Results Matter Nebraska

• Results Matter in NE uses observational tools to measure program quality.
• Results Matter in NE calls for program outcome assessments that:
  • are reliable and valid;
  • measure multiple dimensions of the environment;
  • are research based and consistently show a relationship between program quality and child outcomes;
  • reflect evidence-based practices;
  • are inclusive of culture, race and ability;
  • inform decisions for continuous program quality improvement; and,
  • support teachers, children and families.

The Environment Rating Scales (ERS) are observational tools designed to measure the child’s experience in the program and how interacting with the environments has a direct effect on student development. Each tool is organized into subscales with multiple items in each subscale.

• Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (ECERS-3): 6 subscales and 35 items.
• Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (ITERS-3): 6 subscales and 33 items.
• Upcoming ERS training flyer

Classroom Assessment Scoring Systems (CLASS) are observational tools designed to measure the quality of interactions between teachers and students and how the interactions impact student learning. Each tool is organized into domains with multiple dimensions in each domain.

• CLASS Infant: 1 domain and 4 dimensions within the domain.
  • Relational Climate (Relational behaviors, Emotion expression, Respect for infants’ state, Lack of adult negativity).
  • Teacher Sensitivity (Awareness and cue detection, Responsiveness, Infant comfort).
  • Facilitated Exploration (Involvement, Infant focused, Expansion of infants’ experience).
  • Early Language Support (Teacher talk, Communication support, Communication extension).
• CLASS Pre-K-3^rd: 3 domains and 10 dimensions within the domains.
  • Emotional Support (Positive climate, Negative climate, Educator sensitivity, Regard for child perspectives).
  • Classroom Organization (Behavior management, Productivity, Instructional learning formats).
  • Instructional Support (Concept Development, Quality of feedback, Language modeling).
• CLASS Toddler: 2 domains and 8 dimensions within the domains.
  • Emotional and Behavioral Support (Positive climate, Negative climate, Teacher sensitivity, Regard for child perspectives, Behavior guidance).
  • Engaged Support for Learning (Facilitation of learning and development, Quality of feedback, Language modeling).
• Upcoming CLASS training flyer

Home Visit Rating Scales (HOVRS3): The HOVRS is an observation measure that evaluates the effectiveness of the home visit, e.g., responsiveness to the family.

The NDE Office of Early Childhood defines a quality standard score for ITERS-3 and ECERS-3 as 5 in each subscale and total program score. A quality standard score for CLASS has not yet been established.

Infant & Toddler

Center-Based (Sixpence): A Munroe Meyer Institute evaluator will complete the ITERS-3 for every new program and debrief with the program. Sixpence will pay associated costs. All other classrooms will participate in CLASS.

Center-Based (not Sixpence): An observer trained to the NDE approval standards will complete an observation of the classroom(s) as assigned by the NDE Office of Early Childhood using the ITERS-3, CLASS-Infant or CLASS-Toddler. The NDE will pay associated costs.

Home-Based (Sixpence): The Home Visit Rating Scales (HOVRS) is an observational measure that evaluates the effectiveness of the home visit, e.g., responsiveness to the family. All home visitors from each program will have a home visit videotaped for evaluation. The program will make a 30 minute video of a home visit session that includes planning with the parent and other typical home visit activities and submit to the program evaluator. Sixpence will pay associated costs.

Preschool
An observer trained to the NDE approval standards will complete an observation of the classroom(s) as assigned by the NDE Office of Early Childhood using the ECERS-3 or CLASS Pre-K-3. The NDE will pay the costs associated with the observations.

Fall observations will be scheduled starting mid-September and will be completed by early December. Spring observations will be scheduled starting mid-February and will be completed by early May.

• The classroom teacher and district identified Early Childhood contact and/or superintendent will receive a notification via email from the NDE.  
• Districts and ESUs that will be observed in the fall will receive email notification in August and those that will be observed in the spring will receive email notification in January.
• The observation notification email will specify if the program will be observed using the ECERS-3 or if the program may choose between an ECERS-3 or CLASS observation.

• Observers are persons across the state with an early childhood background who have achieved Nebraska Approval. The observers are currently working in or with early childhood programs.
• Observers re-establish Nebraska Approval every six months, or every ten observations, whichever comes first.

• Districts should assure that classroom teachers and other appropriate staff have a basic understanding of the observation criteria and scoring process. It is recommended that staff attend a training on the observation tool that will be used for the observation. Training is available at sites across the state and can be found on the Nebraska Early Childhood Training Calendar.
• The purpose of the observation is to see what a “typical” program day in the classroom looks like. Teachers should not plan special activities or a field trip for the day of the observation.
• All district and ESU preschool center-based programs are expected to have child choice at least one-third (1/3) of the scheduled program time.

• The observer arrives at the scheduled time and observes for a minimum of 3 hours (ERS) or 2 hours (CLASS).
• Observers are not part of the classroom supervision and do not interact with children or staff.

• The observer completes the scoring.
• The observer writes a summary report.
• The summary report and original score sheets are returned to the NDE or Sixpence.
• Summary reports and score sheets are reviewed by the NDE Office of Early Childhood and/or Sixpence staff.
• The NDE and/or Sixpence staff will share information with the program.
  • The NDE staff will make every effort to provide preliminary feedback to the program within 3 business days of the observation. A meeting may be scheduled for an in-depth conversation.
  • Sixpence staff will schedule with programs individually.

