APR 2006-2007
Effective General Supervision Part C / Child Find
Indicator 6: Birth to age 3 children served
Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs compared to:
20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B) and 1442 |
Measurement:
- Percent = [(# of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs) divided by the (population of infants and toddlers birth to 3)] times 100 compared to the same percent calculated for other States with similar (narrow, moderate or broad) eligibility definitions.
- Percent = [(# of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs) divided by the (population of infants and toddlers birth to 3)] times 100 compared to National data.
FFY |
Measurable and Rigorous Target |
2006 |
At least 1.75% of children aged birth to three with IFSPs will be identified. |
Actual Target Data for 2006-2007:
Based on the December 1, 2006 child count data, 1354 infants and toddlers birth to age three were served by the Early Development Network (EDN).
Year of Data Collection |
2006 |
Percentage served using narrow eligibility criteria |
Number served of infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 |
1354 |
1.74% |
A. Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs compared to Other States with similar eligibility definitions:
Comparison of number/percentage served in 2006 of infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 (excluding children at risk), in states with narrow eligibility criteria
State |
Number served of infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 |
Percentage of Population |
Connecticut |
4,018 |
3.41 |
North Dakota |
757 |
3.11 |
Idaho |
1,919 |
2.77 |
National Baseline |
304,510* |
2.43* |
Maine |
1,023 |
2.42 |
South Carolina |
3,381 |
1.98 |
Oklahoma |
3,043 |
1.97 |
Montana |
679 |
1.94 |
Utah |
2,767 |
1.84 |
Arizona |
5,299 |
1.81 |
Oregon |
2,482 |
1.80 |
Nebraska |
1,354** |
1.74** |
Tennessee |
4,014 |
1.67 |
District of Columbia |
308 |
1.40 |
Nevada |
1,520 |
1.36 |
Georgia |
5,357 |
1.26 |
Guam |
155 |
x |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS) – Report of infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services in accordance with Part
C – 2006. http://www.ideadata.org/tables30th/AR_C-9_2006.xls Data updated as of July 17, 2006.
*National Baseline is representative of all birth to age 3 served in the nation as a whole.
**Child count number/percentage reflects Part C child count data submitted by NDE to WESTAT
B. Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs compared to National Data
2005 Comparison of percentage served infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 (excluding children at risk), with national baseline. |
|||
Infants and Toddlers, Birth to age 3 |
Number served |
Percentage of population |
|
Nebraska |
1,354 |
1.74% |
|
National Baseline (U. S. and outlying areas) |
304,510 |
2.43% |
|
Source: Received from U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS) http://www.ideadata.org/tables30th/AR_C-9_2006.xls Data updated as of July 17, 2006.
Discussion of Improvement Activities Completed and Explanation of Progress or Slippage that occurred for 2006-2007:
Data for 2006-2007 shows that Nebraska did not meet its proposed target of 1.75%; however, the 1.74% target shows considerable progress over the 1.67% reported in FFY2005.
The Co-Leads examined data from 2000-2006 and determined that rise and fall in data totals and percentages appear to be cyclical without a defined pattern. A comparison of on-going data collection of referral and verification rates over a three-year period showed unexplained discrepancies between the two. This coupled with the lower Child Find count for 04-05 and 05-06, led the Co-Leads to bring stakeholders together to discuss issues and develop improvement strategies. The Co-Leads asked for possible reasons that might explain the discrepancy between referral and verification rates. Possible explanations included:
- The unified and targeted statewide marketing campaign may have increased the referral rate but did not result in an increased rate of verifications.
- An increase in the number of CAPTA referrals following collaborative efforts among Early Intervention providers and Safety and Protection workers may have increased the rate of referrals, but the families did not continue in the process or the children did not verify.
- An increase in the use of private providers paid by family insurance did not lead to families entering the Early Intervention system.
- Incorrect entry of referral and verification information by providers resulted in missing verification information of children identified with disabilities.
