DaSy/ECTA Online Interactive  

Converting COS Data to OSEP Progress
Categories / Summary Statements

Learn how the information from the 7-point Child Outcomes Summary (COS) scale is 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 2014-15, 74% of children who exited early intervention showed greater than expected growth in Knowledge and Skills? Or that 58% of children who exited early childhood special education were functioning like same-aged peers in Social Relationships?

Are you wondering how the COS data that local programs collect and provide to states becomes the national data on child outcomes? How does one go from points on the 7-point COS rating scale at entry and exit for individual children to a summary statement about age-expected functioning for a group of children?

Check out this presentation to learn how COS 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 COS process or 7-point COS rating scale, 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.

 

COS Calculators

Use the following tools to convert your COS data to OSEP reporting categories, and calculate Summary Statements 1 and 2 from the a to e reporting categories.

COS to Progress Categories

Use the following calculator to convert your COS data to progress categories. In the spaces provided, enter a COS rating of 1 through 7 for Entry and Exit. Then, indicate whether progress was made since entry by selecting "Yes" or "No" and select "Calculate."

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OSEP Category
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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."

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Of those children who entered or exited the program below age expectations in each outcome, the percent who substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they turned 3 [6] years of age or exited the program
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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."

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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
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Resources

Feel free to download these related resources:

  • Downloadable Presentation [18 MB]: This version of the presentation on this site allows you to use it at training events and other settings without internet access.
    1. Download and save the presentation from the "Downloadable Presentation" link. The download will be for a zip file named "ExtractMe" that is over 18 MB in size and may take a moment to complete.
    2. To access the presentation, first extract the zip file so that it creates an uncompressed folder on your computer named "COS 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. For your ease of reference, these instructions are also contained in the "readme" file located in the folder.
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  • Guidance for Using the COS to OSEP Reporting Video with Stakeholders: This document provides information and guidance for the reporting video for those using the COS to OSEP process who have stakeholders.
  • Overview of the Three Child Outcomes: This document provides an explanation of the three child outcomes.
  • Overview of the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process: This document provides information about the COS process as well as the COS 7-point scale.
  • OSEP Progress Categories [PDF]: This document provides more information on the a to e progress categories.
  • 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.
Copyright © 2008, Center for Technology in Education, JHU