• The NDE will schedule and conduct training that provides an introduction and a closer look at the ERS virtually and at locations throughout the state. The cost to attend training is the responsibility of the district or ESU. Visit the NECPRS training calendar to find and register for upcoming ERS training.
• If you are interested in attending a Practice Using the Environment Rating Scale training, please complete our training request form.
• ECERS-3 Additional Notes provide clarification for various items in ECERS-3
• Free supplementary materials are available from the authors of the ERS tool and include table washing procedures, hand washing procedures, playground guidelines and USDA meal guidelines.

The NDE will schedule and conduct training that provides an Introduction to the CLASS virtually and at locations throughout the state. The cost to attend training is the responsibility of the district or ESU. Training for Observation (Reliability) will also be available. Visit the NECPRS training calendar to find and register for CLASS training. An introduction is also available online through Teachstone.

Whole Body Classroom Series

The Whole Body Classroom Series is a 3-part training that focuses on building a classroom community, environmental structures, applying developmental theory (such as Bloom & Maslow), and sustaining teacher self-care. Participants must attend all training dates in the series to receive credit. Find and register for this series on the NECPRS training calendar.

Opportunities for early childhood professional development are included in the Preschool Post e-newsletter. Check out some of our past issues and subscribe!

The Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System (NECPRS) is a free system that allows users to learn about and register for professional development opportunities, organize all their professional development records, and grow their professional resume.  

The following pricing is available to any Nebraska GOLD programs (e.g.: districts, Head Starts, Sixpence) under the NDE GOLD organization.

If you have any questions regarding your GOLD renewal, please contact Renewals@TeachingStrategies.com or complete the form at Renew your GOLD Subscription – Teaching Strategies.

If your program is using Teaching Strategies GOLD and would like to participate under the NDE GOLD organization and access the NDE profile cost, please contact tsgold@nebraskacloud.org for more information.

• All children from 6 months to kindergarten entrance enrolled in any program provided by a district or ESU, or in partnership with another entity must be included.
• School districts are responsible for ensuring that all eligible children, as described above, are included in SmartTeach. Children under the purview of a school district must be assigned an ADVISER ID, and that ADVISER ID must be entered into the child’s GOLD profile in the ADVISER ID/NSSRS# field. 

• The district-designated GOLD Administrator is responsible for overseeing the district’s or ESU’s implementation of GOLD, including data entry, reporting, user management, and information updates. At least one GOLD Administrator must be a district employee. Districts may also designate an ESU or Cooperative staff member or a Head Start manager to serve as a GOLD Administrator.
• The GOLD Administrator is the district’s official contact for all Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) communications related to GOLD. Districts may also assign separate staff to manage specific functions, such as child portfolio transfers and child outcomes data validation for OSEP reporting.
• To support ongoing implementation, GOLD Administrators should refer to the Nebraska GOLD Administrator Annual Planning Guide, which outlines required tasks throughout the year.
• For district and Early Head Start/Head Start partnership programs:
  • Both the district and the Early Head Start/Head Start program must have a designated GOLD Administrator.
  • At the beginning of each school year, the district and Early Head Start/Head Start administrators should establish an agreement regarding user roles, team member access, and funding source administrator access.
  • Funding source administrator access allows partner programs to share child-level data and must be approved through the Nebraska Department of Education. To request access, contact tsgold@nebraskacloud.org. Additional information is available in the GOLD Support Portal.
  • Districts and partner programs are encouraged to use the GOLD Partnership Agreement Template to document roles and responsibilities.

• Either the district, ESU or the Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) program may hold the child profile.
• If the EHS/HS program holds the online child profile, the district and EHS/HS program staff must identify and document in their Partnership Agreement:
  • Who will be responsible for entering child demographics on the child profile page
  • Who will be responsible for scoring
  • Who will be assigned as Team Members
• Each child is only permitted one GOLD profile. The duplicate profile prevention setting will not allow a duplicate profile to be created. If an error message occurs when creating a child profile, begin by reaching out to the prior district the child attended. If this information is unknown, contact tsgold@nebraskacloud.org.
• If a child age 6 months to 3rd birthday is placed in foster care in a district other than the resident school district, the child’s GOLD profile will be established by the foster or service district/program.
  • The resident district should be marked on the child profile as the district of record.
  • If the child has an existing profile, it should be transferred to the foster district and the resident district should remain the district of record.
• If a child age 3 to 5 years is placed in foster care in a district other than the resident school district, the child’s GOLD profile will be established and maintained by the resident district until such time as the court, or other authorized official, decides that it is in the child’s best interest to receive his/her educational services in either the foster district or other specified program.
  • The resident district should be marked on the child profile as the district of record.
  • If the child has an existing profile, it should be transferred to the foster district or other specified program only if a change in educational service location has been determined necessary by the court or other authorized official.

• Once data is entered into an online system, data is secure within the system. It is accessible only by those individuals authorized by the district to receive a user ID and password for the district’s online account.
• The NDE has administrative access to all Results Matter accounts in Nebraska. Only authorized personnel from the NDE with an assigned user ID and password have access to the Results Matter online systems. This allows for immediate problem-solving and checking on the status of online accounts at any time.
• OSEP does not have access to the NDE Results Matter online data, and no individual child or district data is submitted to OSEP.

No! Every individual accessing a GOLD user profile is required to have an individual username and password.

