Attachment A Crosswalk
Research Questions, Constructs, Measures, and Section/Item Number
Below we present information for each of the research questions addressed by The Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start. We list the constructs measured by the survey items, the stem and number of the survey items (in the measures column). We also highlight any survey items that are intended to collect information that will provide contextual information about grantees and/or potentially serve as covariates in the analyses. Note that all of the items are project-developed.
Research Question 1: What are the characteristics of the DSC workforce, and related staff, within EHS and HS programs across the country?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Employment Characteristics |
Age of children served by OHS-funded program(s) |
DSCR 06 |
Program setting(s) and # of each type |
PROG 02 |
|
DSC duties performed |
DSCR 11 - 15 |
|
Roles, other than DSC, they fulfill within the program |
DSCR 01 |
|
% Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) |
DSCR 07, 08, 09 |
|
Weekly travel time between program locations |
DSCR 10 |
|
Years of experience in EHS/HS |
DSCB 02 |
|
# years as EHS/HS DSC |
DSCR 02, 03 |
|
Experience working with children with disabilities and their families |
DSCB 02, 03 |
|
Individual Characteristics |
Educational attainment |
DSCB 01 |
Race/ethnicity |
DSCB 05, 06 |
|
SES |
DSCB 07 |
|
Professional Characteristics |
Job satisfaction |
DSCB 08 |
DSC training needs |
PDV 01 - 04 |
|
DSC resource needs |
PROG 10 - 13 Will be measured in Wave 3 interviews |
Research Question 2: What are the practices and policies that EHS/HS DSCs use to identify, recruit, screen, assess, and provide services (including the implementation of IFSPs and IEPs) to children with disabilities and their families?
Constructs |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Recruitment of children with disabilities practices and policies |
|
DSCR 11 RSEA 01 - 04
|
Screening practices and policies |
|
DSCR 11 EXTCLB 01, 02
|
Assessment practices and policies including ongoing assessment and environmental assessment, and how families are included in the process |
|
RSEA 15 - 18 DSCR 11 FAMCLB 08
|
Referral practices and policies |
|
RSEA 05 - 14 EXTCLB 01, 02 |
Disability service provision practices and policies (IFSPs, IEPs, 504 plans) including collaboration and coordination with families |
|
DSCR 11, 12 RSEA 15 - 18 FAMCLB 08, 10 EXTCLB 01, 02 SVCS 01 - 07 |
Research Question 3: How do EHS/HS programs engage in capacity building with families (including the provision of or referral to supportive services) to ensure that they understand their rights and the resources available, so that they can advocate for their children with potential or identified disabilities?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Culturally and linguistically responsive practices to build and maintain positive, strengths-based relationships with families of children with disabilities |
|
FAMCLB 09, 11, 12 RSEA 09, 14 |
Community resources and referral services provided to families of children with disabilities. |
|
DSCR 11, 12, 13 RSEA 03, 04, 05 – 08, 10 – 13 EXTCLB 11
|
Practices implemented to help families of children with disabilities understand and assert their rights. |
Encourage family participation in all meetings and continued follow up with service providers |
DSCR 12 FAMCLB 10 TRANS 05, 12 |
Methods and frequency of communication with families of children with disabilities or suspected delays |
FAMCLB 01 - 07 |
|
Provide families with resources and support to help them understand the process, their rights, and possible outcomes for their child and their family. |
FAMCLB 08, 09, 10 DSCR 12 RSEA 15 TRANS 05, 12 |
|
Encourage families to advocate or take ownership for their child’s rights and help parents understand the importance of their advocacy in their child’s supports and future development. |
FAMCLB 10 |
|
Review parents’ rights, including sharing a copy of Parental Rights (LEA) in their primary language. |
DSCR 12 |
Research Question 4a: When children are identified as eligible for IDEA services, what services can the EHS/HS program provide them?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Services available to support children with disabilities who are eligible for IDEA programs |
|
SVCS 01 - 04 |
Direct teaching with embedded learning opportunities delivered to young children with disabilities by teachers (i.e., curriculum modification, embedded teaching, and intensive individualized teaching) |
|
SVCS 01, 02, 03
|
Services provided by EHS/HS to young children with disabilities by a specialist (e.g., Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy) |
Providing coordination to support multiple service implementation |
SVCS 01, 02, 03 DSCR 11, 13 |
