OSPI - ECSE
Office of the Superintendent of Public Education
Office of the Superintendent of Public Education
OSPI: Early Childhood Special Education
This web page contains technical assistance resources for special education staff, administrators, and families of preschool children who receive special education services. The resources are organized according to the three federal early childhood indicators of the State Performance Plan.
To prioritize the intersectionality of social emotional development and embedded inclusionary practices in early childhood programs, OSPI’s Special Education Division has funded initiatives to increase positive outcomes of young children (3–5 years) with disabilities with coordinated intensive technical assistance, professional development, and systems-level coaching for early childhood staff in integrated early learning environments. Click here to view OSPI ECSE Initiatives.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is a kindergarten program intended for children below the age of five (pre-k), who do not have access to high-quality early learning experiences prior to kindergarten. Additionally, these children have been deemed by a school district, through a screening process and/or other instrument(s), to be in need of additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten the following year. Click here to view the OPSI Transitional Kindergarten page.
Child Find
Finding the children who need special education and related services is a basic function of the special education system. Without an effective child find process in place, the structure of the entire system is compromised. Click here for OSPI Child Find information.
Advancing Integrated and Inclusive Programs for Preschool Age Students - This resource was created jointly between OSPI and DCYF to help support systems change in order to develop and expand high-quality inclusive early learning systems across school districts and community partners.
Least Restrictive Environment
OPSI Preschool LRE - Indicator 6
Early Childhood LRE refers to the Least Restrictive Environment where children receive their special education services. Click here to view the OSPI information page.
The LRE Decision Tree resource aids ECSE staff in correctly coding preschool students in correspondence with their early childhood educational environments.
The purpose of this document is to clarify the obligations of districts to support children ages 3–5 years eligible for IDEA, Part B. OSPI and community partners have worked together to clarify current WACs and the definition of a regular early childhood program.
OSPI Special Education Monthly Updates
These updates are created by the OSPI Special Education staff. The Special Education Office will send out an email via GovDelivery when the update for the current month is available.