Rena A. Hallam

Level and Intensity of Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities The Impact of Child, Family, System, and Community-Level Factors on Service Provision

Data from a statewide billing and information system for early intervention are used to examine the influence of multiple factors on the level and intensity of services provided in a state early intervention system. Results indicate that child and family factors including entry age, gestational age, Medicaid eligibility, access to third party insurance, and childrens developmental skill areas influence the level and the intensity of early intervention services provided. In addition, findings show that county demographic factors also influence service provision, specifically the interaction between rural and poverty status. Implications for social policy are discussed.

Preparing Head Start Personnel to Use a Curriculum-Based Assessment: An Innovative Practice in the "Age of Accountability".

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate technical assistance and training of Head Start teachers and assistant teachers on the use of a contemporary curriculum-based assessment. A description of the technical assistance process used and the procedures for determining interrater agreement and assessment fidelity are presented. During the study, participating practitioners reliably scored assessment protocols and administered the curriculum-based assessment with fidelity within their classrooms.

Transition Services for Young Children with Disabilities: Research and Future Directions.

The study of transition process for young children with disabilities and their families is complex. This complexity is reflected in efforts by researchers and policy makers to understand the phenomenon and determine ways to improve the transition experiences and outcomes of young children with disabilities and their families. This article synthesizes the literature from early childhood special education as well as general early childhood in an effort to exemplify the current understanding of transition processes and practices. Future directions for more integrated approaches to transition research, policy, and practice are presented.

Easing the Transition to Kindergarten Assessment of Social, Behavioral, and Functional Skills in Young Children With Disabilities

ne of the unchangeable processes in the education of our children is the need to move children between and among various programs. As children move from preschool programs to school-age programs, the expectations of teachers change. Children are expected to work more independently, follow group directions, and attend to their own needs. The transition from an early childhood environment to a school setting can be extremely stressful to families (Fowler, Chandler, Johnson, & Stella, 1988; Healy, Keesee, & Smith, 1989). In an effort to alleviate this stress, preparing the child and family for these changes

Professional Background of Service Coordinators and Collaboration with Community Agencies

Data from a statewide survey were used to examine the relationship between the professional backgrounds of early intervention service coordinators and their reported knowledge of and interaction with community resources relevant to early intervention services. Early intervention service coordinators with human service backgrounds were more likely to report higher levels of knowledge or interaction with social service agencies, such as community action agencies, family resource centers, and local charities, whereas service coordinators with professional backgrounds in health areas reported higher levels of knowledge or interaction with health-related services, such as Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment, Medicare, and private health insurance. Service coordinators with professional backgrounds in education were more knowledgeable about traditional educational services, including state at-risk preschool programs and private child care. Implications for professional development are discussed.

Introduction to the Topical Issue on Measurement and Mismeasurement

This issue of Topics in Early Childhood Special Education (TECSE; 34:2) is about the measurement of children’s performance and development. Our aspiration was to contribute to the knowledge base regarding early intervention/ early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) assessment policies and practices. Broadly, assessment is a process of gathering information for making decisions (GrishamBrown & Pretti-Frontczak, 2011). Whether we use the term assessing, testing, measuring, or even observing, early childhood professionals have a long tradition of gathering information to make important decisions. We make decisions about the need for additional testing, eligibility for services, how to plan and revise instruction, program efficacy, consumer satisfaction, and the degree to which child, family, and/or program outcomes are being achieved. Over time, the number and types of purposes for which professionals have needed to gather information regarding children’s performance has increased. Furthermore, assessment decisions have higher stakes than what they had in the past. For example, child assessment data are now driving decisions about the funding of EI/ECSE services, teacher efficacy, and children’s readiness for kindergarten. Along with an increase in high-stakes decision making has come an increased risk of mismeasurement. Mismeasurement can occur when tests are used for purposes other than those for which they have been designed. Mismeasurement can also occur when we use tests that lack evidence of technical adequacy or when providers are not appropriately prepared and supported to use and interpret various assessment tools. Last, mismeasurement can occur when we test children in unfamiliar settings, with unfamiliar materials, and by unfamiliar people. According to Neisworth and Bagnato (2004), mismeasurement “denies children their rights to beneficial expectations and opportunities” (p. 198). We became especially interested in issues concerning mismeasurement when high-stakes testing emerged as a conspicuous part of the accountability movement. Accountability in the United States is characterized by compliance with federal, state, and local mandates. Accountability is also characterized by a focus on standards, efficacy, and outcomes. Over time, it became increasingly obvious to us that an unintended consequence or risk of the accountability movement has been the mismeasurement and misrepresentation of children’s abilities. For instance, we see a trend where publishers and lobbyists are making decisions about the development and use of assessment tools. We see increasing pressure to use children’s performance on narrowly defined skills to determine whether our educational programs are successful and thus whether continued or increased funding will be awarded. We see where teams are required to evaluate toddlers and preschoolers using measures known to lack predictive validity, and we are witnessing a time when teachers are being evaluated to an excessive degree on the basis of children’s test scores. We have also seen tests being used inappropriately with children who have differing abilities, who are from different backgrounds/cultures, or for whom English is not their native language. Thus, volume 34:2 was created to continue conversations around EI/ECSE assessment and provide a platform for identifying and critiquing assessment policies and practices. The collection of articles included in this volume address issues that can lead to the mismeasurement of children and provide suggestions for innovative practices that lead to appropriate measurement and decision making. The articles cover a range of assessment issues, from improving our methodological strategies to revamping our data collection methods. Kaminski and colleagues present data on the concurrent and predictive validity of the Preschool Early Literacy Indicator (PELI) as well as suggested cut points for determining early literacy risk. Results of the validity studies show strong correlations when compared with criterion measures. This article illustrates an attempt to validate an assessment for a specific purpose; how to determine whether children need additional support in early literacy. Given the dearth of assessments used specifically for response to intervention in preschool, the study addresses an important aspect of measurement in early childhood. 532139 TECXXX10.1177/0271121414532139Topics in Early Childhood Special EducationPretti-Frontczak et al. research-article2014