• If the EHS/HS program is using COR instead of GOLD, both the district and the EHS/ HS must enter child scores in each system. District and EHS/HS program staff are responsible for identifying ways to share documentation to inform the assessment of each program and avoid duplicated effort.
• If the district and the EHS/HS program staff collaborate and collect assessment data together using GOLD, the district or ESU and the EHS/HS programs must determine at the beginning of the year who will finalize checkpoints.
  • The program designated to finalize checkpoints, as outlined in the partnership agreement, will hold the child’s GOLD profile.
  • The other program should be granted team member access by the NDE to also provide documentation to the child’s profile. Contact tsgold@nebraskacloud.org for team member access.
  • Both programs may utilize the Funding Source Administrator function to share finalized child level data among the two programs. This function must be activated by contacting the NDE. Contact tsgold@nebraskacloud.org. Refer to the Support Portal in GOLD for more information on Funding Source Administrator access.

• A drop-down on the child’s profile page in GOLD contains the names of all Head Start agencies using GOLD in Nebraska. The Head Start agency names appear in the same way as the current drop-down with school district names.
• Only the Head Start “umbrella” name is listed in the drop-down menu, not town names. Each Head Start is able to pull Head Start child data as needed and appropriate – agency-wide, by program, by site, by teacher/class.
• Teachers select the appropriate Head Start name in the Head Start drop-down, just like they do in the school district drop-down. This will help clean up data errors and allow child data to be more easily pulled into appropriate reports for children served by school districts only, Head Start only, or children served both by Head Start and a school district.
• The drop-down menu allows Head Start agencies to see/have access to child data for all children who are funded or served by Head Start. Children who are served by both Head Start and school districts in a blended program, or in Head Start for a child with an IFSP or IEP, are flagged with both a Head Start agency name and school district name in the drop-down menus.
  • Please note the Custom Questions, School District drop-down box is specific to children on an IFSP/IEP. This box is used to designate which school district is responsible for reporting the child’s data to OSEP.

• Staff from both the district or ESU and the EHS/HS program will decide, and document in their partnership agreement, who will enter the documentation and finalize checkpoints.
  • The program not responsible for documentation and finalized checkpoints should still gain team member access to add documentation when they are serving the child as well. Contact the NDE to gain team member access at tsgold@nebraskacloud.org
• The district is accountable for meeting all the NDE Results Matter requirements.

• If a child receives early intervention or special education services, the district may choose to reimburse the EHS/HS agency for the subscription cost, or the district may choose to pay the subscription cost directly to the publisher.
• If children are enrolled in both an EHS/HS and a district early childhood program, the district may choose to reimburse the EHS/HS agency for the subscription cost, or the district may choose to pay the subscription cost directly to the publisher.
• For all children enrolled in a district early childhood program, the district pays the subscription cost directly to the publisher.

• Children under the purview of a school district are required to have an ADVISER ID number entered into their child profile.
  • This 10-digit number is listed as NDE student ID in ADVISER and is required by the NDE for all districts and all children birth to kindergarten entrance served by the district.
  • DO NOT use the Special Education SRS number.
• For a child 6 months to 3rd birthday, receiving early intervention services: Mark ‘IFSP’ for the question, “Does the child receive additional educational services?” The date the child will begin to receive early intervention services is the date of the initial IFSP.  The provider then has 45 calendar days to enter documentation and finalize checkpoints in the same checkpoint period as the child’s entry date.
• For a child 3 years to kindergarten entrance, receiving early intervention/special education services:  Mark ‘IEP’ for the question, “Does the child receive additional educational services?”
• For any child receiving early intervention or preschool special education services:
  The question “Does the child receive additional educational services?” must be completed in the child profile for the child’s data to be included in required state and federal reporting.

What date should be entered for “What date will this child begin to receive IFSP/IEP services?”
For children ages 6–36 months (Early Intervention/Part C):

• • Enter the date of the child’s initial IFSP meeting as the service start date.
  • If the child is not yet 6 months old, enter the date the child turns 6 months old.

Entry checkpoints, including supporting documentation, must be finalized within 45 calendar days of the date entered in the child profile. Documentation and finalized checkpoint ratings must occur within the same checkpoint period as the child’s entry date.

For children ages 3–5 years (Preschool Special Education/Part B)
If the child received early intervention services before age 3 and continues services after the third birthday:

• • Enter the day after the child’s third birthday as the IEP service start date.
  • This date must occur within the same checkpoint period as the child’s Part C exit date.
  • When completed correctly, finalized Part C exit data serves as the child’s Part B preschool special education entry data.

If the child begins preschool special education services after age 3:

• • Enter the initial IEP date or the first date services begin.

Entry checkpoints, including supporting documentation, must be finalized within 45 calendar days of the date entered in the child profile. Documentation and finalized checkpoint ratings must occur within the same checkpoint period as the child’s entry date.

• Funding sources: Mark all that apply to each child. This allows reporting by program funding source.
  • Mark migrant funding ONLY for children in Migrant Projects supported by the NDE.
• Head Start name: Click on the Head Start agency where the child is enrolled, if applicable.
• Custom Questions, School District field: This drop down box is required for all children receiving early intervention or preschool special education services.
• Language:
  • For children who do not use spoken language, use the primary language of the family.
  • For children who do use spoken language, use the primary language of the child.

For all children, this is the first date of attendance or home visit in any district or ESU early childhood program.

