Overview of the State Performance Plan Development
See Overview of the State Performance Plan Development preceding Indicator #1.
Monitoring Priority: FAPE in the LRE |
Indicator 6: Percent of preschool children with IEPs who received special education and related services in settings with typically developing peers (e.g., early childhood settings, home, and part-time early childhood/part-time early childhood special education settings).
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a) (3) (A))
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Measurement: Percent = # of preschool children with IEPs who received all special education services in settings with typically developing peers divided by the total # of preschool children with IEPs times 100. |
Section 4410 of the Education Law and section 200.16 of the Commissioner’s Regulations establish the process for preschool students with disabilities to receive special education services.
The Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) makes recommendations for placement of preschool students with disabilities. The CPSE is required by law and regulation to first consider the appropriateness of providing related services only; or special education itinerant teacher services (SEIT) only; or related services in combination with SEIT services; or a half-day preschool program or a full-day preschool program. The CPSE is also required to first consider providing special education services in a setting where age-appropriate peers without disabilities are typically found, prior to recommending the provision of special education services in a setting, which includes only preschool children with disabilities.
The CPSE is required to include in its written report of its recommendation a statement of the reasons why less restrictive placements were not recommended when the recommendation is for the provision of special education services in a setting with no regular contact where age-appropriate peers without disabilities.
In 2004-05, 63.5 percent of preschool children with IEPs received special education and related services in settings with typically developing peers (e.g., early childhood settings, home, and part-time early childhood/part-time early childhood special education settings).
In 2004-05, 465 out of 664 school districts with preschool special
education students (70 percent) had rates of integration in preschool
placements that exceeded the State average, while 199 school districts were
below the statewide average. One hundred forty-eight (148) school districts
were at 100 percent integration, including a large city/high need school
district.
Analysis by geographic regions indicates wide differences.
New York City and Long Island are below the statewide rate by 11 and 7
percentage points respectively, while Central and Eastern New York State
exceed the statewide baseline by 20 and 15 percentage points respectively.
Between 2003-04 and 2004-05, New York City increased its integration of
special education placements from 41.5 percent to 52.4 percent.
Data from the longitudinal study of 5,000
preschool students with disabilities indicate a statistical relationship
between integration in preschool special education and age appropriate
development of learning and behavioral skills in kindergarten. As the
students progress through grade four, data will continue to be collected to
ascertain long-term effects of preschool integration.
NYS has made steady growth in the integration of preschool special education over time. In 1995-96, the integration rate was 32.3%. The 2004-05 rate has nearly doubled since that time. In 2003-04, the NYS rate exceeded the national average by 6.7 percentage points. Among the improvement strategies implemented over this time period that led to these improvement results are:
A moratorium on the approval of any new or expanded preschool programs in settings that include only preschool children with disabilities.
- The addition of SEIT services to the continuum of preschool special education services in 1997.
A grant initiative to promote the development of new or expanded preschool programs in integrated settings.
- Initiation in 2001 of the NYS Universal Pre- Kindergarten Program.
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FFY |
Measurable and Rigorous Target |
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2005 |
64 percent of preschool students with disabilities served in either natural settings or settings that include nondisabled children. |
|
2006 |
64.5 percent of preschool students with disabilities served in either natural settings or settings that include nondisabled children. |
|
2007 |
65.5 percent of preschool students with disabilities served in either natural settings or settings that include nondisabled children. |
|
2008 |
67 percent of preschool students with disabilities served in either natural settings or settings that include nondisabled children. |
|
2009 |
68 percent of preschool students with disabilities served in either natural settings or settings that include nondisabled children. |
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2010 |
70 percent of preschool students with disabilities served in either natural settings or settings that include nondisabled children. |
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Activity |
Timeline |
Resources |
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Review the results of the preschool longitudinal study, including the effects of placements of preschool students in integrated versus nonintegrated settings. |
2005-06 |
$260,000 for 2005-06 |
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Increase opportunities for students with disabilities to have earlier access to inclusive educational settings. · Regents policy paper on early childhood education – expansion of universal pre-kindergarten statewide |
2006-11 |
EMSC/VESID staff |
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Conduct focused monitoring reviews using the LRE monitoring protocol, designed to evaluate a school district’s performance regarding placement of students with disabilities in the LRE, including a review of the districts’ LRE data and policies, procedures and practices, determination of root causes for high rates of placements in the most restrictive settings. |
2005-11 |
SEQA, SETRC, RSSC |
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Provide Quality Assurance Review grants to large city school districts to offset the costs that these school districts may incur to participate in the focused monitoring reviews. |
2005-11 |
$60,000 for 2005-06 for all focused reviews (see indicator #1) |
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Provide Quality Assurance Improvement grants to school districts to implement improvement activities identified through the focused review monitoring process. |
2005-11 |
$3,080,000 for 2005-06 for all focused reviews (see indicator #1) |
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Share national effective practices and strategies regarding: instructional delivery designs in general education settings; and classroom culture and conditions that positively impact student engagement in general education preschool settings. |
2006-11 |
National Technical Assistance Centers: Preschool LRE Community of Practice www.taccommunities.org National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center www.nectac.org |
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Share information about the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators to facilitate student participation in general education settings. |
2006-11 |
IRIS Center for Faculty Enhancement http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu
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