State 619 Coordinator Survey

Appendix C

State 619 Coordinator Survey

IDEA – NAIS

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This survey is part of the IDEA National Assessment Implementation Study (NAIS), a new study that is occurring as part of the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Progress under IDEA 2004. The NAIS is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The purpose of the study is to determine how state and local government agencies are implementing early intervention and special education programs supported under IDEA 2004. The NAIS has important implications for the education of children with disabilities as it will provide critical information to the Department of Education and Congress and inform the next reauthorization of IDEA.

We are requesting you and other state 619 coordinators complete this questionnaire because you and your staff have the most knowledge about special education policies and practices for preschool-aged children with disabilities in your state. With your contribution, ED and Congress will gain a more accurate and complete understanding of how IDEA is being implemented for young children at the state level. Please note that data on state policies and resources/supports may be reported by state.

Thank you for joining us in our effort to understand the implementation of IDEA 2004. We appreciate your time and cooperation.

Please see the next page for definitions for completing this survey.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1800-0011. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average one hour (or minutes) per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Lauren Angelo, U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Suite 502H, Washington, D.C. 20208.

If you have any questions, contact:

Martha Wilaby, 800-XXX-XXXX

e-mail: IDEA-NAIS@westat.com

Definitions

Throughout this questionnaire “children with disabilities” means preschool-aged children having mental retardation; hearing impairment, including deafness; speech or language impairment; visual impairment, including blindness; serious emotional disturbance (hereafter referred to as emotional disturbance); orthopedic impairment; autism; traumatic brain injury developmental delay; other health impairment; specific learning disability; deaf-blindness; or multiple disabilities and who, by reason thereof, receive special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) according to an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

The phrase “preschool special education services” means publicly funded services provided through an IEP or IFSP to children ages 3 to 5. These are services funded under Section 619 of Part B of IDEA for which the state education agency has oversight responsibility.

STATE 619 COORDINATORS QUESTIONNAIRE

AGENCY ROLE/ INTERAGENCY COORDINATION

1. Which state agency is responsible for preschool special education services in your state? Check one.

Education
Child Care/Early Care Agency
Other

If “other” please describe below

2. As the designated 619 coordinator, which of the following best describes the scope of your responsibilities?

Part B-619 preschool special education (ages 3-5) only
Part B-619 preschool special education (ages 3-5) and Part C early intervention (children birth to 3)
Part B-619 preschool special education (ages 3-5) and preschool for typically developing children
Other

If “other” please describe below

3. Are there any state-level interagency agreements addressing the provision of services to children with disabilities ages 3 through 5?

Yes
No		 Skip to Item 6

4. Which agencies participate in the Part C state-level interagency agreements? Check all that apply.

Education
Health
Mental health
Social services
Head Start
Developmental disabilities
Child care
Other

If “other” please describe below

5. What areas do these state-level interagency agreements address? Check all that apply.

Evaluation/eligibility/assessment
Cost or resource sharing
Responsibility for direct services
Transition to preschool
Professional development and/or training
Data sharing
Other

If “other” please describe below

6. For the 2008-2009 school year, is your agency organizing or funding any collaborative training activities with the following agencies? Check all that apply.

Education
Human services
Health
Mental health
Social services
Head Start
Developmental disabilities
Child care
Other

If “other” please describe below:

7. For the 2008-2009 school year, in what ways is your state agency offering interagency coordination supports to local agencies? Check all that apply.

Funds to school districts/local providers to support coordination activities
Technical assistance related to interagency coordination
Written guidelines related to interagency coordination
Workshops or professional development on interagency coordination
Other

If “other” please describe below:

8. How are preschool special education and related services typically provided at the local level? Check all that apply.

Local school districts or county offices of education provide services
Private programs contract with the state to provide services
A non-education public agency provides services
Other

If “other” please describe below:

Preschool Advisory Council

9. Does your state have a preschool special education Advisory Council?

Yes
No		 Skip to Item 11

10. Is a Part C agency representative part of your statewide preschool special education Advisory Council?

Yes
No

11. What topics do you regularly address when working with the state Part C Coordinator?

Child Find
Transitions
Training/professional development
Data sharing
Disputes
State Performance Plans required under IDEA
Annual Performance Reports required under IDEA…………………………..
Other

If “other” please describe below

Part C Option

Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act in 2004 include a provision that provides the option for states to use Part C funding to provide services for children until they enter kindergarten. This is commonly referred to as the “Part C Option.”

