Early Education and Support Division
Subject: Information about the Implementation of the Desired Results Developmental Profile (2015) (DRDP [2015]) for providers of early education services funded by the Early Education and Support Division (EESD) and the Special Education Division (SED).
Number: 15-03
Date: June 2015
Expires: Until Rescinded
Authority: California Education Code (EC) sections 8203, 8203.5, 8261, and 8282; California Code of Regulations, Title 5, sections 18270 and 18272
Attention: Executive Directors and Program Directors of all EESD’s General Child Care and Development Program, California State Preschool Program, Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee, California Migrant, and Severely Disabled Children contracts and SED-funded Early Education programs
Purpose
The purpose of this Management Bulletin (MB) is to provide guidance on the implementation of the DRDP (2015) assessment to the California Department of Education (CDE), EESD programs and SED programs serving children from early infancy to kindergarten entry.
Authority
For EESD: California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 18272 requires EESD contracted centers, preschools, and FCCHEN to complete the age-appropriate DRDP for each child enrolled in the program for at least ten hours per week. The DRDP must be completed for each child within 60 calendar days of the child’s enrollment in the program and at least once every six months thereafter.
For SED: Public Law 108-446, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA 2004) and regulations from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) form the legal basis for the participation of infants and toddlers and their families with Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) and preschool-age children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in the DRDP Assessment System. For information on eligible children and assessment timelines, visit the DRDP System and Policy Web site at https://draccess.org
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Background
About the DRDP (2015)
The DRDP (2015), a developmental continuum from early infancy to kindergarten entry, is designed to assess the developmental progression of all children in CDE, funded programs including children with an IFSP or an IEP. The assessment has an Infant-Toddler view for children younger than three years of age, and a Preschool view for children who are age three years and older. The Infant-Toddler and Preschool views include measures in five domains: (1) Approaches to Learning-Self Regulation, (2) Social and Emotional Development, (3) Language and Literacy Development, (4) Cognition, and (5) Physical Development Health. The Preschool view includes the additional domains of: (1) History-Social Science, (2) English-Language Development, (3) Visual and Performing Arts, and (4) additional measures for Mathematics and Science in the Cognition domain. The assessment is fully aligned to the California Early Learning Foundations and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework.
During the spring of 2014, a field study was conducted with a group of approximately 1,600 children from EESD and SED programs. Data gathered from this study was used to refine the DRDP (2015) instrument. During the 2014–15 program year, a calibration study was conducted with a group of more than 20,500 children served in EESD and SED programs in preparation for full implementation in the 2015–16 contract year.Policy
Implementation of the DRDP (2015) for EESD and SED Programs
Beginning with the 2015–16 contract year, the use of the DRDP (2015) is required for all direct service agencies that contract with the EESD to provide early education and care for children ages early infancy to kindergarten entry. It is also required for all preschool children with IEPs and for all infants and toddlers with IFSPs reporting to the California Special Education Management Information System (CASEMIS). Training will be provided to EESD and SED assessors via webinars, training modules, and in-person training. For up-to-date information regarding training activities, check the following Web sites:
- For EESD funded programs, visit the DRDP Web page at http://www.desiredresults.us
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- For SED funded programs or for information about children with IFSPs and IEPs, visit the DR Access Project Web page at http://www.draccess.org
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Children dually enrolled in SED and EESD programs will no longer need to be assessed on both the DRDP access and the DRDP (2010). They will be assessed using the DRDP (2015) instrument. When children are served by both EESD and SED programs, the teachers and specialists are to collaborate on one assessment following the more stringent timeline, and handle DRDP data according to the requirements of each Division.
For EESD contractors who begin the observation process in July, a draft DRDP (2015) assessment was posted on the DRDP Web site at http://www.desiredresults.us
on June 15, 2015. The official DRDP (2015) will be posted by August 3, 2015. Programs may use the draft document to guide their observations until the final version is released. The finalized assessment will contain additional information.
