Some of the tasks include tracking children's status during the screening, referral, and evaluation process. Find tracking reports in Appendix C.

Screening Tasks

Screening Task 1:

Review on a regular basis and make recommendations to screening policies, procedures, and practices in collaboration with managers, families, and partners.

Step 1.

Ask the director and your management team for screening policies, procedures, and tools.

Step 2.

Determine whether the process matches best practice recommendations from the Administration for Children and Families. Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! An Early Care and Education Provider's Guide for Developmental and Behavioral Screening offers a comprehensive description of the screening process.

Step 3.

Review your program's screening tool to make sure it's valid in screening your population. Ensure the tools are designed for screening rather than diagnostic evaluation.

Step 4.

Decide how to screen children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) in your program, if necessary. Make sure you are screening areas that are not covered by the IEP or IFSP, such as social and emotional development or sensory areas, to ensure that there are no other emerging concerns.

Step 5.

Ensure staff have the required training for the screening tools and meet any qualifications specified in the Head Start Program Performance Standards, such as bilingual competencies for screening children who are dual language learners.

Screening Task 2:

Work with managers to ensure staff meet screening timelines.

Step 1.

Collaborate with the education and health managers to develop a tracking sheet or pull data from your program-wide data system so you can follow individual children. Refer to the tracking sheet in Appendix C. Here's a list of some information you may need:

• Each child enrolled in your program
• Date of enrollment
• Due date for the developmental and sensory screenings, either getting results or completing the screening
  • Note who conducted them and what tool they used
• Results from screenings
• Due date for completion of child health record
• Results from child health record
• Information from pre-existing IEP or IFSP

Step 2.

Determine which manager will track screening timelines. If it falls to you as the disability services coordinator, proceed to the following steps. If the health or education manager takes the lead, you will stay in touch and be available if additional need arises.

Step 3.

Schedule time to review screening data. Consider pulling data weekly during the first 30 days, then biweekly or daily.

Step 4.

Identify steps to make sure every child is screened within the timeline. Consider the following:

• Discuss or have staff talk with families about the purpose and benefits of screening. Some parents and families may simply need to know what it is and why your program screens children before agreeing to it.
• Gathering information about the child from the family is essential. Families share any concerns and provide a developmental and medical history.
• Make sure screening happens naturally in the classroom, family child care setting, or home visit. If teachers or home visitors feel stressed about conducting screening, work with your management team to offer staffing or professional development solutions.
• Conduct a "health and education fair" to collect screening and health information. Ask community partners to come and help. Use your Health Services Advisory Committee to help plan it; or, if your community conducts a health event at a convenient time, ask to join it so you can gather screening information within a community context.

Step 5.

If children have not been screened within the timeline, document all efforts to complete screenings. Record communication with families, staff, and partners in the child's file. This helps explain why your program was unable to meet the timeline.

Screening Task 3:

Review all screening results, document the process, and follow up with children whose results indicate concerns.

Step 1.

Schedule a meeting with the health and education managers, appropriate education staff, and health partners.

Step 2.

Go through the screening results to determine whether the process identified any children with developmental or health concerns that need further evaluation.

Step 3.

Add to your tracking sheet or enter into the program database recommendations for:

• Referral
• Individualization
• Family supports

Step 4.

Determine who will meet with the family to share results and recommendations. Find out the families' preferred language. Secure interpreters or translators, if needed.

Step 5.

Share results using strengths-based language. Remember how powerful this information can be and that it might change the way the parents and families view their child.

Step 6.

Determine follow-up and next steps. Ensure there is a way to check that the follow-up is timely.

Step 7.

Coordinate with other staff and managers to record any relevant correspondence or meeting notes between team members and the family.

Ongoing Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1:

Review assessment tools and process with the education manager to determine how they capture progress for children with disabilities.

Step 1.

Talk with the education manager about how your program assesses children with disabilities. Determine how the process aligns with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and best practices. Review Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices on Assessment (pp. 11–13) for evidence-based recommendations.

Step 2.

Use checklists to evaluate ongoing assessment in your program. Consider using:

• Authentic Child Assessment Practices Checklist
• Building on Child Strengths
• Skill Assessment Checklist

Step 3.

Talk with your early intervention or special education partner to discuss:

• How they conduct child assessment, including what tool they use, staff training, and reliability and fidelity
• Who receives the assessment data
• Ways to ensure that each partner has the information they need to plan

Step 4.

Recommend adaptations to ensure ongoing assessment accurately captures information. Discuss with the rest of your management team.

Step 5.

Plan any changes to child assessment and train staff in these changes.

Assessment Task 2:

Analyze and use ongoing assessment data from children with identified disabilities, children who were referred for further evaluation, and children who need additional resources or supports.

Step 1.

On a regular schedule, gather managers, staff, family members, and partners to discuss children's progress.

Step 2.

Analyze assessment data to determine level of progress.

Step 3.

Ask questions to explore why results look as they do.

Step 4.

Connect classroom assessment and observational data to IEP or IFSP data. Determine how to ensure child participation and what supports each child might need.

Step 5.

Plan ways to improve services for children.

Assessment Task 3:

Review all assessment results and follow up on children whose results show concerns.

Step 1.

Schedule a meeting with the health and education managers, appropriate education staff, and health partners.

Step 2.

Go through the assessment results to determine whether the process identified any children with developmental or health concerns that need further evaluation.

Step 3.

Add to your tracking sheet or enter into the program database recommendations for:

• Referral
• Individualization
• Family input
• Family supports

Step 4.

Determine who will meet with the family to share results and recommendations. During this meeting, attendees will determine next steps.

Step 5.

Coordinate with other staff and managers to record meeting notes or correspondence between team members and the family.

Step 6.

Work with the mental health consultant, staff, and family to develop a Child Action Plan, if the child needs additional support and services. Explore funding options, including the child's health insurance, community partners, and program funds.

Step 7.

Ensure all staff know the program's policies on suspension and expulsion.

Referral Tasks

Referral Task 1:

Review and make recommendations regarding the referral process with other managers, families, and partners.

Step 1.

Ask the director and your management team for referral policies, procedures, and tools.

Step 2.

Ask the early intervention or special education partner how they handle referrals.

Step 3.

Determine how each partner's referral process supports the broader steps for timely evaluations to determine eligibility for IDEA services. To learn more about IDEA requirements, read Sections 635(a)(5) and 614(a). The timeline for Part C is 45 days. Note that once the special education partner receives a referral, they must begin evaluation and cannot use a multi-tiered system of support (including response to intervention or recognition and response) to delay the evaluation. Also, note that a state can establish a timeline that is beyond the 60 days. Check with the local education agency (LEA) to make sure the state timeline is the same as the timeline indicated in IDEA.

Step 4.

Make recommendations to improve referral process. If all partners agree, implement changes.

Step 5.

Make sure all staff and families understand the referral process and how it works.

Step 6.

Ensure parents and families give consent. If they don't, help them understand the process and how it benefits their child. If they don't concur, put a note to that effect in the child's file.

Referral Task 2:

Track all children who are currently in the referral process.

Step 1.

Use your tracking sheet or a report pulled from your program-wide system to identify children who are in the referral process.

Step 2.

Develop a Child Action Plan to ensure children receive individualized supports and services during the IDEA eligibility determination process. The plan describes supports, goals, and strategies. It is helpful to have a written plan but not required. Staff or a mental health consultant can create the plan with parental input.

Step 3.

Work with your management team and special education partner to determine where each child is in the process.

Step 4.

Organize a to-do list associated with next steps for each child.

Referral Task 3:

Support families through the referral process.

Step 1.

Gather other program managers, including health, education, and family services.

Step 2.

Determine steps to make sure the child and family receive the support they need during the referral process. This may include:

• Translation and interpretation services
• Connections with cultural organizations that help families understand what disability labels and services mean in culturally responsive ways
• Resources families need to advocate for their child

Referral Task 4:

Coordinate data to support the referral process.

Step 1.

When children enter a program supported by the LEA, work with special education partners to make sure they capture data on the child's progress accurately and share it with the Head Start program, as appropriate.

Step 2.

If the child is under age 3, the referral is to an early intervention agency. Follow the same process in Steps 3 and 4.

Step 3.

Develop a process to capture the interventions children receive and how they support progress. Consider using the tracking sheet in Appendix C.

Step 4.

Work with the education manager to make sure staff capture all necessary child outcomes data. Ensure the data align with the data collected as part of the program's ongoing child assessment process.

Evaluation Tasks

Evaluation Task 1:

Determine which children are currently being evaluated and where they are within the 45- or 60-day timeline.

Step 1.

Using your tracking sheet or a report pulled from your program-wide system, identify children who are participating in diagnostic evaluation through your early intervention or special education partner.

Step 2.

Communicate with the early intervention or special education partner to learn the schedule for evaluation.

Step 3.

Make sure each child receives a timely evaluation.

Step 4.

Develop a to-do list to make sure evaluations move along and best capture the child's abilities.

Step 5.

Ensure staff have a Child Action Plan in place to provide individualized support during the evaluation process.

Evaluation Task 2:

Provide child data to the evaluation team.

Step 1.

Coordinate with other management and staff to ensure each evaluation team has child screening and ongoing assessment data.

Step 2.

Include a program representative who knows the child and family in the evaluation team.

Evaluation Task 3:

Support the family through the evaluation process.

Step 1.

Work with the family services coordinator to identify ways to support the family throughout the evaluation process.

Step 2.

Working with staff, develop a family support plan. This may include:

• A process for providing information, including who, how, and when
• Guidance about the early intervention or special education process
• Translators, interpreters, and individuals who understand the family's culture
• Referring a family to the Parent Training and Information Center for details about their rights under IDEA

Follow-Up Tasks

Follow-Up Task 1:

Identify children who need follow-up.

Step 1.

Work with other managers to review program tracking information and make sure children receive all necessary screening, examinations, and evaluations.

Step 2.

List all children who have not received screening, examinations, and evaluations.

Step 3.

Talk with staff and families to identify why screening, examinations, and evaluations aren't complete. Add those reasons to your list.

Step 4.

Work with other managers, staff, families, and partners to find ways to complete the identification process. Develop a to-do list and assign responsibilities and timelines.

Follow-Up Task 2:

Seek eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for children who are not IDEA eligible.

Step 1.

Ask families if they would like the school district to explore a Section 504 Plan for their child. Your input, along with specialists, other staff, and the mental health consultant, can help the family make decisions.

Step 2.

Parents and families must give their consent to release medical records or other information that supports eligibility for a Section 504 Plan.

Step 3.

If the district agrees to the Section 504 Plan, it replaces the Child Action Plan once it is developed.

Note: Only the LEA can write a Section 504 Plan. Under the plan, the child does not need specialized instruction to learn but finds accommodations helpful. The law does not require a written plan, nor does it require the participation of the parents or family in decision-making. The LEA determines eligibility for Section 504 Plans. School districts do this differently, and many districts do not write Section 504 Plans for preschool. A Section 504 Plan doesn't come with any funding.

Follow-Up Task 3:

Make the Child Action Plan permanent.

Step 1.

Your team created this plan while the child was awaiting IDEA determination. It was an interim plan.

Step 2.

Review and update the plan considering the evaluation results, the ongoing assessment data, and other sources of information about the child. Include information from the family about the child.

Last Updated: September 17, 2024