The initial GOLD assessment begins when the child is 6 months old.

• Do not adjust the child’s age for prematurity.
• If a child is absent for 30 days or more for any reason, archive the child’s data and reactivate when/if the child returns.

A child’s GOLD entry data must be finalized within the checkpoint period in which the child begins receiving early intervention or special education services. Children must be at least 6 months old before GOLD child outcomes data can be entered.

Programs may use information gathered during the evaluation and assessment process (e.g., Routine-Based Interview [RBI], DAYC-2, classroom, child care, or home observations) to support entry checkpoint ratings. To be considered valid in SmartTeach, supporting documentation must be entered after the service start date listed in the child’s profile.

Children receiving early intervention services must have Part C exit data completed on or before the child’s third birthday. If the child continues into preschool special education services after age three, the Part C exit data becomes the preschool special education entry data.

What if the child begins services near the end of a checkpoint period?

Programs still have up to 45 calendar days from the child’s service start date to finalize entry data, even if that extends beyond the checkpoint closing date.

Example:
If a child begins services on January 15:

• Data collection may continue for 45 calendar days after January 15.
• Even if the winter checkpoint closes on February 14, the child’s entry data must still be finalized in the winter checkpoint period.

In some situations, GOLD may automatically assign the child to the next checkpoint period. If this occurs, the checkpoint period must be manually changed so the entry data is finalized in the correct checkpoint.

For additional support regarding early intervention or special education entry and exit data requirements, contact the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Special Education at TSgold@nebraskacloud.org.

Finalized fall and spring checkpoint periods are required, with the additional requirements listed below. For children beginning or ending early intervention services or special education services during the winter checkpoint period, winter checkpoints must be finalized to ensure OSEP data collection.

For children ages 6 months to 3rd birthday:

• For children ages 6 months to 3rd birthday, who are not receiving early intervention services, and are enrolled in home AND center-based programs, or center-based programs only:
  • Two GOLD checkpoints required: fall and spring each year
  • It is encouraged and considered best practice for programs to complete three GOLD checkpoints (fall, winter, and spring each year) to aid in the use of data for individual child progress and planning
• For children ages 6 months to 3rd birthday, who are receiving early intervention services, and enrolled in a center-based program
  • Two GOLD checkpoints required: fall and spring each year
• For children ages 6 months to 3rd  birthday, who are receiving early intervention services in home-based programs only:
  • Two GOLD checkpoints required: at early intervention services entry and exit on or before the child’s 3rd birthday or when the child is no longer receiving services
• Early Head Start programs, programs with Early Head Start partnerships or early childhood programs that utilize Title I funding, regardless of location, are required to follow Head Start Performance Standards for checkpoints (children with and without IFSPs).
• Year-round, center-based Early Head Start programs, regardless of location, are required to follow Head Start Program Performance Standards (children with and without IFSPs):
  • Four GOLD checkpoints required: fall, winter, spring, and summer each year.

For children ages 3 – 5 years:

• All programs (i.e., district preschools, special education, community childcare programs) at a minimum:
  • Two GOLD checkpoints required: fall and spring each year
  • It is encouraged and considered best practice for programs to complete three GOLD checkpoints (fall, winter, and spring each year) to aid in the use of data for individual child progress and planning
• Head Start programs or programs with Head Start partnerships, regardless of location, are required to follow Head Start Program Performance Standards (children with and without IEPs):
  • Three GOLD checkpoints required: fall, winter and spring each year
• Year-round, center-based Head Start programs, regardless of location, are required to follow Head Start Program Performance Standards (children with and without IEPs):
  • Four GOLD checkpoints required: fall, winter, spring, and summer each year

For children enrolled in a program less than 45 calendar days:

For children receiving early intervention or preschool special education services, the entry checkpoint is required within 45 days of initial IFSP/IEP. For additional information, refer to #15. For all other instances of a child who is not receiving early intervention or preschool special education services and has been enrolled in a program less than 45 calendar days, they will have finalized data in the next required checkpoint period.

• Fall: August 1 – October 31
• Winter: November 1 – February 15
• Spring: February 16 – May 31
• Summer: June 1 – July 31 [12-month programs only]

For all children, six months through kindergarten entry, documentation must be entered and checkpoints finalized for Objectives 1–23, including the Self-Care dimension (Objective 1c1–1c4).

Objectives 1–23 measure children’s progress in the following areas of development and learning:

• Social-Emotional
• Physical
• Language
• Cognitive
• Literacy
• Mathematics

For children ages 3-5, Objectives 37 and 38 (English Language Acquisition) must also be completed when indicated by the results of the GOLD Home Language Survey.

Refer to Question #27 for examples of acceptable documentation.

Objectives 24–36 are required only for children enrolled in Head Start, Head Start Collaboration programs, and Title I-funded early childhood programs. These objectives address:

• Science and Technology
• Social Studies
• The Arts

For infants, toddlers and two’s:

• The color band is automatically assigned by date of birth when the child’s birthday is entered on the profile. The color band should automatically change on the child’s birthday.
• The color band should be checked and the child’s profile updated if the color band did not change automatically.

For children ages 3 – 5 years:
The teacher assigns a color band according to the chronological age of the child and the number of years away from kindergarten at the beginning of the program/school year:

• Preschool 3 (green) color band – A child who has two years before attending kindergarten
• Pre-K 4 (blue) color band – A child who has one year before attending kindergarten
• Children with IEPs: Color bands apply to all children with IEPs, regardless of the level of a child’s delay.