12. During the 2008-2009 school year, is your state using the Part C Option?

Yes
No, but it is under consideration
No

13. Which issues are affecting (or affected) your decision? Check all that apply.

Insufficient funding
Insufficient staffing
Part C lead agency is not able to promote school readiness as required
Insufficient interagency coordination at the state level
Insufficient interagency coordination at the local level
Other

If “other” please describe below:

Transitions

14. For the 2008-2009 school year, in what ways is your agency supporting the transition of children with disabilities from Part C to Part B? Check all that apply.

Part B preschool funds can be used to provide FAPE (free, appropriate, public education) to children before their third birthday
Part C funds can be used to provide FAPE for children past their third birthday .
Developed policies on transition from Part C to Part B
Provided technical assistance to local providers on transition
Developed/disseminated materials for parents on transition from Part C to Part B
Developed/maintained an electronic database of individual child records to allow children to be followed from Part C to Part B
None of the above
Other

If “other” please describe below:

15. For the 2008-2009 school year, in what ways is your agency supporting the transition of children with disabilities from preschool to kindergarten/elementary school? Check all that apply.

Developed agreements on transitions between agencies providing preschool services and elementary schools
Developed policies on transition from preschool to elementary school
Provided technical assistance to local providers on transition
Developed/disseminated materials for parents on preschool to elementary school transition
Developed/maintained an electronic database of individual child records to allow children to be followed from preschool programs to elementary school
None of the above
Other

If “other” please describe below:

Identification and Eligibility

Universal preschool refers to preschool access for all preschool-aged children similar to kindergarten availability through public schools. In some states, universal preschool is available without cost to only certain student groups, such as low-income children, children from working families, or children identified “as risk” of school failure. Please respond to the questions below if your state’s program fits this general description, even if it is not called universal preschool.

16. During the 2008-2009 school year, does your state operate a state-funded “universal preschool” program?

Yes
No		 Skip to Item 18

17. For each age group, which children are eligible for your state-funded universal preschool program?

	3 year olds	4 year olds	5 year olds
All children in this age group are eligible
If all children are not eligible in a specific age group, then check all eligible groups: Children from low-income families
Children with disabilities
Children with other specific risk factors
No children in this age group are eligible

If “other” specific risk factor, please describe below:

18. Which activities does your agency conduct to support the identification of children ages 3 to 5 in need of special education services? Check all that apply.

Child Find screenings
Development/dissemination of written materials, (e.g. posters, pamphlets) to pediatricians and other health care providers
Development/dissemination of written materials (e.g. posters, pamphlets) for child care centers, nursery schools, and other facilities
Workshops for pediatricians and other health care providers
Workshops for staff from child care centers, nursery schools, and other facilities.
Outreach to referral sources
Web-based information and other electronic materials
Outreach through radio, TV, newspapers and other print media to promote awareness of disabilities and services for young children
Other

If “other” please describe below:

Systematic Screening and Progress Monitoring

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a multi-step approach to providing early and more intensive intervention and monitoring within the general education setting. In principle, RtI begins with research-based instruction and behavioral support provided to students in the general education classroom, followed by screening of all students to identify those who may need systematic progress monitoring, intervention, or support. Students who are not responding to the general education curriculum and instruction are provided with increasingly intense interventions through a “tiered” system, and they are frequently monitored to assess their progress and inform the choice of future interventions, including possibly special education for students determined to have a disability. Although typically targeted to students in grades K-3, many states have or are considering implementing a similar system at the preschool level. Below we refer to this method as RtI, although this method may be called something different in your state, such as Recognition and Response. Please respond to these questions if your program fits the general description above, even if it is not called RtI.

19. Which of the following describes the activities of your agency in implementing RtI for preschool-aged children in your state? Check all that apply.
    
    
    

The agency has no current initiatives related to implementation of RtI for preschool-aged children		 Skip to Item 21
The agency has a pilot initiative to implement RtI in a limited number of preschools
The agency has an initiative that supports statewide implementation of RtI for preschool-aged children
The agency has a state-level RtI task force, commission or internal working group specifically for preschool-aged children
The agency has provided resources (e.g., grants or RFPs) for preschool providers to explore the use of RtI (e.g. to identify model RtI programs; to assist in implementation)
There are state guidelines on RtI for preschool-aged children
Information on RtI for preschool-aged children is available on the agency website
The agency has organized trainings on RtI for preschool-aged children that were conducted by consultants or contractors
Agency staff conduct trainings on RtI for preschool-aged children
Agency staff provide technical assistance (specialized advice and customized support) to local providers that are investigating or implementing RtI for preschool-aged children
The agency arranges technical assistance from consultants or contractors for local providers that are investigating or implementing RtI for preschool-aged children
l. Other

20. If your state has either a pilot or statewide initiative that promotes RtI in preschools, at what level or levels are decisions made about each of the aspects of RtI implementation? Check one or more box in each row.
    
