Project Description:
Indiana University will assist the State First Steps Office in conducting its annual review and periodic verifications of individual children and service files to ensure all SPOEs and provider agencies are following state and federal standards and state requirements. In partnership with the State First Steps Office, the EIHub, the nine SPOEs, and the Provider Agencies, Indiana University will conduct a review of individual child and family files, including a sample of Exit Surveys and Provider Agency documentation, to assess overall compliance with state and federal compliance indicators as well as family assessment completion and high quality outcomes:
• Indicator 1-timely services within 30 days;
• Indicators 3 and 4, child and family outcomes;
• Indicator 7- 45-day timeline for initial IFSP development; and
• Indicators 8A and 8C- Transition planning and steps that occur at least 90 days prior to the child's third birthday;
• Timely notice requirements;
• Accurate documentation and calculation of family income eligibility requirements and;
• Accurate documentation of family insurance.
Once the First Steps Office and EI Hub (PCG) have generated the data sample for the Quality Review process and shared this with the SPOEs, Indiana University will work with each SPOE to gain virtual access to all child/family files to complete their investigation. Once the file reviews are completed, the information will be analyzed and used to complete the necessary annual reports (see below). IU staff will coordinate quarterly meetings with the State First Steps Office to address activities related to federal reporting requirements for the SPP/APR.
Indiana University will work with the State First Steps Office to compile the data and analyses from the file reviews and develop an annual report of findings for the State Office to disseminate to the SPOEs, provider agencies, and their LPCCs. The annual report will highlight areas of strength along with areas needing improvement and/or follow-up. In addition, Indiana University will assist in completing a final draft of Indiana's federal APR for the First Steps Office review and final submission.
Indiana University will implement data reporting and program improvement planning tool using Excel to provide annual data reports. This electronic file tool will be modeled after the RDA Planning Tool used by IDOE and their Office of Special Education in sharing federal indicator data with individual school districts. This electronic tool would be available for data reporting in future fiscal years.
Indiana University will work in conjunction with First Steps professional development efforts to analyze and report on their impact on the SSIP. As part of the Quality Review Coordination component, Indiana University will:
• Collect progress and ongoing evaluation on current professional development efforts, specifically implementation of the Family Guided Routines Based Intervention model; and
• assist the State First Steps Office in preparation of the annual SSIP that is submitted to the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Indiana University will work with the FGRBI professional development team, including Florida State University and associated Indiana University Staff, to collect ongoing progress monitoring data in rolling out the FGRBI model. This progress data will be incorporated into the draft of an SSIP report that follows federal reporting guidelines.