Using DRDPtech© to Record Assessment Data for EESD Programs
DRDPtech©, a secure cloud application, is provided free of charge to: (1) EESD-funded programs, (2) California Head Start programs, (3) California School Districts and County Offices of Education, and (4) California Tribal Child Care and Development Fund Child Care. Beginning in the 2015–16 program year, EESD-funded agencies are required to use the DRDPtech© to obtain psychometrically valid reports. Use of DRDPtech© will also meet the record retention requirement. This means no paper copies of the instrument are required for individual children when assessment data is stored in DRDPtech©. For agencies that use commercial vendors, an Excel format will be provided so data can be uploaded into DRDPtech© to take advantage of the psychometrically valid report functions.
For EESD-funded agencies that cannot access DRDPtech© through the Internet, an optional rating record is available. This is an Inspiron form that can be completed as a hard copy and submitted to be scanned into the DRDPtech© system. Additional instructions regarding submission will be found on the bottom of the Inspiron form. This service will be available for a small per-child charge ($1 per child). The Inspiron DRDP (2015) form will be available beginning September 8, 2015. Please contact desiredresults@wested.org for more information and to receive copies of the form.
The DRDPtech© (2015) will be online and available to enter child information by August 28, 2015. If an agency is not already using DRDPtech©, begin the setup process by linking to the DRDP Web site at http://www.desiredresults.us
and clicking on DRDPtech© at Quick Links.
Please allow adequate time to set up an account prior to meeting the submission deadline (typically two weeks).
For EESD-funded agencies that are unable to use DRDPtech©, an exemption can be obtained by contacting your assigned EESD Field Service Consultant. You will be asked to complete and submit a form which will be valid for a limited time period. This form is available on the MB 15-03 Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/documents/mb1503waiverrequest.doc [Link no longer available]. For a list of consultants by region, please visit the EESD Consultants Regional Assignments Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp.
This requirement for the use of DRDPtech© also applies to contractors serving school age children and using the DRDP-SA.
Submitting DRDP (2015) Data to CASEMIS for SED Programs
SED programs will submit DRDP (2015) data to CASEMIS. SED programs do not enter DRDP data into DRDPtech©. For questions about CASEMIS, contact casemis@cde.ca.gov. For more information about SED requirements for DRDP (2015), including training, reports, technical assistance, or requirements, contact the Desired Results Access Project by e-mail at info@draccess.org, by phone at 1-800-673-9220, or by visiting the DR Access Project Web page at http://www.draccess.org/assessors
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Directives
| Assessment Cycle | For EESD Programs | For SED Providers |
|---|---|---|
| First assessment | Completed within the first 60 days of enrollment in program. | Completed for any child made eligible by October 1 and submitted to CASEMIS by February 1. |
| Next assessment | Completed every six months after initial assessment. | Completed for any child made eligible for services by March 1 of the program year. Data is submitted to CASEMIS by July 1. |
| Limitation | If child is enrolled for less than 10 hours per week, an assessment is not required. | If a child is eligible for services, an assessment is required regardless of hours of service received. |
| Limitation | If a child is ill for an extended period of time or is out of the country and not attending the program, an assessment may not be possible and should be documented. | If a child is ill for an extended period of time or is out of the country and not attending the program, an assessment may not be possible and should be documented. |
If you have any questions regarding the information in this management bulletin for California State Preschool Programs, please contact your assigned EESD Field Services Consultant at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp or by phone at 916-322-6233.
For General Child Care and Development, California Migrant, and Severely Disabled Children contracts, please contact your assigned Program Quality Improvement Consultant at https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-and-development/child-care-and-development-contacts.
This Management Bulletin is mandatory only to the extent that it cites a specific statutory and/or regulatory requirement. Any portion of this Management Bulletin that is not supported by a specific statutory and/or regulatory requirement is not prescriptive pursuant to California Education Code Section 33308.5.