preschool Special Education FAQ for Programs

Child Outcomes Summary Questions

Funding Questions

Child Outcomes Summary Questions

    What are the required timelines?
    • Entry Summary: No later than 30 days following a child’s eligibility determination
    • Annual Progress Summary: At least one COS completed annually (recommended with each IEP review)
    • Exit Summary: Within 30 calendar days of the child exiting from preschool special education

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    When is the EMIS reporting period?

    Currently the EMIS data collection window for school year 2015-16 has not been released.  Teachers should work with their district EMIS coordinators to maintain up-to-date records, so the data is available to send to EMIS when the reporting window opens. 

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    What happens to data if the child was assigned a higher Entry Summary rating than Exit Summary rating?
    • While the numeric rating may be lower at the Exit Summary, the level of age appropriate expected skills will have increased in difficulty.
    • If there is a case of a Child Outcomes Summary rating regression this data will calculate and report just as a child with no progress.

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    What is the federal Office of Special Education Programs looking for with the Child Outcomes Summary data?

    The data is intended to identify trends in how preschool children with disabilities make progress in relationship to same-aged, typically developing peers.

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    Does the Early Learning Assessment have to be fully completed prior to the Child Outcomes Summary?

    The Early Learning Assessment (ELA) is a required source of evidence for the Child Outcomes Summary; however, this is not dependent upon the completion of the ELA in its entirety. By completing the 10-required learning progressions for the ELA, teachers will have evidence for each of the three outcomes in the Child Outcomes Summary.

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    What are Immediate Foundation Skills?

    Skills that come just before age-expected functioning.

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    Should the Child Outcomes Summary be included in the profile section of the child’s IEP?

    The information (not actual rating) obtained regarding the child’s skills in daily activities, routines, and environments can provide documentation in the child’s profile, but is not required.

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    How do you report if there are significant variances from the several sources of evidence?

    Discern all gathered evidence from how the child interacts in a variety of settings and situations by sorting any concerns, foundational skills, immediate foundational skills and age expected functioning skills based on frequency and consideration of what supports may be in place. 

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    What are Foundational Skills?

    The initial skills required prior to the development of more Immediate Foundation Skills.

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    The Child Outcomes Summary Form section “Persons involved in deciding the summary ratings” suggests parent(s)/family gives a rating?

    Parent(s)/family are listed because this is a source of information when determining summary rating; however, parents do not need to participate in assignment of numeric rating.

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    What is the procedure for a child who transfers from another district/school?

    If the child transfers from another Ohio school, the receiving district does not need to complete if the child already has an IEP and there has been at least 6 months of services.

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    How will I have information about a child that has just transferred and needs to have Child Outcomes Summary completed?

    Use the information collected from the ETR combined with observation of any progress made from the first interaction with the child to the point of completing the Child Outcomes Summary form.

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Funding Questions

    Can a school district charge tuition to a parent of a preschool child with a disability?

    Ohio law[1] ensures all children with disabilities ages 3 through 21 receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). In providing FAPE, Ohio law requires that a preschool child with a disability receive special education and related services in regular classes along with their peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate.[2] The preschool child’s placement must be based upon the child’s individualized education program (IEP) and the child’s least restrictive environment (LRE). All placement decisions must include an explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled preschool children in the regular education class.[3]

    A preschool child with a disability is entitled to the same protections under IDEA as a school-age child with a disability. This includes a preschool child with a disability receiving specially designed instruction and related services to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum.4 In ensuring a preschool child with a disability receives FAPE, a local education agency cannot charge the parents tuition for these services. A parent can only be charged tuition for services that are not considered to be a part of the child’s IEP and general education curriculum. For example, if the IEP team determines a half-day preschool program is appropriate for addressing the specific needs of that preschool child and the parent would like the child to attend the local education agency’s full-day program for child care needs, the family may be charged tuition for only the child care needs. As another example, if the IEP team determines the LRE for a child is a community-based preschool setting, then the district is responsible for providing that placement at no cost to the parents.[4]
     
    [1] Ohio Revised Code 3323.02
    [2] Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-09; See OSEP Dear Colleague Letter (January 9, 2017) available at: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/preschool-lre-dcl-1-10-17.pdf
    [3] Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-07
    4 20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(1)(A)
    [4] See OSEP Dear Colleague Letter (January 9, 2017) available at: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/preschool-lre-dcl-1-10-17.pdf

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Last Modified: 8/26/2020 4:47:56 PM