Other services available in the community (link to community resources & referral services) |
|
DSCR 12 |
Coordination of HS and IDEA services in the classroom |
|
SVCS 01, 02, 03 |
Barriers to receiving services |
|
SVCS 03, 04 |
Research Question 4b: What disability services are provided by or otherwise arranged by EHS/HS to children with needs not found eligible for services under IDEA?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Services available to support children with disabilities who are not eligible for IDEA
|
504 plans (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) |
SVCS 05, 06 |
Behavior support plans |
SVCS 06
|
|
Collaboration with the Mental Health Consultant (MHC) and Social Worker |
SVCS 06
|
|
Transportation to outside service providers |
SVCS 07 DSCR 09
|
|
Providing coordination to facilitate multiple service implementation |
SVCS 06, 07 DSCR 08, 11 |
|
Barriers to providing support for children with disabilities who are not eligible for IDEA |
|
SVCS 07 |
Research Question 5a: How do EHS/HS programs engage and collaborate with internal team members (educator/assistant educators, Mental Health Consultant (MHC), Family Support Workers, Education Coordinators, Health Managers, Policy Council, and Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC))?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Who are the internal team members? |
Clarity of roles – who is filling all of the DSC roles (i.e., PD, collaborations, recruitment) |
DSCR 11 - 15 |
Composition of internal “disability” team (e.g. Interdisciplinary Team): |
Teachers |
DSCR 11 - 15 |
Coordinators/specialists/managers |
DSCR 11 - 15 |
|
Administrators |
DSCR 11 - 15 |
Research Question 5b: How do EHS/HS programs engage and collaborate with LEAs, IDEA Part B (preschool special education services) and Part C (early intervention services, birth to three)?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
If MOUs or Interagency Agreements are in place with LEAs & Part C in catchment area, does it address
|
EHS and HS participation in public agency’s Child Find plan |
EXTCLB 01, 02 |
Joint training of staff and families |
EXTCLB 01, 02
|
|
Procedures for referral for evaluations, IFSP/IEP meetings, placement decisions |
EXTCLB 01, 02
|
|
Transition planning as children move from Part C to Part B & from preschool to K |
EXTCLB 01, 02
|
|
Sharing resources |
EXTCLB 01, 02
|
|
If MOU is in place, is it updated annually? |
|
EXTCLB 03 |
How involved in/aware of MOU collaborations is the DSC? |
|
EXTCLB 04 DSCR 13 |
|
Participation in meetings |
EXTCLB 08, 10 |
Participation in trainings |
EXTCLB 07, 09 |
|
Describe roles/ responsibilities for representatives from your program and the local agencies during evaluation, eligibility determination, and IFSP/IEP meetings |
|
DSCR 11 RSEA 05 – 14 |
Strategies the DSC uses to facilitate HS staff participation in LEA and Part C IDEA services |
Meetings other than IFSP/IEP meetings |
EXTCLB 07, 09 |
Trainings |
EXTCLB 07, 09 |
|
Evaluation |
DSCR 11 RSEA 05 - 14 |
|
Eligibility determination |
DSCR 11 RSEA 05 - 14 |
|
IFSP/IEP meetings |
DSCR 11 |
Research Question 5c: How do EHS/HS programs engage and collaborate with other relevant services within their communities, including mental health providers and community programs?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Measures |
Section and Item Number |
Collaborating with community services
|
Advocating for inclusion of children with disabilities in community-based learning activities |
|
DSCR 12, 13, 14 |
Participating in consultation with community partners |
Types of organizations identified as relevant including parent servicing organizations like addiction treatment and other early care providers |
EXTCLB 11, 12 |
|
Partner availability |
SVCS 03, 04, 06, 07 |
||
With whom do you partner? |
EXTCLB 11 |
||
What partners do you need but don’t currently have? |
EXTCLB 12 |
||
Participating in trainings with community partners (collaborative trainings, offering trainings to partners, taking training offered by partners) |
Attend regular meetings with community members and HS programs |
|
DSCR 11, 12
|
Advocating for and informing alignment of program requirements across collaborating service providers |
Facilitates collaboration among personnel across all community settings and programs |
DSCR 11, 12, 13, 15 EXTCLB 07, 09 RSEA 16 DSCB 03 |
|
Community building activities |
DSC participation in community boards that support children with disabilities and their families |
|
EXTCLB 11, 12 |
Research Question 6a: What are the types and range of training supports EHS/HS DSCs and other staff receive and/or need?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Methods used by DSCs to identify training/TA needs related to disability and inclusion |
|
DIR_PDV 04 |