For children 6 months to 3rd birthday:

• Color bands automatically update on the child’s birthday

For children 3 – 5 years:

• The color band must be updated at the beginning of the program/school year and remains the same the entire year.

When a child has been assigned the wrong color band, follow these steps to change it:

• Go to the child’s profile page and click the pencil icon in the right hand corner to edit
• Under Class Details, make sure the correct Age/Grade is chosen for the child
• Under Checkpoint Period Settings, confirm the correct Age/Grade is chosen for the child
• If you made any changes, select Save

Yes! Checkpoints may be scored in any of the color bands based on the child’s documented skills and abilities during that checkpoint period.

• Step 1: Observe, gain information and document children’s learning during daily routines and activities;
• Step 2: Analyze your documentation and respond by providing the right strategy, material or support to scaffold the child’s learning;
• Step 3: Evaluate the child’s progress and decide what level each child has reached in terms of the objectives, based on the documentation you have collected; and
• Step 4: Summarize, plan and communicate to others. Summarize what you know, basing plans for individual children or groups of children on that knowledge, and communicate with families and administrators what children are learning, and what progress they have made.

Refer to the GOLD Teacher Annual Planning Guide on a regular basis to ensure all tasks are completed during the appropriate timeframe.

Attend GOLD trainings. Visit the NECPRS Early Childhood training calendar to find and register for training.

• In order to rate a child’s skills or behaviors at a particular level, the child must be able to do them consistently and independently across settings over time. If not, the skill or behavior should be rated at an “in-between” level (i.e., 1, 3, 5). The child may also need a certain amount of adult support, which may be verbal, physical or visual, which would result in an “in-between” level.
• Indicators often include multiple expectations that are separated by a semicolon. All expectations must be met in order for the indicator to be achieved. The child must demonstrate skills related to all components included in the indicator.

• “Not Yet” indicates that a child of that age is not yet expected to demonstrate a particular skill or behavior. Sometimes a skill does not begin to develop until a child is two years old, and another skill may not emerge until age 3 or 4. “Not Yet” applies only to a child who is not yet demonstrating a particular skill or behavior.
• “Not Observed”: do NOT use this option. If a child has excessive absences, their profile should be archived and re-activated upon their return.
• “Not Yet” and “Not Observed” should not be used for children simply because they are new to the program.

• Yes! GOLD is an authentic assessment system based on ongoing observation of children engaged in real activities, as documented or reported by family members and other people they spend time with, across a variety of settings. Supporting documentation is based on multiple sources and methods of documenting children’s learning and development. It captures the child’s context, i.e. the people and materials they know, those environments that are familiar to them, and any necessary strategies.
• An organized system of documenting observations should be used to achieve the following three essential components:
  • collect facts from ongoing observation and family/caregiver;
  • analyze and evaluate the collected facts to get a picture of the child’s development; and,
  • use what is learned to plan for both individual and group interests and needs.
• Regularly recording child observations to support numerical scores is a required teacher activity. Observations should be gathered throughout daily routines and activities. This is in contrast to focusing attention only on whether the child has reached a particular learning goal or archived items on a checklist.

• Examples of supporting documentation based on observation include but are not limited to: anecdotal notes, photographs, video and audio recordings, work samples, portfolios, parent reports, charts, graphs, IFSP and IEP reviews, home visit notes, dictation, data collection forms, child notebooks and folders.
• The SmartTeach mobile app is a valuable tool for collecting and uploading documentation, as well as communicating with families. The app is available in both the Apple App store and the Google Play store as a free download.
• On-the-Spot Documentation Tools
  Teaching Strategies GOLD includes printable and digital tools for collecting observations during daily activities.
  To access these tools:

1. 1. Select the Assess tab.
   2. Choose Digital Forms.
   3. Select On-the-Spot Paper Form to download and print a recording form.

Additional digital forms are also available for documenting:

• • Alphabet Concepts
  • Number Concepts
  • Shapes

Online Documentation is required for the Fall and Spring Checkpoints. If a program is required to finalize the Winter Checkpoint, documentation does not have to be online but must be stored in such a way that it is accessible when requested by families, district administration or the NDE staff.

• Any child with IFSP or IEP entry/exit data collected during the winter checkpoint MUST enter all supporting documentation online.
• Refer to Question #16 to determine what checkpoints are required for each school district.

There is no set number of observations or amount of documentation that must be collected in relation to each objective. For some objectives, seeing a child perform a skill once is sufficient to make an informed decision. Other objectives need more evidence and documentation.

• Anecdotal notes should include observed or reported facts, not subjective information.
• Anecdotes are short written records of observations. Begin the anecdote with information to set the scene. For the middle, jot down brief and specific information about what the child did or said. To complete the anecdote, consider whether the observation has an ending or outcome. Keep in mind that all anecdotal notes become part of the legal record of the child and are subject to subpoena in court cases.

Ongoing data collection is required to provide:

• continuous child progress monitoring;
• appropriate program planning for individual children and groups of children;
• a data-based method for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional approaches;
• systematic decision-making to allow early and effective responses to children’s learning;
• current information for parent conferences, transition meetings, IEP/IFSP meetings and others; and,
• classroom, program and district data for program administrators and other stakeholders to guide decision-making for improving child and program outcomes.

District GOLD Administrators.

