Unified Training System

Project Summary:

Since 1995, the Early Childhood Center has worked with Indiana's First Steps Early Intervention Program to design and implement a comprehensive training and technical assistance system for early intervention providers serving infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and a system of training, information, and support for families receiving early intervention services. This system has been called the Unified Training System, or UTS.

Currently, the Early Childhood Center is contracted by the Indiana First Steps System, Division of Disability & Rehabilitative Services (http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/2633.htm), to provide the following services and resources to First Steps providers and families:

1. Family to Family information and support, including financial support to families who participate on First Steps Local Planning and Coordinating Councils, the Indiana Family to Family website and listserv, a quarterly electronic newsletter for families, and a regional system of parent to parent support for families receiving First Steps services.
   
2. Ongoing evaluation of the First Steps Early Intervention System (Indiana's Part C Program under IDEA), including an evaluation of child and family outcomes that are part of the annual report provided by Indiana to the federal Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education.
   

More information concerning each of these efforts, including timelines and resources, can be provided by clicking on each of the tabs above.

The other current member of the Unified Training System is ProKids (http://www.utsprokids.org). Prokids has responsibility for providing core and topical training to First Steps early intervention providers.

iPad Project

As part of Indiana's Unified Training System (UTS), the Early Childhood Center has received funding to pilot the use of iPads for use by ongoing Service Coordinators. Currently, 14 service coordinators in 3 clusters are using the iPads to complete Exit Interviews with families prior to their family leaving First Steps. A major part of the Exit Interview is to ask families to complete the Exit Survey asking them to evaluate how well First Steps has helped them to accomplish three outcomes: knowing their rights, helping their child's development, and sharing their child's needs with professionals.

Evaluation of First Steps

In 1999, the Early Childhood Center was asked by the Indiana Family and Social Services Agency, Indiana’s Part C lead agency, to develop and implement a statewide evaluation system for measuring the impact of its First Steps Early Intervention System for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The ECC designed and implemented an ongoing, statewide, outcomes-based evaluation system beginning November 2002. Since that time, the purpose of this project has been to assist First Steps in measuring the impact of early intervention on children with disabilities and their families. Each year, ECC collects and analyzes data on the federally-required child and family outcomes, and assists the state in completing its federal reports.

The project's data collection efforts have evolved over time. Currently, ECC uses an online survey which enables designated First Steps staff to electronically enter both entry and exit data on all children and families when they leave the First Steps early intervention system. The entry data is taken from the initial Family Assessment conducted prior to the family’s first Individual Family Service Plan, and sections of the IFSP. Exit data is collected from the Exit Interview that occurred prior to the family’s transition from First Steps. Along with this family survey data, the state electronically sends demographic data on all children and families entering/exiting First Steps on a monthly basis. This data is matched with the survey data and enables ECC staff to create a variety of reports for the state. ECC staff is also able to import the data into SPSS to conduct state reports and assist the state in completing its annual federal reporting requirements.

Reports generated by ECC:
•    Part C State Annual Performance Report (APR)
•    Monthly Reports to Clusters regarding the status of their data entry

Reports and Papers

Evaluation of Indiana's First Steps Early Intervention System (2005)
WESTAT state analysis grant report: Indiana's First Steps Early Intervention System (2004)