Post Assessment Activity

Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process

Post Assessment

As you complete this assessment please keep in mind that the questions are related to early childhood outcomes measurement. This includes the three global outcomes that focus on children’s functional development that are being measured for federal reporting purposes. Please complete the questions by circling the correct response or responses.For each question circle all of the responses that apply.

1. Why is it important for the Maryland preschool special education service system to measure the three child outcomes?

  1. tells us how our services make a difference for children and families we support
  2. supplies information we can use to improve supports and services
  3. provides data to demonstrate results to stakeholders
  4. provides a consistent means of measuring service results over time

2. The three child outcomes are

  1. (1) social development, (2) cognitive and communication development, (3) adaptive and motor development
  2. (1) social emotional skills, (2) thinking and learning, (3) self-care and motor skills
  3. (1) positive social emotional skills (including social relationships), (2) acquiring and using knowledge and skills, (3) taking appropriate action to meet needs

3. The three child outcomes measured are:

  1. the same as IEP goals.
  2. broader results that provide a systematic look at what children have accomplished as aresult of preschool special education.
  3. measures of discrete skills across all the children in preschool special education services.
  4. not regarded as functional, because they are applicable to all children.

4. Measuring the three child outcomes will help answer the question:

  1. Are teachers doing their jobs?
  2. Are children being supported in inclusive environments?
  3. What difference do preschool special education services make for children?
  4. How much do preschool special education servicescost?

5. The three child outcomes being measured are in essence a gauge of the benefits children experience as a result of preschool special education services.

  1. True
  2. False

6. Measuring the three child outcomes is unique to the Maryland preschool special education services system – no other preschool special education systems measurethese outcomes.

  1. True
  2. False

7. The three child outcomes represent:

  1. domain-based areas
  2. integrated development
  3. the five domains neatly mapped to three distinct areas
  4. discrete skills expected at different ages and stages

8. All Maryland preschool special education services are required to collect data for measuring the three child outcomes.

  1. True
  2. False

9. Who are stakeholders in measuring the three child outcomes (circle all that apply):

  1. Childcare staff
  2. Families
  3. Taxpayers
  4. School staff

10. Measuring the three child outcomes is also a federal reporting requirement.

  1. True
  2. False

11. Awareness of safety fits within

  1. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills including social relationships
  2. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
  3. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

12. Playing with other children fits within

  1. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills including social relationships
  2. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
  3. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

13. Problem solving, attention, and understanding cause and effect fits within

  1. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills including social relationships
  2. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
  3. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

14. Communication skill development fits within

  1. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills including social relationships
  2. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
  3. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

15. Pre-literacy skills fit within

  1. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills including social relationships
  2. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
  3. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

16. Which of the following would we consider ‘functional,’ versus discrete or isolated, skills?

  1. looks for his cup when it is not in its usual place
  2. repeats a sequence of 4 numbers
  3. asks a peer a question while playing in the housekeeping center
  4. crosses midline

17. Which of the following would we consider ‘discrete or isolated’ versus functional, skills?

  1. uses prepositions
  2. hops on one foot
  3. hands a toy to a child to engage him/her in play
  4. says “I’m hungry” when he wants food

18. A one on the COS 7-point rating scale means that the child’s functioning is

  1. below age appropriate
  2. rarely age appropriate
  3. overall age appropriate

19. A three on the COS 7-point rating scale means that the child’s functioning is

  1. below age appropriate
  2. rarely age appropriate
  3. overall age appropriate

20. A six on the COS 7-point rating scale means that the child’s functioning is

  1. below age appropriate
  2. rarely age appropriate
  3. overall age appropriate

21. What are some types of information that can be used to generate a COS rating?

  1. Parent report
  2. Evaluation information
  3. Naturalistic observation
  4. Progress data/formative data

22. The team assigns children ratings on the COS 7-point rating scale:

  1. at entry only
  2. at exit only
  3. at annual IEP
  4. at entryand at exit and annual IEP

23. The team must answer the yes/no COS progress questions:

  1. at entry into preschool special education services
  2. at annual IEP and at exit from preschool special education service
  3. at annual IEP
  4. at all IEP reviews

24. In Maryland the COS rating occurs entirely separate from the IEP process.

  1. True
  2. False

25. Considering all the information gathered about a child, the team should consider the mix of skills the child has in terms of 1) those we would expect at his/her age, 2) those that are just before age expected skills and behaviors, and 3) those that are like those of a much younger child. We refer to these three categories as:

  1. AE – age expected; AT – almost there; N – no age appropriate skills
  2. AA – age appropriate; F – foundational; D – delayed
  3. AE – age expected; IF – immediate foundational; F – foundational
  4. N – normal; IF – immediate foundational; D – delayed

26. The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) ratings convey:

  1. the child’s standing relative to age-expected development
  2. the child’s developmental level based on standard deviations from the mean
  3. the child’s standing relative to his/her individual progress
  4. the child’s needs that are used to develop IEP goals

27. Traditional, commercially available assessment tools are designed to measure the three child outcomes.

  1. True
  2. False

28. Raymond is 4 years 3 months old. He enters the classroom and immediately looks for his friend Carl. When he sees him he goes to where Carl is – says “hi” and sits down to join what Carl is doing.