GOLD Administrators are responsible for:

• Ensuring all staff are adequately trained and mentored in ongoing data collection and entering and scoring child observations.
• Verifying that documentation is being collected and required checkpoints are being finalized for all users.
• Ensuring that the GOLD Interrater Reliability (IRR) for teachers who have used GOLD for at least one year or are due for re-certification is completed. Teachers must complete IRR certification or recertification by December 31. Staff completing their IRR certification: refer to items #34-38 for detailed information about the IRR certification.
• All staff new to GOLD must complete the GOLD online Professional Development module Power of GOLD by September 30th. The Power of GOLD can be found in the develop tab in your GOLD user profile. It is a free, self-paced course that takes about two hours to complete.

GOLD Administrators should:

• Refer to the Nebraska GOLD Administrator Annual Planning Guide on a regular basis to ensure all tasks are completed during the appropriate timeframe.
• Attend GOLD trainings. Visit the NECPRS Early Childhood training calendar to find and register for training.

• Primary Teachers or Co-Teachers can add documentation, enter preliminary levels, and enter, edit and finalize checkpoints
• Early Intervention Providers for children with IFSPs or IEPs and Sixpence programs can add documentation, family/caregiver reports, enter preliminary levels, and enter, edit and finalize checkpoints. 
• Assistant Teachers can add documentation and enter preliminary levels
• Team Members can add documentation and enter preliminary levels. Team Members are typically specialists (i.e., speech pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, etc.) who require access to a specific caseload of children instead of the entire class. Note: Team Members have limited access to SmartTeach^®, and should only be added if you are using GOLD, since their primary purpose is to add documentation for the children in their caseload. 
  • To add a team member outside of your program, contact: tsgold@nebraskacloud.org
• Refer to the GOLD Teacher Annual Planning Guide on a regular basis to ensure all tasks are completed during the appropriate timeframe. 

• IRR Certification is required to be completed online by each teacher/practitioner responsible for scoring child observations and documentation in GOLD for children birth to age five.
• GOLD will NOT send notification emails to users when IRR is due for renewal.
  • Once completed, teachers/practitioners must reestablish IRR certification at least every three years. Districts may require more frequent certification.
• IRR is not required for teachers/practitioners new to GOLD in the current school year. One year of GOLD experience is necessary prior to completing IRR Certification.
• The NDE requires that Individual Inter-rater Reliability (IRR) be completed by December 31 of each school year. Districts may establish an earlier completion date.
• The IRR test information is tied to each user’s profile. GOLD Administrators are responsible for ensuring that the IRR for teachers/practitioners who have used GOLD for at least one year or are due for re-certification is completed by December 31st. See the support article for additional directions on generating the IRR Progress By Group Report in Quorum.
• There is no cost for the IRR. It is provided as part of each district or Head Start GOLD subscription.

• Teachers/practitioners are required to complete the IRR that accurately reflects the age group/s of the children: Preschool/Pre-K/Transitional Kindergarten or IT2 (Infants, Toddlers, and Twos)
• Teachers/practitioners working with children birth – 5 years are required to complete certification for both age groups: Preschool/Pre-K/Transitional Kindergarten AND IT2 (Infants, Toddlers, and Twos).

• It takes an average of three hours to complete one age group. For teachers/providers who work across two age groups (Birth to 2 and 3 to 5), six hours should be allowed for completion. The IRR does not need to be completed at one time.
• There are no time limits when taking the IRR. As much time as needed may be taken.
• A score of at least 80 percent is required in order to attain certification. If a score in a particular area of development/learning is less than 80% (i.e. social-emotional), then only that area is required to be retaken, not the entire IRR. If an area needs to be re-taken, a new child portfolio for a different child will be scored.

MyTeaching Strategies GOLD™ provides detailed IRR instructions and resources online. GOLD online administrators, teachers and providers can download this guidance by clicking on the Support Portal (question mark button in GOLD located at top right corner) to link to the resource Completing the Interrater Reliability Certification Experience in Quorum.

Each individual will:

• Go to MyTeaching Strategies™ Dashboard and click on the Develop tab.
• This will open a new window
• On the right side, choose “View IRR Options”
• Select the appropriate certification by choosing “New Test”
• Complete each of the Modules in the Pre-Test Prep before the IRR test is available

A child may not have more than one GOLD profile. To transfer a child’s profile, complete the Child Transfer Form.

Individual teacher lesson plans are tied to the class and stay if the class stays.

Documentation stays in the child’s profile.  If the child profile is being transferred or is archived, the documentation will stay with the child’s profile. If for some reason the child profile needs to be deleted (i.e., due to a duplicate profile), to keep record of the documentation if a hard copy is needed, print the individual child’s documentation before deleting the profile.

Child profiles are archived:

• When the child profile has been OSEP-exited, and is not continuing in a program required to use GOLD.
• When the child temporarily leaves the program
• When the child profile has been OSEP-exited and GOLD data collection is not required for another program

Please retain GOLD data for seven years after the child is no longer in the program/receiving early intervention or preschool special education services to ensure data retention policies are followed. To keep data longer, export to an excel spreadsheet and save. The data will then be available for maintaining a longitudinal database, running trend data across time, looking for patterns in the data, verifying improved child outcomes over time, etc..

Archiving child data allows the district, ESU, and the NDE to run multi-year analyses on child progress and outcomes to better assess the effectiveness of the early childhood program over time. Seeing trends over time allows for effective decision making at the district and state levels.

