The Child Outcomes Summary (COS) system was created by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is used by states to collect child outcome data for federal reporting. Individual and program progress are measured, providing valuable outcome data to determine the effectiveness of preschool programs.
Office of Special Education and Early Learning - Early Learning Unit Resources
Child Outcome Summary (COS) Process - Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) Resources
The COS system collects continuous assessment data from districts, utilizing a team approach. The system summarizes information on a child’s functioning in each of the three outcome areas using a 7-point scale upon entry to and exit from the preschool program. The rating information for each child will then be entered into a form conveniently housed within Infinite Campus.
The links below support understanding of the three child outcomes and COS process.
In the process of working with states on outcome development and measurement approaches, the Early Childhood Outcomes Center (ECO) cross-referenced the functional skills assessed by various published instruments with the three child outcomes required by OSEP for Part B/619 and Part C programs, to assess the degree to which these instruments measure the required outcomes. Crosswalks were generated for instruments based on the frequency of informal requests from states.
Provided below are the instrument crosswalks used by Kentucky preschool programs.
*Denotes this crosswalk uses an older edition than the currently available edition of the tool.*
Kentucky-Approved Continuous Assessments
Kentucky has five continuous assessment instruments approved for monitoring student progress: