The goal of early intervention and early childhood special education is to enable children to be active and successful participants during the early childhood years and in the future in a variety of settings – in their homes with their families, in child care, preschool or school programs, and in the community. 

States collect and use data on three child outcomes to support this goal:

1. Children have positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships)
2. Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (including early language/communication [and early literacy])
3. Children use appropriate behaviors to meet their needs

As part of the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), states are required to report on the percent of preschool-age children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) who demonstrate improved child outcomes. This is Indicator 7 of the State Performance Plan.

This online module provides key information about the COS process, and the practices that contribute to consistent and meaningful COS decision-making. Participants will learn about: utilizing data collection, the key features of the COS process, the three child outcomes, the COS ratings, using a team-based process, comparing development with age-expected functioning, and COS documentation.