• Archived child data may be deleted for children who exited in 2019-20 or prior years.
• Deleted records are saved in GOLD for 90 days. If accidentally deleted, child data can be restored within 90 days. After 90 days, the data is permanently deleted.
• There are very few circumstances when a child profile needs to be deleted. If a child profile does need to be deleted, please allow only your GOLD Administrator to complete this task. If there is a question about whether a child profile should be deleted, please email TSGOLD@nebraskacloud.org.

Profiles for users who leave a district must be ‘Disabled’ so the user no longer has access to the district online account. This action maintains all child information.

To use GOLD outcome data, there are various reports available in the report tab. These reports can be customized according to the data you would like to use. Please note however that the GOLD data isn’t locked. Any reports that programs need should be generated and externally saved to capture the data at a specific time and date.

Teachers can use the data to drive planning and instruction and improve the learning environment to meet the needs of each individual student. Teachers can use the GOLD Teacher Annual Planning Guide guide to identify which reports could be utilized throughout the year.

Administrators, see the Nebraska GOLD Administrator Annual Planning Guide for more information on using GOLD reports to analyze outcomes data. 

For children receiving IDEA services, the entry date in the GOLD child profile identifies when the child began receiving early intervention or preschool special education services.

Children receiving Early Development Network (EDN) services (ages 6 months to 36 months):

• Select Yes for IFSP on the child’s GOLD child profile.
• Enter the child’s IFSP meeting date as the date the child will begin to receive early intervention services.

Children receiving preschool special education services (ages 3–5):

• Select Yes for IEP on the child’s GOLD child profile.
• Enter the appropriate IEP service start date as the date the child will begin to receive special education services.

Children continuing to receive early intervention services after age three under Nebraska Rule 52:

• The child must be OSEP exited from Part C on or before the child’s third birthday.
• Select Yes for IEP on the child’s GOLD child profile.
• Enter the day after the child’s third birthday as the date the child will begin to receive special education services for Child Outcomes reporting purposes.

Children who begin receiving preschool special education services after the child’s third birthday:

• Enter the IEP meeting date as the date the child will begin to receive special education services.

Children already enrolled in a program using GOLD before being found eligible for IDEA services:

• Enter the IFSP or IEP meeting date as the date the child will begin to receive early intervention or special education services. Do not edit the “First Date in Program” field if it has already been entered.

Child Outcomes data is reported to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) through information entered and finalized in each child’s GOLD profile.

To be included in the OSEP Federally Mandated Report, a child must have:

• a GOLD child profile in SmartTeach.
• IFSP or IEP selected in the child’s GOLD profile.
• finalized entry data.
• finalized exit data.
• received services for a minimum of six months.

The required age ranges for reporting are:

• IDEA Part C (Early Development Network): Children ages 6 months to their third birthday.
• IDEA Part B, Section 619 (Preschool Special Education): Children ages 3–5.

Children who receive services for fewer than six months should still be OSEP exited; however, their data will not be included in the OSEP Federally Mandated Report.

To be included in the OSEP Federally Mandated Report for Child Outcomes, a child must meet the following requirements:

• Have received early intervention or preschool special education services for at least six months.
• Have finalized entry assessment data in the checkpoint period when services began.
• Have finalized exit assessment data in the checkpoint period when services ended.

Children who received services for fewer than six months should still be OSEP exited; however, their data will not be included in the OSEP Federally Mandated Report.

Additional exit requirements include:

• Exit data must be archived and maintained for seven years.
• The exit reason selected in SmartTeach should most closely reflect why the child is leaving services. Any available exit reason may be used to complete the OSEP exit process.

Special Circumstance: Child Deceased

If a child dies during a checkpoint period:

• If staff are unable to complete documentation for the current checkpoint, the child should be exited using the most recent completed checkpoint data.
• If documentation for the current checkpoint has been completed, the child may be exited using the current checkpoint data.

If the child received services for fewer than six months, the GOLD Administrator may delete the GOLD child profile rather than completing an OSEP exit.

OSEP exit data is required for children receiving Early Development Network (EDN) services when a child:

• Moves out of state.
• No longer receives early intervention services.
• Turns three years old (36 months).

Children receiving EDN services must be OSEP exited from Part C on or before their third birthday, even if they continue receiving early intervention services after age three under Nebraska’s Rule 52.

• If the child continues receiving IDEA services after the Part C OSEP exit, refer to Question #56: After OSEP exiting a child on or before the child’s third birthday, what should I do if the child continues receiving early intervention services?
• If the child is no longer receiving early intervention or preschool special education services after the Part C OSEP exit, no additional GOLD child profile updates are required.
• If a child is determined eligible for preschool special education services near the end of the school year, refer to Question #15: When should the child’s GOLD early intervention or special education services entry data be collected and finalized? 
• For guidance on using “Not Yet” and “Not Observed” in GOLD, refer to Question #25: How are “Not Yet” and “Not Observed” used in GOLD?

OSEP exit data is required for children receiving preschool special education services (ages 3–5) when a child:

• Moves out of state.
• No longer receives special education services.
• Transitions to kindergarten.
• Turns six years old while still receiving preschool special education services.

If a child is OSEP exited but continues participating in a program that is required to use GOLD, GOLD documentation and checkpoints must continue as required for that program.

Refer to the Entry/Exit Checklists for additional guidance.