    
    

 If your state has no current initiatives related to implementation of RtI in any area, skip to Item 21.

	Level or levels where decision is made
	Staff at SEA decides	Staff at LEA decides	Staff at School decides	Not applicable	Don’t know
The research-based curricula to use in general education
The cut scores for determining risk status
The criteria for determining a student’s responsiveness to intervention
The frequency and duration of progress monitoring
The choice of the interventions to use for students determined to be at risk
The number of intervention sessions required prior to referral for special education
The decision rules for a referral for a special education evaluation
How to document intervention fidelity

Early Learning/Academic Standards

Alignment of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) with State Standards

Early learning standards describe expectations for children’s learning and development prior to kindergarten.

Standards-based IEPs are those that align goals for children with disabilities with the early learning standards that form the basis of each state’s preschool program and curriculum.

21. Does your state have early learning standards for preschool children?

Yes
No		 Skip to Item 29

22. Which domains are covered by the standards? Check all that apply.

Physical/health
Cognitive
Approaches to learning
Social/Emotional
Communication/language
Other

If “other” please describe below:

Standards-Based IEPs

23. For the 2008-2009 school year, does your state provide a mandated standards-based IEP for preschool children with disabilities?

Yes
No

24. For the 2008-2009 school year, does your state provide a suggested standards-based IEP for preschool children with disabilities?

Yes
No

25. For the 2008-2009 school year, does your state have formal written policies in place regarding development and use of standards-based IEPs for preschool children with disabilities?

Yes
No

26. During the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years, has your state provided any training or professional development on the development of standards-based IEPs for preschool children with disabilities?

Yes
No		 Skip to Item 29

27. Who was the target audience for the training or professional development on standards-based IEPs? Check all that apply.

Principals
School administrative officials
Special education staff
General education staff
Reading specialists
Math specialists
Paraprofessional or instructional learning assistants
School counselors
School psychologists
School or district nurse
Speech and language therapists
Other

If “other”, please describe below:

28. What topics were covered by the professional development? Check all that apply.

Assessment of children’s current skills
Developing standards-based goals for physical/health
Developing standards-based goals for cognitive skills
Developing standards-based goals for approaches to learning
Developing standards-based goals for social/emotional areas
Developing standards-based goals for communication/learning skills
Linking assessment to instruction
Other

If “other” please describe below:

Personnel

29. Which state agency is responsible for licensing and certification of preschool special education teachers? Check all that apply.

State education agency
State licensing and certification agency that is not part of the SEA
Other

If “other” please describe below:

30. What certification/licensure requirements are required for preschool special education staff in your state?

No certification/licensure required
General early childhood certification (no special education requirements)
General early childhood certification (including special education requirements)
General early childhood certification plus preschool special education add-on or endorsement
Blended early childhood/early childhood special education certification
Early childhood special education certification
Special education certification
Special education certification plus preschool special education add-on or endorsement
Other

If “other” please describe below:

31. In what ways can preschool special education staff qualify for the certification? Check all that apply.

Required Optional

Portfolio
Exam/Proficiency test
Undergraduate or graduate degree program
Coursework (not leading to a degree)
Other

If “other” please describe below:

32. During the current (2008-2009) and prior (2007-2008) school years, what strategies has your state routinely used to increase the number of qualified preschool special education personnel? Check all that apply.

Collaborate with universities to create programs and curricula to ensure that graduates meet standards (e.g., create a task force, fund grants to IHEs for restructuring)
Pay for tutoring to prepare teachers for certifications tests/licensure exams
Provide funding for teachers to participate in professional development opportunities (e.g., IHE tuition, workshop fees)
Pay fees for tests/licensure exams
Provide alternative routes to certification in preschool special education for persons with a special education degree
Provide alternative routes to certification in preschool special education for any person with a bachelors degree
Other

If “other”, please describe below:

Parent/Guardian Involvement

33. For the 2008-2009 school year, is your agency offering any of the following to preschool providers to promote the involvement of parent/guardians of children with IEPs or IFSPs? Check all that apply.

