Converting Child Outcomes Data to OSEP
Progress Categories / Summary Statements
Learn how the data on child outcomes that local early intervention and early childhood special education programs collect are converted to the child outcomes progress categories and summary statements that states report annually to the federal government.
Introduction
Have you seen the national data on outcomes for children who participated in early intervention or early childhood special education? For example, did you know that for 2016-17, 73% of children who exited early intervention showed greater than expected growth in Knowledge and Skills? Or that 60% of children who exited early childhood special education were functioning like same-aged peers in Social Relationships?
Are you wondering how the child outcomes data that local programs collect and provide to states becomes the national data on child outcomes? Or how data at entry and exit for individual children become a summary statement about age-expected functioning for a group of children?
Check out this presentation to learn how local child outcomes data are converted to the national data reported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). If you are not familiar with the three child outcomes, more information is provided in the Resources section at the bottom of the page. After the presentation, you will find a set of calculators to help you explore how the data are converted.
Child Outcomes Calculators
Use the following tools to explore how the a to e child outcomes reporting categories are used to calculate Summary Statements 1 and 2. OSEP Requirements: Reporting Child Outcomes provides more information on the a to e progress categories and summary statements, if needed. Note that states use different methods for collecting child outcomes data and calculating how the information from that data is reported in the a to e categories. For more detailed information on how your state computes the data it reports in the a to e categories, contact your local or state program staff.
Progress Categories to Summary Statement 1
Use the following calculator to calculate your Summary Statement 1 that involves adding the children in categories c and d and dividing that number by the sum of the number of children in category a, b, c, and d. Enter the information in the spaces provided and select "Calculate."
Progress Categories to Summary Statement 2
Use the following calculator to calculate your Summary Statement 2 that involves adding the number of children in d and e and dividing that number by the total number of children across all the categories. Enter the information in the spaces provided and select "Calculate."
Resources
Feel free to download these related resources:
- Downloadable Presentation [11 MB]: This version of the presentation on this site allows you to use it at training events and other settings without internet access.
- Download and save the presentation from the "Downloadable Presentation" link. The download will be for a zip file named "ExtractMe" that is over 11 MB in size and may take a moment to complete.
- To access the presentation, first extract the zip file so that it creates an uncompressed folder on your computer named "Child Outcomes Data to OSEP Progress Categories" (Learn more about how to zip and unzip files). Please do not skip this step even if you are able to access the content of the zip file without extracting it. The extraction of the folder is a crucial step for the presentation to launch correctly.
- To launch the presentation, locate and open the "index" file. If you have set file extensions to be visible on your computer, the file will show up as "index.html" in the filename. Once launched, the presentation will load on your default browser. It works on most browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer.
- IMPORTANT: Please do not remove, rename, or restructure any of the content within the folder. The preservation of the structure and naming convention of the files is essential for the presentation to work as intended.
- For your ease of reference, these instructions are also contained in the "readme" file located in the folder.
- Guidance for Using the Child Outcomes Data OSEP Reporting Video with Stakeholders: This document provides suggestions for facilitating a guided viewing of the video with stakeholders.
- Overview of the Three Child Outcomes: This document provides an explanation of the three child outcomes.
- OSEP Requirements: Reporting Child Outcomes: This document provides more information on the a to e progress categories and summary statements.
- State Approaches to Child Outcomes Measurement [PDF]: These maps illustrate the various approaches that states use to measure child outcomes.
- National Child Outcomes Highlights [PDF]: This document reviews highlights from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center's most recent annual review of national child outcomes data. Please note that ECTA keeps this link consistent from year to year and the same link will update in real time when future highlights are posted.
- Technical Support: Contact us if you encounter technical issues with the site.
The contents of this website were developed under grants from the U.S. Department of Education, #H373Z120002 (Project Officers: Meredith Miceli and Richelle Davis) and #H326P120002 (Project Officer: Julia Martin Eile). However, the contents of the website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
