Students with Special Needs

The goal for local school districts/public schools, academies, and agencies should be to provide high-quality preschool experiences for all preschool-age children, including children with disabilities, in the least restrictive environment. A continuum of placements shall be provided to preschool children and the Project HELP teacher will be an active IEP team participant. The IEP team determines the placement for children with IEPS and the Project HELP classroom should be considered for all students. Itinerant, Co-teaching or direct services by appropriate licensed staff will be utilized to provide for instructional strategies to meet the needs outlined in the IEP as outlined in the ISBE Inclusion Models and Guidance document. To the maximum extent appropriate, special education supports and services will be embedded into the daily routines and carried out within the Project HELP classroom. General education to special education student ratios cannot exceed 70% : 30% within inclusive classrooms.

Professional development is essential to support special education services within the Project HELP classrooms. Trainings will be available online through the Early Childhood Special Education New Teacher Orientation and staff will participate annually in the Early Childhood Forum held at EIASE to keep current with practices and procedures pertaining to Early Childhood Special Education at the local and state level. More information on the Early Childhood Forum and registration can be found at https://www.eiase.com/pd.

Inclusion Links

Early Choices Resources for Teachers

Advancing Preschool Inclusion in Community Based Early Childhood Education Programs

Resource Guilde for Early Childhood Collaborative Itinerant Teaching Model - ISBE

Illinois Early Learning Project Resources for Children with Special Needs

ISBE's ECSE Website

OSEP Dear Colleague Letter Preschool LRE

Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs:

OSEP Preschool LRE Letter:

Head Start Center for Inclusion:

Inclusive Placement Opportunities for Preschoolers (IPOP) Manual

The Summer / Fall 2009 edition of IMPACT

One of Us: Access and Equity for All Young Children

Educational Environment (EE) Codes - isbe.net/Pages/Preschool-Inclusion-LRE.aspx

Educational Environment (EE) codes tell what type of early childhood education program children with an IEP attend and where their services are provided. The EE codes are defined in Illinois by ISBE and reported using the Funding and Child Tracking System (FACTS). OSEP requires each state to submit a State Performance Plan (SPP) and an Annual Performance Report (APR) yearly. ISBE reports on the 21 indicators in the SPP. Indicator 6 focuses on preschool LRE. The data for this indicator is collected at the December 1 Child Count for children who are aged 3-5 on December 1.

Click here to review Least Restrictive Environment in Early Childhood - EE Codes: Why are they important and how to accurately report them

EE Links

Early Childhood Outcomes

Each state is required to submit early childhood outcomes data to the Office of Special Education (OSEP) each year. Each student, ages 3-5, with an IEP receives a progress rating yearly in the areas of positive social emotional skills, acquisition and use of knowledge and skills, and use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs. By collecting outcomes data, programs should utilize the data to make changes to educational programming to ensure positive results. Childhood Outcomes (ECO) are measured using authentic assessment practices through which providers and families observe children in their everyday routines, activities, and places, and collect documentation that illustrates what children know and are able to do in areas key to future success. Three ECO are used nationwide to reflect the integrated nature of child learning and development and make it possible for comparable data from a variety of assessment instruments to be combined for further analyses.

The three childhood outcomes are:

1. Children have positive social skills, including positive social relationships.

2. Children acquire and use knowledge and skills, including language and early literacy.

3. Children take appropriate action to meet their needs.

Upon entry into ECSE services, each child must receive ECO ratings within 45 days. Progress ratings are required yearly between February 1 and July 31. No exit ratings are needed; however, the last progress rating should be no more than six months old upon exiting enrollment.