Funds to provider agencies to help parents participate in IEP meetings (e.g., transportation, babysitting, translators)
Technical assistance related to promoting parent involvement
Written guidelines related to parent involvement
Workshops or professional development on increasing parent involvement
Other activity

If “other” please describe below:

34. For the 2008-2009 school year does your state have a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI)?

Yes
No	 Skip to Item 36

35. For the 2008-2009 school year, in what ways is your agency collaborating with the PTI? Check all that apply.

Development or delivery of professional development
Delivery of technical assistance
Dissemination of information regarding each other’s services
Development of training/guidance materials
Parent outreach efforts
Promotion of alternative dispute resolution models
Other activity

If “other” please describe below:

Dispute Resolution

36. In your state, are disputes for preschool special education addressed as part of the same system developed for addressing disputes for school aged children (e.g., same agency, same procedures)?

Yes
No

37. During the last school year (2007–2008), how many formal mediations did your state complete for preschool special education?

 If none, enter 0, then skip to Item 41

38. How many of these formal mediations resulted from the following:

Local agency requests for impartial due process
Parent/guardian requests for impartial due process

39. Of the mediations reported in Item 37, how many concerned the following issues? Count mediations more than once if they involved more than one issue.

Evaluation of children for preschool special education services
Eligibility of children for preschool special education services
Children’s educational program (e.g., academic, functional, and life skills) as set forth in the IEP
Educational placement
Discipline (including suspension or expulsion)
Procedural safeguards (e.g., prior written notice, confidentiality)
Related services (e.g., transportation, speech therapy, counseling)
Tuition reimbursement (e.g., private school placement)
Other

If “other” please describe below:

40. Of the mediations reported in Item 37, how many resulted in a mediation agreement?

41. During the last school year (2007–2008), how many resolution meetings were requested for preschool special education?

42. During the last school year (2007–2008), how many impartial due process hearings were requested for preschool special education?

 If none, enter 0, then skip to Item 45

43. Of the number of impartial due process hearings reported in Item 42, how many were completed after unsuccessful mediation?

44. Of the number of impartial due process hearings completed as reported in Item 42, how many concerned each of the following issues? Count hearings more than once if they involved more than one issue.

Evaluation of children for preschool special education services
Eligibility of children for preschool special education services
Children’s educational program (e.g., academic, functional, and life skills) as set forth in the IEP
Educational placement
Discipline (including suspension or expulsion)
Procedural safeguards (e.g., prior written notice, confidentiality)
Related services (e.g., transportation, speech therapy, counseling
Tuition reimbursement (e.g., private school placement)
Other

If “other” please describe below:

45. Does your state education agency conduct administrative reviews?

Yes
No		 Skip to Item 48

46. During the last school year (2007–2008), how many state administrative review hearings did your state agency complete for preschool special education?

 If none, enter 0, then skip to Item 48

47. Of the number of state administrative reviews reported above in item 46, how many concerned each of the following issues? Count reviews more than once if they involved more than one issue.

Evaluation of children for preschool special education services
Eligibility of children for preschool special education services
Children’s educational program (e.g., academic, functional, and life skills) as set forth in the IEP
Educational placement
Discipline (including suspension or expulsion)
Procedural safeguards (e.g., prior written notice, confidentiality)
Related services (e.g., transportation, speech therapy, counseling)
Tuition reimbursement (e.g., private school placement)
Other

If “other” please describe below:

48. During the last school year (2007–2008), how many state/federal judicial reviews of hearings did your state complete for preschool special education?

 If none, enter 0, then skip to Item 50

49. Of the number of state/federal judicial reviews reported in Item 48, how many concerned each of the following issues? Count reviews more than once if they involved more than one issue.

Evaluation of children for preschool special education services
Eligibility of children for preschool special education services
Children’s educational program (e.g., academic, functional, and life skills) as set forth in the IEP
Placement
Discipline (including suspension or expulsion)
Procedural safeguards (e.g., prior written notice, confidentiality)
Related services (e.g., transportation, speech therapy, counseling)
Tuition reimbursement (e.g., private school placement)
Other

If “other” please describe below:

50. Of the number of preschool special education cases addressed through various dispute mechanisms described above (e.g. formal mediations, mediation agreements, resolution meetings, or due process hearings) during the last school year (2007–2008), how many originated in the Part C early intervention system? Enter the number of cases.

 If none, enter 0

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SEA Sec 619- revised 09-09-08