Module 1. Overview of the Early Childhood Outcomes System
Post-learning Activity: Extension into the Classroom
Instructions
Select a child in your classroom and plot his developmental trajectory for each of the three outcomes on the Child Outcome System Child Progress Monitoring tool attached. To do this, you will need to find his entry Child Outcomes Summary Form ratings in his files. Then, you will estimate his level of functioning at the current point in time, based on information you have collected from assessment tools, observation, and talking with family members and other caregivers. We will call this estimation an ‘interim rating.’ Plot the child’s entry rating on the left side of the rainbow graphic. Plot his interim rating on the right side of the rainbow graphic. Draw a line between the two points. This is his developmental trajectory.
What does the trajectory tell you? Is he making progress in this outcome area? Is he staying within the same trajectory? Has he changed developmental trajectories? Is he catching up with same-age peers?
Here is an example. In the graphic below, the child’s entry rating was a ‘3,’ meaning that he was not yet showing age-expected skills. His interim rating was a ‘5,’ meaning he now shows some age-expected functioning in this outcome area. The line drawn between the points shows a steep upward slope. This tells us that, between the time the child entered the program and this point in time, he acquired new skills and accelerated his rate of growth. He made progress toward catching up with same-aged peers but is still functioning below age expectations. He changed growth trajectories and “narrowed the gap” between his level of functioning and that of a child who is developing according to age expectations.
Child Outcome System Child Progress Monitoring
Child Name: / Teacher:Date of Birth:
Child Outcome 1- Positive Social Skills
Observational Data
Interview Data
Assessment Data
Child Outcome 2- Acquisition and Use of Knowledge and Skills
Observational Data
Interview Data
Assessment Data
Child Name: / Teacher:
Date of Birth:
Child Outcome 3- Taking Appropriate Action to Meet Needs
Observational Data
Interview Data
Assessment Data
Definitions for Outcome Ratings:
Overall Age-Appropriate / Completely means: / 7 / • Child shows functioning expected for his or her age in all or almost all everyday situations that are part of the child’s life. Functioning is considered appropriate for his or her age. • No one has any concerns about the child’s functioning in this outcome area.6 / • Child’s functioning generally is considered appropriate for his or her age but there are some significant concerns about the child’s functioning in this outcome area. These concerns are substantial enough to suggest monitoring or possible additional support. • Although age-appropriate, the child’s functioning may border on not keeping pace with age expectations.
Overall Not Age-Appropriate / Somewhatmeans: / 5 / • Child shows functioning expected for his or her age some of the time and/or in some settings and situations. Child’s functioning is a mix of age-appropriate and not age-appropriate behaviors and skills. • Child’s functioning might be described as like that of a slightly younger child*.
4 / • Child shows occasional age-appropriate functioning across settings and situations. More functioning is not age-appropriate than age-appropriate.
Nearly means: / 3 / • Child does not yet show functioning expected of a child of his or her age in any situation. • Child uses immediate foundational skills, most or all of the time, across settings and situations. Immediate foundational skills are the skills upon which to build age-appropriate functioning. • Functioning might be described as like that of a younger child*.
2 / • Child occasionally uses immediate foundational skills across settings and situations. More functioning reflects skills that are not immediate foundational than are immediate foundational.
Not yet means: / 1 / • Child does not yet show functioning expected of a child his or her age in any situation. • Child’s functioning does not yet include immediate foundational skills upon which to build age-appropriate functioning. • Child functioning reflects skills that developmentally come before immediate foundational skills. • Child’s functioning might be described as like that of a much younger child*.
For Use with the ChildOutcome System Child Progress Monitoring Tool
*The characterization of functioning like a younger child only will apply to csome children receiving special services, such as children with developmental delays.
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Improving the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
NC Early Learning Network, a joint project of NC-DPI and UNC-FPG, 2014