The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds programs providing services designed to assist children with a range of delays and disabilities in achieving individualized developmental and functional goals. There are two types of programs. Part C Early Intervention is for children ages birth–2, and Part B Preschool is for children ages 3–5.
States report data annually to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education on three child outcomes for Part C and Part B Preschool programs:
- Social relationships, which includes getting
along with other children and relating well with
adults - Use of knowledge and skills, which refers to thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, and early literacy and math skills
- Taking action to meet needs, which includes feeding, dressing, self-care, and following rules related to health and safety
Conclusions
For Part C Early Intervention, a comparison of national averages from FFY 2020 to FFY 2021 showed some decreases in outcomes with an equal number of outcomes unchanged. There was a decrease in the percent of children making greater than expected progress in Action to Meet Needs, and no change in Social Relationships or Knowledge and Skills. For Social Relationships and Knowledge and Skills there was a decrease in the percent of children exiting at age expectation but no change in Action to Meet Needs.
For Part B Preschool, there was a decrease in the percent of children making greater than expected progress and exiting at age expectations in Social Relationships from FFY 2020 to FFY 2021. There was also a decrease in the percent of children exiting at age expectation for Knowledge and Skills. The percent of children making greater than expected growth in Knowledge and Skills remained the same as did both percentages for the third outcome, Action to Meet Needs.
State Part C and Part B, Section 619 annual performance reports provided key reasons for declines, including impacts of COVID-19, other data quality issues, and changes to state data collection methods. Further analyses, particularly at the state and local level, are needed to understand trends.
Child Outcomes Highlights FFY 2021
Child Outcomes Highlights FFY 2020, plus archives of prior years
Published April 2024.