A Transition Class is used when a child must move from a 0–3 class to a class with a green color band after being OSEP exited from Part C.

Classes designated for children ages 0–3 do not provide access to the green color band required for preschool Child Outcomes reporting. A child must be placed in a class with a green color band after the Part C OSEP exit has been completed.

A Transition Class may be needed when the child:

• has been OSEP exited from Part C;
• continues receiving early intervention services after age three under Nebraska’s Rule 52 and
• is not transitioning directly into an existing preschool class with a green color band.

Important: Do not move a child to a class with a green color band before completing the Part C OSEP exit.

• OSEP requires states to report Child Outcomes data for children who received early intervention services and reached age three during the reporting year. To ensure accurate and consistent federal reporting, children must be OSEP exited from Part C on or before their third birthday.
• Some children may continue receiving early intervention services after age three under Nebraska Rule 52, as determined by the IFSP team. The Part C OSEP exit requirement does not impact the IFSP team’s decision to continue services. The exit ensures the child’s Child Outcomes data is reported correctly for the appropriate federal reporting period.

After a child is OSEP exited from Part C and continues receiving IDEA services after age three, the child’s GOLD child profile must be updated to reflect the child’s continued eligibility for IDEA services.

Complete the following steps:

1. Move the child’s GOLD child profile to a class with a green color band.
2. Under Additional Information, select IEP for the question: Does the child receive additional educational services?
3. Select Yes for: Will this Child’s OSEP Entry data be based on GOLD checkpoint ratings?
4. Select Yes for: Will this Child’s OSEP Exit data be based on GOLD checkpoint ratings?

Important:

• Do not move the child’s GOLD child profile to a class with a green color band before completing the Part C OSEP exit.
• The Part C OSEP exit must be completed before updating the child’s GOLD child profile for continued IDEA services.

Refer to Question #57: After OSEP exiting a child on or before the child’s third birthday, what entry date should be used in the child’s GOLD child profile when the child continues receiving early intervention services or transitions to preschool special education services?

Children who continue receiving IDEA services after age three must first be OSEP exited from Part C on or before their third birthday.

After the Part C OSEP exit is completed:

• Select IEP in the child’s GOLD child profile.
• When prompted, “What date will this child begin to receive IEP services?” enter the day after the child’s third birthday as the IEP service start date.

This date represents the beginning of IDEA Part B preschool special education services for Child Outcomes reporting purposes.

The IEP service start date must occur within the same GOLD checkpoint period as the child’s Part C OSEP exit date. When these dates are entered correctly, the child’s finalized Part C exit data automatically serves as the child’s Part B preschool special education entry data. A separate entry assessment is not required.

For children who begin receiving preschool special education services after their third birthday, refer to Question #49: What is the entry date for children receiving early intervention or preschool special education services in the GOLD child profile? 

Yes. A child may require OSEP exit during the Summer Checkpoint period if the child’s exit date falls within the Summer Checkpoint period and the child meets the criteria for OSEP exit.

Examples include children who:

• Turn three years old during the Summer Checkpoint period.
• End early intervention services during the Summer Checkpoint period.
• Move out of state during the Summer Checkpoint period.

If a child requires an OSEP exit during the Summer Checkpoint period, complete the exit process using the appropriate GOLD checkpoint data.

Refer to the Entry/Exit Checklists for additional guidance.

The OSEP Status Report and the OSEP Federally Mandated Report serve different purposes.

OSEP Status Report

The OSEP Status Report allows GOLD Administrators to monitor the status of children’s entry and exit data throughout the year.

The report can be used to:

• Identify children who may be missing required entry or exit data.
• Troubleshoot potential errors related to OSEP reporting requirements.
• Monitor completion of Child Outcomes data.

The OSEP Status Report may be generated as needed throughout the year.

OSEP Federally Mandated Report

The OSEP Federally Mandated Report includes children receiving:

• Early intervention services (ages 6 months through 36 months), or
• Preschool special education services (ages 3–5)

who meet all OSEP reporting requirements:

• Finalized entry data.
• Finalized exit data.
• At least six months of services.
• Appropriate age range for IDEA Part C or Part B, Section 619 reporting.

If any of these requirements are missing, the child’s data will not be included in the OSEP Federally Mandated Report.

The OSEP Federally Mandated Report should be generated and saved for district records on June 15 for both Part C and Part B. This report is used to support validation of district data submitted for state and federal reporting requirements.

The Individual Child Report (in the Reports tab on SmartTeach) should be generated for any child OSEP exited in GOLD.  At minimum the report should include the data from the entry and exit checkpoints. The report should then be included in the child’s cumulative educational folder.

OSEP Child Outcomes Validation is the process used to verify the accuracy and completeness of Child Outcomes data before Nebraska submits required federal reports to OSEP.

Each year, Nebraska submits Child Outcomes data for children who:

• Received early intervention or preschool special education services.
• Received services for a minimum of six months.
• Have finalized entry and exit assessment data.

The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), Office of Special Education, partners with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to complete the validation process before federal submission.

After the June 15 reporting deadline:

• Any changes made to IDEA Part C Indicator 3 or IDEA Part B Indicator 7 data must be communicated to UNMC at mmigoldvalidation@unmc.edu.
• UNMC will contact districts in early July to begin the validation process.

Districts should review their OSEP Federally Mandated Reports before validation begins to ensure reported data is accurate and complete.