Birth to 3 Program: Federal Indicators

Indicators are 12 essential elements (indicators) of early intervention (Birth to 3 Program) that support implementation of high-quality Birth to 3 Programs. Each state is required to track and report annual results for each of the 12 indicators to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Indicator 1: Timely Services

Indicator 1, Timely Receipt of Services, is a compliance indicator with a target of 100%. Each state defines what constitutes timely services. The indicator refers to the percentage of children for whom all services are timely, not the percentage of services that are timely; if one or more of the services for a child are not delivered within the defined timeline, then the child would not be counted in the percentage of children receiving timely services.

Indicator 2: Natural Environments

Indicator 2 documents the extent to which early intervention services are provided in natural environments. “Natural environments” are settings that are either home-based or community-based. Settings that would not be considered natural environments include hospitals, residential schools, and separate programs for children with delays or developmental disabilities. This summary of Indicator 2 is based on a review of federal fiscal year (FFY) 2012 annual performance reports (APRs) for 56 states. For the purposes of this report, the term “state” is used for both states and territories.

Indicator 3: Infant and Toddler Outcomes

Prepared by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA):

Indicator 3 is the percent of infants and toddlers with individualized family service plans (IFSPs) who demonstrate improved:

Outcome 1: Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships).
Outcome 2: Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication).
Outcome 3: Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.

For this indicator, states report data on two summary statements for each of the three outcomes identified above. The child outcomes summary statements are:

Summary Statement 1: Of those children who entered the program below age expectations in each outcome, the percent who substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they turned three years of age or exited the program. In other words, how many children changed growth trajectories during their time in the program.
Summary Statement 2: The percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each outcome by the time they turned three years of age or exited the program. In other words, how many children were functioning like same-aged peers when they left the program.

Forms related to child outcomes:

Additional information on child outcomes:

Indicator 4: Family Outcomes

Indicator 4 measures the percent of families participating in the Birth to 3 Program who report that early intervention services have helped the family:

Know their rights.
Effectively communicate their children's needs.
Help their children develop and learn.

Indicators 5 and 6: Child Find

Child Find is defined as the methods and procedures each county uses to identify infants and toddlers potentially eligible for the Birth to 3 Program. Activities may include public awareness activities, outreach programs, screening programs, and other collaborative efforts throughout the community.

Indicator 5: Tracks children eligible for the Birth to 3 Program between the ages of 0 to 12 months of age.
Indicator 6: Tracks all children eligible for the Birth to 3 Program.

Additional information on Child Find: The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.

Indicator 7: Timely IFSPs

Indicator 7 is a compliance indicator with a target of 100%. Indicator 7 measures the percentage of Birth to 3 Program-eligible infants and toddlers for whom an evaluation and assessment and an initial IFSP meeting were conducted within a 45-calendar day timeline. The 45 days begins the day in which the referral was received.

Indicator 8: Transition

Indicator 8 is a compliance indicator with a performance target of 100%. This indicator tracks the percent of all children exiting the Birth to 3 Program who received timely transition planning to support the child's transition to preschool and other appropriate community services by their third birthday including:

A. IFSPs with transition steps and services.

B. Notification to the local education agency (LEA), if potentially eligible for Part B.

C. Transition planning conference, if potentially eligible for Part B.

More transition information can be found on the Department of Public Instruction website.

Indicator 9: Resolution Sessions

Indicator 9 is the percent of hearing requests that went to resolution sessions that were resolved through resolution session settlement agreements.

Indicator 10: Mediation

Indicator 10 is a performance indicator that documents the the percent of mediations held that resulted in mediation agreements, whether or not mediations were related to due process complaints.

Indicator 11: State Systemic Improvement Plan

Indicator 11 is the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP), a comprehensive, ambitious, yet achievable, multiyear plan with a focus on improving results for children with disabilities.

Indicator 12: General Supervision

This SPP/APR indicator focuses on the state lead agency’s exercise of its general supervision responsibility to monitor its Early Intervention Service (EIS) providers and EIS programs for requirements under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) through the state’s reporting on timely correction of noncompliance (20 U.S.C. 1416(a) and 1435(a)(10); 34 C.F.R. §§ 303.120 and 303.700). In reporting on findings under this indicator, the state must include findings from data collected through all components of the state’s general supervision system that are used to identify noncompliance. This includes, but is not limited to, information collected through state monitoring, state database/data system dispute resolution, and fiscal management systems as well as other mechanisms through which noncompliance is identified by the state.