Topics of training/TA DSCs provide to train staff on how to individualize practice and fully integrate children with disabilities into the classroom (e.g. licensing requirements, community engagement, family engagement, IFSP/IEP participation, relationship-based competencies, high-quality collaboration and teaming, transition, adapting curriculum, inclusion practices) |
|
SPRT 03 - 07 |
Nature of training and supports that teachers/home visitors receive: (e.g. group face-to-face training, online training, practice-or observation-based coaching in the classroom, mentoring, individual support, workshop, ongoing series, iPD (learning management system)) |
|
SPRT 01 - 07 |
External supports that DSCs use (e.g., MyPeers, TA centers, ECLKC, ECTA, Networking) |
|
PDV 05 |
DSC collaborates with service providers and families (e.g., share ideas during IFSP meetings, ongoing assessments) |
|
PDV 01, 02, 03 DSCB 03 |
What training and supports do DSCs receive? |
|
PDV 01, 05 |
Research Question 6b: What supports do DSCs provide to EHS/HS staff (e.g., teachers, home visitors) to individualize practices for children with disabilities?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Supports DSCs provide to EHS/HS staff in person or from a distance
|
Classroom observation and feedback on instructional practices; |
SPRT 01 - 04 RSEA 16
|
Accessibility planning and implementation; |
SPRT 04 RSEA 16 |
|
Provide tools and processes to support family engagement in disability services (e.g. routines based interviewing, co-planning in the classroom). |
DSCR 14 SPRT 02, 03, 04
|
|
Support identification and implementation of evidence-based practices. |
DSCR 14 |
Research Question 6c: What strategies do DSCs provide to other EHS/HS staff to support the full inclusion of children with disabilities in the classroom?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
Section and Item Number |
Strategies DSCs use to support staff’s delivery of IDEA services within classroom or other natural environments
|
Do children receive LEA services in the HS setting? |
SVCS 01, 02 RSEA 16 |
Where do children receive services (natural environment, pulled out, one-on-one)? |
SVCS 01, 02 RSEA 16 |
|
Supports DSC provides to staff to improve their capacities to build classroom culture of inclusion |
Collaboration with families |
SPRT 02, 03, 04 |
Materials and equipment, including assistive technology |
DSCR 12,13, 14 |
|
Hiring additional support staff and flexible staffing |
PROG 12, 13 |
|
Strategies DSCs use to build support for inclusion among families, staff, children |
Sharing information about the benefits of inclusion |
DSCB 04 DSCR 13, 14 SPRT 04, 08 |
Research Question 7a: How do EHS programs engage with HS programs and families to facilitate successful transitions to HS or PreK for children with disabilities?
Construct |
Sub-Constructs |
Section and Item Number |
EHS -> HS or PREK: Early educators partnering with families of children with disabilities
|
Coordinate program visitation - family visits |
TRANS 04 |
Facilitate parent support groups |
TRANS 05 |
|
Support family participation in transition meetings including IEP meetings |
TRANS 03, 05 |
|
Provide transition workshops |
TRANS 05 |
|
Support transition planning including eligibility assessment as children move from Part C to Part B
|
|
DSCR 15
|
EHS -> HS or PREK: Implementing program policies and practices to facilitate successful transitions for children with disabilities |
Provide dedicated personnel |
TRANS 04, 08 |
EHS -> HS or PREK: Working with early education partners |
Continuity across programs |
TRANS 04, 08 |
Alignment of program policies |
TRANS 04, 08 |
|
Staff Visits |
TRANS 04 |
|
Sharing of Information including (with permission from parents) assessment and screening results |
TRANS 04, 05 |
Research Question 7b: How do HS programs engage with LEAs and families to facilitate successful transitions to kindergarten?
Construct |
Sub-Construct |
|
HS->K Early educators partnering with families of children with disabilities
|
Coordinate program visitation – family visits |
TRANS 11 |
Facilitate parent support groups |
TRANS 12 |
|
Support family participation in transition meetings including IEP meetings |
TRANS 10, 12 |
|
Provide transition workshops |
TRANS 12 |
|
HS->K Implementing program policies and practices to facilitate successful transitions for children with disabilities |
Provide dedicated personnel |
TRANS 11, 15 |
HS -> K Working with early education partners: |
Continuity across programs |
TRANS 11, 15 |
Alignment of program policies |
TRANS 11, 15 |
|
Staff visits |
TRANS 11 |
|
Sharing of information, including (with permission from parents) assessment and screening results |
TRANS 11, 12 |
File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
Author | Carol Hafford |
File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
File Created | 2022-03-24 |