Progress Monitoring in Inclusive Preschools: Using Children's School Success+ Curriculum Framework

Abstract

Progress monitoring in inclusive preschool classrooms should describe all children's progress towards general curriculum outcomes and individual children's unique outcomes or IEP goals. This research study used the Children's School Success+ Curriculum Framework (CSS+ Curriculum Framework) and progress monitoring process to assess the outcomes of 73 children on these dimensions. Children's progress monitoring data were analyzed within groupings based on instructional need level (i.e., low, medium, or high) in academic content and social domains. Progress monitoring findings for both the academic and social support level of need groups showed significant progress pre- to posttest on most academic outcomes, but some variation with less consistent gains within the social emotional domain. Goal attainment scaling data demonstrated children's gains toward achieving their social goals (individualized education program [IEP] or specific learning goals) were at the expected level between 50% and 71% of the time. Academic-focused goal attainment was at or above the expected level of between 54% and 76% of the time, based on the learning grouping. Teacher implementation of CSS+ Curriculum Framework appeared to impact change in classroom and instructional practices pre-post intervention.