Birth to 3 Program: Child Outcomes Data

Child outcomes data help us understand how well a child can do everyday activities. The Birth to 3 Program measures this as part of federal indicator 3 of the 11 essential elements (indicators) of early intervention. We put data about these indicators in the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program Annual Performance Report (APR).

The Birth to 3 Program scores each child on three child outcomes (PDF):

1. Positive social-emotional skills
2. Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills
3. Use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs

We look at these outcomes when they enter the program and when they transition out of the program.

The three child outcomes show how a child is developing, learning, and thriving. This approach helps us see and measure their abilities and behaviors in different places and situations.

To learn more about the three child outcomes, watch “Child Outcomes Step-by-Step”.

How child outcomes are scored

Children are scored using a 7-point scale to show a child’s abilities in each child outcome. A team of people who are familiar with the child (including parents and caregivers) look at different sources of information about the child’s functioning. This might include parent, caregiver, and provider observations and results from direct assessment.

The progress a child makes while participating in the program is summarized by progress categories and expressed through two summary statements:

• Summary statement 1 shows the percent of children who joined the program below age expectations in each outcome and have increased their rate of growth by the time they turned 3 years of age or left the program.
• Summary statement 2 shows the percent of children who were functioning within age expectations in each outcome by the time they turned 3 years of age or left the program.

For more information on the 7-point Child Outcomes Summary process, see the video co-published by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center and the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems.

How to use the dashboard

1. Select a county from the dropdown.
2. Select which measures you want to view.
3. Select which outcome and summary statement combination you want to view. (Tip: To compare a county's performance for multiple outcomes, uncheck the "state average" and "state target" measures to make the data easier to see.)

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Dashboard terms

• County-level performance—The child outcome score results for children in the selected county that left the program during the fiscal year
• Reporting period—The fiscal year, from July 1 of the preceding year to June 30 of the reporting period year. For example, the 2021 reporting period is July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
• State average—The child outcome score results for all children statewide that transitioned out of their local program during the fiscal year
• State target—Our goal for child outcome score results
• Summary statements—Calculated using a child’s entry and exit child outcome ratings meant to summarize a child’s growth while participating in their local program

How to download

To download and print a PDF of the dashboard:

1. Filter the dashboard to the county and measures you need.
2. Select the download icon (second to last) at the bottom of the dashboard.
3. Select PDF.
4. From the Include menu, choose This View.
5. Select Download.
6. Open the PDF and print it.