Special Education Monitoring and Reporting: Early Childhood Special Education

To support students with disabilities in the District of Columbia, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) monitors local education agencies (LEAs) and their special education policies, practices and procedures to ensure they are following state and federal guidelines pertaining to special education.

Child Find
Child Find is a set of policies, procedures and public awareness activities designed to locate, identify and evaluate children who may require special education and related services.

Also referred to as DL Subclass 1

For additional information:

LEA Child Find Guidance and Model Child Find Policy
Early Childhood Child Find Training Presentation
Child Find and Initial Evaluation Resources
See also D.L. v. District of Columbia Reporting Initial Evaluation Timeliness under Federal and Local Reporting Requirements

Initial Evaluation Timeliness
Consistent with the consent requirements, either a parent of a child, school staff, public agency or medical provider may initiate a request for an initial evaluation to determine if the child is a child with a disability. LEAs must make reasonable efforts to obtain parental consent within 30 calendar days of referral. The individualized education program (IEP) team must make an eligibility determination within 60 calendar days of receipt of parental consent.

OSSE monitors on the following LEA requirements:

Documenting a referral in the Special Education Data System (SEDS)
Beginning reasonable efforts to obtain consent to evaluate within 10 days of receipt of referral
Completing reasonable efforts to obtain consent to evaluate within 30 days of referral
Completing initial eligibility determination within 60 days after consent to evaluate is obtained

Also referred to as DL Subclass 3

For additional information:

Referral and Initial Evaluation at a Glance
Part B Initial Evaluation/Reevaluation Policy Memorandum
Part B Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation Policy Webinar Slides
2018-19 School Year Special Education Updates Guidance (August 2018)
See also D.L. v. District of Columbia Reporting Initial Evaluation Timeliness under Federal and Local Reporting Requirements

C to B Transition Timeliness
Under the IDEA, LEAs shall ensure a smooth and effective transition of children from IDEA Part C early intervention services to IDEA Part B preschool special education and related services.

OSSE monitors on the following LEA requirements:

Participating in transition planning conferences, as appropriate
Finalizing an IEP by a child’s third birthday
Providing all related services within 14 days of IEP completion
Providing and tracking initial provision of specialized instruction on the child’s third birthday

Also referred to as SPP/APR Indicator 12, DL Subclass 4

For additional information:

Early Childhood Transition Guidelines
Early Childhood Transition Policy Memorandum
Dear Colleague Letter - IDEA Part C to B Transition: Specialized Instruction Service Delivery
Tracking the Provision of Specialized Instruction Presentation
Provision of Specialized Instruction Service Receipt Form
Early Childhood Transition: Frequently Asked Questions
See also D.L. v. District of Columbia Reporting Initial Evaluation Timeliness under Federal and Local Reporting Requirements

Child Outcomes Summary (COS)
The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) is a process used to measure the overall effectiveness of special education programs and services for pre-school age children, as determined by OSSE and the US Department of Education, Office of Specialized Educational Programs (OSEP). Child outcomes measured include: 1) positive social-emotional skills, 2) acquisition and use of knowledge and skills, and 3) use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.

OSSE monitors on the following LEA requirements:

Collecting data on a child’s functional skills at the beginning and the end of the child’s preschool special education programming.
Monitoring progress of child’s functional skills throughout their preschool special education programming.
Assembling a team familiar with the child to discuss and determine progress made.
Recording entry and exit scores in data system in accordance with required timelines.

Also referred to as SPP/APR Indicator 7

For additional information:

Equity Requirements under IDEA
Aimed at promoting equity by targeting disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities, equity regulations address a number of issues related to LEAs policies, procedures and practices in the area of identification, placement and discipline.

Also referred to as Significant Disproportionality, Disproportionate Representation, and Significant Discrepancy

For additional information:

Equity Requirements under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Risk-Based Monitoring
Consolidated Risk-Based Monitoring is the process OSSE uses to assess the implementation of federal and local grant requirements by subrecipients. OSSE’s goal for the K-12 monitoring reviews is to ensure that subrecipients meet the requirements of federal and local laws and regulations.

For additional information:

Resources
This resource provides LEAs with need-to-know information about the D.L. v. District of Columbia lawsuit requirements.