Based on this bit of information this skill is AE, IF or F?

Which of the three child outcome does this functional skill fit within?

a. age expected
b. immediate foundational
c. foundational / a. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills
b. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
c. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

29. Cleo is 4 years 6 months old. At day care she says “I’m sorry” after she reaches across the table to get her favorite paint brush and knocks over Mia’s paint dish.

Based on this bit of information this skill is AE, IF or F?

Which of the three child outcome does this functional skill fit within?

a. age expected
b. immediate foundational
c. foundational / a. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills
b. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
c. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

30. Izmir is 4 year old (48 mo.) child. During meal time at school he pours milk from a pitcher into his own cup, but needs regular verbal reminders of when to stop pouring so he does not overfill his cup. Without the reminders he would overfill his cup and spill the milk.

Based on this bit of information this skill is AE, IF or F?

Which of the three child outcome does this functional skill fit within?

a. age expected
b. immediate foundational
c. foundational / a. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills
b. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
c. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

31. Jamal is 4 years old. He plays with his cars every day. He quietly pushes his cars and puts them up and down the ramps included on his toy garage. Sometimes he makes car sounds to go along with his actions. But he is not yet expanding on his play by linking actions such as putting toy guys in his cars and pushing them, building new ramps, or pretending to go places.

Based on this bit of information this skill is AE, IF or F?

Which of the three child outcome does this functional skill fit within?

a. age expected
b. immediate foundational
c. foundational / a. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills
b. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
c. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

32. Teddy is 3 years 3 months old. When looking at books he turns the pages and points to pictures saying cat, dog, horse but is not yet describing actions depicted in pictures (e.g., the eating, running, sleeping.

Based on this bit of information this skill is AE, IF or F?

Which of the three child outcome does this functional skill fit within?

a. age expected
b. immediate foundational
c. foundational / a. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills
b. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
c. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

33. Darla is a few days shy of 5 years old. Her favorite food is vanilla pudding. She eats it with a spoon, but often uses her opposite hand to push the pudding on the spoon and sometimes resorts to eating it with her hands.

Based on this bit of information this skill is AE, IF or F?

Which of the three child outcome does this functional skill fit within?

a. age expected
b. immediate foundational
c. foundational / a. Outcome 1 - Positive social-emotional skills
b. Outcome 2 - Acquiring and using knowledge and skills
c. Outcome 3 - Taking appropriate action to meet needs

34. In Maryland it is not necessary to include parents in the COS process.

  1. True
  2. False

35. On the decision tree and COS rating scale the difference between a 3 and 4 is in part based upon the presence or absence of age expected skills and behaviors.

  1. True
  2. False

36. Given the following ‘child outcomes summary rating descriptor,’ identify the associated COS outcome rating (1-7).

Relative to same age peers, Remington is not yet using skills expected of his age. He does however use many important and immediate foundational skills to build upon in the area of (outcome).

  1. COS rating 1
  2. COS rating 2
  3. COS rating 3
  4. COS rating 4
/
  1. COS rating 5
  2. COS rating 6
  3. COS rating 7

37. Given the following ‘culminating statement’ identify the associated COS outcome rating (1-7).

Relative to same age peers, Rory shows occasional use of some age expected skills, but more of his skills are not yet age expected in the area of (outcome).

  1. COS rating 1
  2. COS rating 2
  3. COS rating 3
  4. COS rating 4
/
  1. COS rating 5
  2. COS rating 6
  3. COS rating 7

38. Given the following ‘culminating statement’ identify the associated COS outcome rating (1-7).

Relative to same age peers, Angelo shows many age expected skills, but continues to show some functioning that might be described like that of a slightly younger child in the area of (outcome).

  1. COS rating 1
  2. COS rating 2
  3. COS rating 3
  4. COS rating 4
/
  1. COS rating 5
  2. COS rating 6
  3. COS rating 7

39. Given the following ‘culminating statement’ identify the associated COS outcome rating (1-7).

Realtive to same age peers, Zeya is showing some emerging or immediate foundational skills, which will help her to work toward age appropriate skills in the area of (outcome).

  1. COS rating 1
  2. COS rating 2
  3. COS rating 3
  4. COS rating 4
/
  1. COS rating 5
  2. COS rating 6
  3. COS rating 7

40. Assessing functional outcomes involves

  1. asking the family about the child’s behavior at home
  2. asking paraprofessionals who work with the child about his behaviors in class
  3. observing the child on the playground
  4. talking to the child care provider about the child’s eating habits at lunch

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Maryland State Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services