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Indicator 6: Preschool in the LRE Massachusetts

Patricia Cameron, 619 Coordinator,Department of Early Education and Care

Donna Traynham, Elementary School Services, Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

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Preschool in the LRE

Massachusetts collects information on where 3, 4 and 5 year old children with disabilities are spending their day, in addition to the services they are receiving through special education, through its Student Information Management System (SIMS).

New codes were assigned for the 3-5 year olds; former codes now used for 6-22 year olds.

Districts were trained in Spring 2007.

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Preschool in the LRE

Tools were developed to assist districts in collecting this information at IEP team meetings, and become part of a child’s file.

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/forms/word/PL2_3-5.doc

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/forms/word/PL2_3-5.xls

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Formula Change

Baseline Formula # of hrs of special

education services in an inclusive setting plus # of hrs in a natural environment divided by 25 hrs

Revised Formula # of hrs in an inclusive

early childhood setting divided by (the # of hours in special education settings outside of an inclusive early childhood setting plus the # of hours in an inclusive early childhood setting)

5

Attends EC program?

Attends spec ed program?

Receives spec ed at Home?

Service Provider

48

What % time spent there?

What is the location?

Home 46

≥80% 30

40% to 79% 32

<40% 34

separate class

36separate school

38 or 42 residential facility 44 or 45

Yes (use formula)

yes

yes

no

no

no

Early Childhood Environments Decision Tree

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Preschool in the LRE – 3 year olds (n=4442)

Full Inclusion

Partial Inclusion

Substantially Separate

Clinical Office

Out of District

2889(65%)

501(11%)

882(20%)

93(2%)

77(2%)

7

Preschool in the LRE – 4 year olds (n=5498)

Full Inclusion

Partial Inclusion

Substantially Separate

Clinical Office

Out of District

3831(70%)

576(10%)

918(17%)

75(1%)

98(2%)

8

Preschool in the LRE – 5 year olds (n=7284)

Full Inclusion

Partial Inclusion

Substantially Separate

Clinical Office

Out of District

5080(70%)

871(12%)

1164(16%)

17(<1%)

152(2%)

9

School Age LRE – 6 year olds (n=9123)

Full Inclusion

Partial Inclusion

Substantially Separate

Clinical Office

Out of District

6400(70%)

1311(14%)

1203(13%)

2(<.02%)

207(2%)

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Preschool in the LRE

Conclusions….

1. Importance of communication between district early childhood special education staff and data staff

2. Need for closer analyses at the state level to understand trends around early childhood special education services and inclusion

3. Ability to use trend data to inform professional development for:a. Early childhood special educationb. K-3 special education practices