Following meetings with Part C stakeholders, the Co-Leads began a process of self-assessment with the Planning Region Teams to explore issues related to data collection and verification processes. Following the self assessment activities, the Co-Leads will seek advice from stakeholders about how the state can best provide support and training to local and regional groups to raise the rate of verification of children ages birth to three. (See Activity 6 below.)
The improvement activities outlined for 2006-2007 were implemented as follows:
1. |
Conduct a more in depth analysis of CAPTA referrals to identify those infants and toddlers who were verified with a disability on a quarterly basis. |
Completed |
2. |
Establish a task force to enhance collaboration between Early Development Network and Protection and Safety staff at the local levels, establish timelines for improvement activities and identify resources |
Completed |
3. |
Conduct Child Find activities. * |
|
- *All Child Find activities listed in the 2005 SPP were conducted during 2006-2007.
4. |
Evaluate Child Find activities* and build on successful initiatives. |
Deferred |
5. |
Continue to build on CAPTA collaboration between Child Protection and Safety workers and the Early Development Network. |
|
- State Part C Coordinators made presentations to raise awareness about the Early Intervention process at Omaha Family Court Brown-Bag Lunch meetings as a means for improving CAPTA referral rates in Metro areas. The audiences for these discussions included judges, medical and mental health personnel, Child Protection Services personnel, attorneys, special education staff and services coordinators.
- State Part C Coordinators presented at a statewide Planning Region team meeting in April 2007 and to individual Planning Region Teams on CAPTA referral and verification rates.
- The Co-Leads analyzed CAPTA referral data and determined that the Early Development Network (EDN) is receiving 59% of the substantiated cases of abuse/neglect of infants and toddlers.
6. |
The Co-Leads will conduct a review of the Planning Region Teams to better determine roles and responsibilities in the Child Find process. |
|
- The Co-Leads met with stakeholders in January 2007 to evaluate 3 years of regional (Planning Region Team) referral and verification data to gather input on improvement strategies to determine root causes for the decline in Child Find of children ages birth-to-one and birth-to-three. Data presented also included referral sources and CAPTA referrals by region.
- In February and March 2007, the Co-Leads created a self-assessment reporting process for Planning Region Teams to examine regional data, evaluate trends, and to drill down in the data to determine root causes of slippage or progress. The self-assessment was tied to the Planning Region Teams’ annual System Support Change Grant, (due September 1, 2007).
- The Co-Leads conducted a statewide PRT meeting in April 2007 to introduce the self-assessment process, provide data tables to individual PRTs and to begin the evaluation of PRT data.
- The Co-Leads conducted a video conference with PRTs in May 2007 to provide assistance on the self-assessment and to respond to questions and concerns. The Co-Leads held a separate meeting in Omaha with Metro PRTs to provide technical assistance.
7. |
Evaluate trend data of referrals and verifications for the Early Development Network and set new targets for this indicator, if warranted. |
To be |
8. |
Improve CONNECT data collection and data entry. |
New activity |
- CONNECT was updated to provide EDN data for school districts as well as Planning Region Teams.
- In June 2007, the Co-Leads conducted 3 statewide trainings for services coordination and school district personnel to help them better understand how to gather data from CONNECT and how to insure correct data entry.
Revisions, with Justification, to Proposed Targets / Improvement Activities / Timelines / Resources for 2006-2007:
Revisions to improvement activities proposed for 2006-2007 are as follows:
- New Activity 8 for 2006-2010: Improve CONNECT data collection and data entry.
Preliminary analysis of the data (Activity 6, bullet 1) revealed incorrect data entry on the Department of Health and Human Services CONNECT system that may have impacted numbers of referral.
The following revisions are proposed for 2007-2010.
New Activity 9 for 2007-2010: Collaborate with Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (previously Newborn Hearing Screening)on an enhanced referral process for identified newborns with a hearing loss.
New resources:
NDE-Early Childhood Training Center
Judge Douglas Johnson (Family Court judge, fellow of Zero-Three Institute)
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (previously Newborn Hearing Screening)
[Update SPP for years 2006-2010 as outlined above.]
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