The main objective of the Evaluation
of Preschool Special Education Practices, Phase I study is to
assess the feasibility of conducting a large-scale randomized
controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of one or more curricula or
interventions that are used with preschool children with
disabilities to promote their learning of language, literacy,
social-emotional skills, and/or appropriate behavioral skills for
school. The feasibility assessment will consider the core features
of an evaluation design, including the following: (1) Curricula
and/or interventions to be evaluated; (2) Study context and
participants; and (3) Key design elements, such as the
counterfactual condition, unit of assignment, target minimum
detectable effects (MDEs), sample size, and data collection plans.
Data to inform the feasibility assessment will be obtained through
surveys of school district preschool special education coordinators
and state Section 619 coordinators, the subject of the current
submission. Preschool special education coordinators in school
districts and state Section 619 coordinators will provide
information to address the study's overarching research question --
whether there are promising curricula and interventions for
preschool children with disabilities for which a large-scale
effectiveness trial would be feasible and add value to the field.
The district survey will be administered in a nationally
representative sample of 1,200 school districts serving preschool
children with disabilities as a 30-minute web survey. The state
survey will be administered in all 50 states and the District of
Columbia as a 10-minute editable PDF survey. Data collection for
each survey will begin in April 2015. The feasibility assessment
will also be informed by use of extant data and conduct of an
evidence review. In addition to collected survey data, extant data
will provide information about preschool special education
programs, the curricula and interventions that are available and
supported by these programs, and the context in which curricula and
interventions are delivered to inform decisions about key design
elements. The evidence review will identify promising curricula and
interventions for preschool children with disabilities and features
about their implementation in schools. Information obtained as part
of the data collection for Phase I will be used to develop a
publicly available report to provide educators and policymakers
with nationally representative descriptive information about
current preschool special education programs. If the Institute of
Education Sciences (IES) decides to sponsor an RCT following the
feasibility assessment, a separate OMB package will be submitted
that request clearance for data collection activities for the
RCT.
PL:
Pub.L. 108 - 446 664b Name of Law: Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Subpart 2, Pa
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Response memo for OMB 3-20-15 TO IES revised.docx
ED Response to NHSA Comments for ED-2014-ICCD-0139-0008-A1.doc
Eval of Preschool Spec Ed Practices Phase I_Appendix A confidentiality pledge.pdf
Coordinator Surveys