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Improving Systems, Practices, and Outcomes

COS Calculators and Ratings Conversion

Many states use the COS process to collect child outcomes data for federal reporting purposes. These documents explain how the information produced from the COS process can be used to classify a child into one of five progress categories that make up the OSEP reporting requirement on the three child outcomes.

Converting COS Data to OSEP Progress Categories/Summary Statements

The Interactive Guide to Converting COS Data to OSEP Progress Categories/Summary Statements explains how COS Process Ratings are converted to the child outcomes data that states report annually to progress categories. An explanatory video and a set of online calculators are included to allow users to explore how the data are converted.

Tools and Resources

Calculating OSEP Progress Categories from the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Form

These tables display the combinations of ratings detailed in the COS Definitions: 7-Point Rating Scale Criteria, and the resulting OSEP progress category used for federal reporting. Impossible rating combinations are noted and explained. It also shows how a hypothetical data set for an outcome is used for federal reporting.

COS to OSEP Categories Tutor

This calculator was designed to show what OSEP progress categories are generated from all possible combinations of COS ratings at entry and exit. Open the file and be sure you are in the worksheet labeled "Tutor." Follow the instructions to see how different combinations of COS ratings leads to one of the OSEP progress categories. The tutor allows you to experiment with combinations of outcomes ratings and progress question answers to see what OSEP category each combination produces.

COS Calculator (2017)

This Excel file can be used (or adapted for use by someone who knows Excel) with large data sets of COS ratings (up to 12,000 rows). The calculator will use summary form ratings data to:

  1. Generate OSEP progress category information and charts on child outcomes
  2. Generate OSEP summary statement percentages and charts on
  3. Generate entry and exit COS ratings and charts for all three child outcomes
  4. Generate description information on "a" and "e" progress categories across all three outcomes
  5. Summarize data issues (for example, missing data, valid data)