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Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS)

Elaine Carlson, Westat

2005 OSEP National Early Childhood ConferenceWashington, DC

February 8, 2005

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Overview• PEELS will follow over 3,000 children with

disabilities from preschool into their early elementary years

• Children were 3 through 5 years old at entry into the study (and 1st data collection)

• PEELS will examine children’s – preschool experiences and outcomes– transition to kindergarten– early elementary school experiences and

outcomes

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PEELS Study Questions

• What are the characteristics of children receiving preschool special education?

• What preschool programs and services do they receive? What are their transitions like - between early intervention and preschool and between preschool and elementary school?

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PEELS Study Questions• What results do children achieve in

preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary school?

• What factors help to produce better results?

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Sampling

• Nationally representative sample of 235 LEAs (217 in 1st data collection, plus 18 more recently added)

• LEAs stratified by– Enrollment size– Geographic region– Wealth

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Sampling• Nationally representative sample of over 3,000 preschoolers with

IEPs (2,906 in 1st data collection plus ~230 more by 2nd collection

CohortAge At Entry into PEELS

Date of Birth

A 3 years old 3/1/00 through 2/28/01

B 4 years old 3/1/99 through 2/29/00

C 5 years old 3/1/98 through 2/28/99

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Data Collection• Family Telephone Interview

• Direct Child Assessment

–13 subtests

• Mail Questionnaires

–SEA administrators

–LEA administrators

–Principals/program directors

–Teachers

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School Year

03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10

Recruit Families X X*

Conduct Parent Interviews X X X X X

Assess Children X X X X X

Send Questionnaires to Teachers and Other Service Providers

X X X X X

Send Questionnaires to School/Program Administrators

X X** X

Send Questionnaires to District Administrators

X X*

Send Questionnaires to State Administrators

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*Only in the 18 LEAs added in Wave 2. **Only for Wave 1 nonrespondents.

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Wave 1 Response Rates• SEA Questionnaire: 100%• LEA Questionnaire: 90%• Teacher Questionnaire: 76%• CATI: 96%• Assessment: 96%• Principal Questionnaire: 40%*• Program Director Questionnaire: 49%*

*Field period for these instruments will reopen in winter 2005.

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Some Preliminary Wave 1 Results

• Test Results by Age Cohort, Gender, & District Wealth

– Woodcock Johnson-III

• Letter-Word Identification

• Applied Problems

• Quantitative Concepts

– Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

• SEA-Reported Areas of Progress and Challenge for Preschool Special Education

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Areas of Preschool Special Education from Which State 619 Coordinators Selected

Three ‘Best Practice,’ ‘Need to Improve,’ and ‘Working to Improve’ Options

• Transition from early intervention• Transition to Kindergarten• Child find• Assessment and evaluation• Placement in community-based settings• Recruitment of qualified personnel• Retention of qualified personnel• Developmentally appropriate practices• Eligibility for services• IEP/IFSP development

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Areas of Preschool Special Education from Which State 619 Coordinators Selected

Three ‘Best Practice,’ ‘Need to Improve,’ and ‘Working to Improve’ Options (con’t)

• Building effective technical assistance networks• Linkages with state early childhood programs• Collaboration with parents• Pre-literacy skills and activities• Serving culturally and linguistically diverse families• Data systems for tracking children’s progress• Standards-based accountability systems• Accessing other resources and sources of services (e.g.,

Medicaid, …)• Other (Specify: ________)

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Areas of Preschool Special Education SEAs Commonly

Reported as ‘Closest to Best Practice’ for 2003-04

• Transition from early intervention (45%)

• Child find (29%)

• Eligibility for services (28%)

• Building effective technical assistance networks(28%)

• Linkages with state early childhood programs (28%)

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Areas of Preschool Special Education SEAs Commonly Reported as ‘Most Need to

Improve’ for 2003-04• Placement in community based settings

(43%)

• Data systems for tracking children’s progress (41%)

• Serving culturally/linguistically diverse families (26%)

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Areas of Preschool Special Education SEAs Commonly

Reported as ‘Working to Improve’ for 2003-04

• Transition from early intervention (51%)

• Placement in community-based settings (39%)

• Linkages with state early childhood programs (29%)

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PEELS Web Site

www.peels.org