eNotes
December 13, 2023Updates from the ECTA Center
Help with APP/SPR Preparation
States are busily preparing for FFY 2022 State Performance Plans/Annual Performance Reports (SPPs/APRs) which are due February 1, 2024. The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) and The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) are ready to help. They will review state draft SPP/APRs, including the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP), prior to Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) submission.
- FFY 2022 SPP/APR Package
- OSEP SPP/APR Resources
- SPP/APR Checklists and Tips
- SPP/APR Basics, What You Need to Know
News from the Field
48th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Forty-eight years ago this year, President Gerald Ford signed into law the Education for All Handicapped (EHA) Children Act, which later became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the U.S. DOE's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) continued to administer the IDEA to improve outcomes for children with disabilities, birth through 21, and their families. OSEP awarded more than $110 million to fund new discretionary grants programs, including more than $35 million for 138 personnel preparation and professional development-related grants, during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
2023 Early Childhood Transition Questions and Answers
This IDEA 2023 Early Childhood Transition Questions and Answers incorporates longstanding policy and further clarifies requirements as children transition from Part C to preschool. It updates OSEP's 2009 Early Childhood Transition FAQ (which addressed transition data reporting questions under State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR)), based on the 2011 IDEA Part C regulations. It also incorporates guidance from OSEP's 2011 Letter to NASDSE and ITCA on Transition FAQ and Related Resources, as well as OSEP’s 2023 Letter to Nix.
Policy Statement: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (Nov. 28, 2023)
This November 28, 2023 Policy Statement: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs, released jointly by the Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS), states that all young children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs. These programs are to provide individualized and appropriate support so all young children with disabilities can fully participate alongside their peers without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full potential. Ways the updated joint policy advances the Departments’ position includes:
- Reiterating the expectation for inclusion in high-quality early childhood programs.
- Setting the expectation that inclusion continues as children transition into elementary school.
- Continuing to increase public awareness and understanding of the science that supports inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs.
- Reinforcing the legal foundations that support inclusion.
Solutions for Raising Early Educators' Pay
Child care can cost as much as college tuition in some states. But those costs don’t translate into higher wages for those who work in the industry. In Early education coalition searches for answers to raise teacher pay, even as budgets are cratering, The Hechinger Report details how, on average, child care employees and early educators earn less than half as much as K-12 teachers. They are more likely than other educators to live in poverty and less likely to have health insurance. Therefore, states are creating solutions to raise early educator pay. The Early Educator Investment Collaborative, a coalition of philanthropies that provide grants to support early childhood programs, is sending about $9 million in grants to Louisiana, Colorado and D.C. to find long-term answers for raising early educator pay.
2022 HHS Report to Congress on Supportive Services for Individuals with Autism
The 2022 Report to Congress on Supportive Services for Individuals with Autism from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gives an overview of existing coverage policies for supportive services under federal programs. It highlights needs and opportunities for strengthening supportive services for individuals with autism. There are several critical areas of need, including long wait lists for services; the "services cliff" experienced after high school; workforce shortages; service delivery; services for older adults; as well as racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in access to quality autism services and care.
Research
App Aids Autism Screening
A National Institute of Health-supported research team created a mobile app that may improve early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While a child watches videos on a tablet, the app collects a wide range of data. It tracks the child's eye gaze, head movements, expressions, blinking, and other behaviors linked to ASD. The app was tested in 475 toddlers, ages 17 months to 3 years. It correctly identified nearly 90% of the children who were later diagnosed with ASD. The app also identified over 80% of the kids who did not have ASD. The researchers now have a new study underway to see if parents can effectively use the app at home.