Early Childhood Special Education Resources and Tools

The IDEA requires that children with disabilities be identified, located, and evaluated. An effective child find system is an ongoing part of an SAU's responsibility to ensure that a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is made available to all eligible children with disabilities. In early childhood, because children may not yet be in school, locating preschool-age children with disabilities requires state and local education agencies to develop and support an ongoing system for notifying families and community members about evaluation opportunities when there is a concern about delays in children's development.

• Child Find in ECSE — Maine Unified Special Education Regulations (MUSER) requirements
• Maine's Early Learning Developmental Standards — Developmental skills and behaviors from birth through school entry
• Cohort Meeting Presentation on Child Find (September 2025) and Child Find Process Graphic
• One Page Info on Child Find in SAUs
• Common Special Education Evaluation Tools (Ages 3–5)

Children aged 0–3 that receive Early Intervention (EI) services from Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act have the potential to receive Part B Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services for children ages 3–5. Timely transition activities start while in Early Intervention to describe services available once the child turns three and Early Intervention ends. Coordinated activities to ensure eligible children have an Individualized Education Program prior to age three include:

• Descriptions of available programs and services, differences between EI and ECSE
• Sharing of information about timelines and locations for the Transition Conference, evaluation, and IEP meetings with schools
• Sharing information about the parent's ability to opt-out of the notification to schools that the child is potentially eligible for special education
• Overview of the C to B Transition Process
• Transition Process Timeline Graphic

Access, participation, and engagement are important goals for all children to develop the skills and behaviors needed to be prepared to enter into school-age learning environments. Research shows that settings in which preschool-aged children with disabilities learn alongside typically developing peers have been shown to have the most impact on both groups of children (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, 2022).

Presentations

• FAPE in Public Schools — LRE placement and SAU funding responsibilities
• Considerations for Determining LRE in ECSE with Scenarios
• Least Restrictive Environment Codes
• B6 Data Tool — Decision tree for identifying appropriate environment labels
• Superintendents' Agreements in SAUs

Self-Assessment of Inclusive Practices

• Local Program Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion
• Early Care and Education Environment Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion

Environmental and Instructional Supports for Positive Behavior

The practices needed to support children's positive social-emotional development and prevent unwanted behaviors are described in the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations, Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS), and Universal Design for Learners (UDL). The Pyramid Model practices align with PBIS as a multi-tiered system of supports specific to early childhood environments.

Professional Development to Support Positive Behaviors

• IRIS Center Modules: Designing Effective Classrooms, Classroom Reinforcement Systems, Developing and Teaching Rules, English Learners with Disabilities
• NAEYC Recorded Webinars
• Head Start Professional Development
• Pyramid Model: Basics (research findings: 2016, 2021) and 8-minute overview video

The Child Outcomes Summary Process is a required assessment process to measure the growth and development of preschool-age children with disabilities who receive special education services. Children in early childhood special education programs are assessed at the beginning and at the end of their programming time using the COS process — a federally mandated activity designed to gauge effective programming and achievement of children's age-expected development.

Professional Development

• COS Process Training through Maine's Learning Management System (Flyer)
• COS Process Overview (ECTA)
• COS Process Training Modules (ECTA)
• Cohort 1 Presentations: Administrators | Educators
• COS Process Fact Sheet and Q&A
• COS Parent Training and Preparation Resources

Practice Implementation Resources

• COS Process Checklist
• COS Process Quick Reference Guide
• Age Anchoring Tool for Child Development in Three Outcome Areas
• COS Ratings Definitions
• COS Decision Tree for Summary Ratings
• Questions and Answers for the 7-Point Scale
• COS Team Note-taking Guide
• COS Documentation Form for Team Decisions

Delivery of Special Education Services for Preschool-Aged Children

• Certification Supports for Teachers of Children with Disabilities Birth to School Age 5 (282B)

Licensure of Related Service Providers

• Occupational Therapy — Board of Occupational Therapy Practice
• Physical Therapy — Board of Physical Therapy
• Speech Language Therapy — Board of Speech, Audiology and Hearing
• Educational Technician — Title 20-A, §13019-H
• School Psychologist — 093 Certificate Requirements
• Social Work — State Board of Social Worker Licensure

Certificates in Elementary and Public PreK Settings

• Early Childhood Teacher ages 0–5 (081)
• Early Elementary Endorsement (PreK–3) (029)

Provider Qualifications in Private Childcare

Preschool-aged children may attend non-public, private childcare programs and receive their special education services in that location. Schools will determine if the private childcare setting meets the requirements of a Free Appropriate Public Education.

• Licensed Childcare Caregiver and Lead Teacher Requirements

Provider Qualifications in Head Start

• Sec. 648A Staff Qualifications and Development (ECLKC)

Standards

• Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for EI/ECSE (2020)

Course Development & Practical Application

• ECPC Course Development and Curriculum Resources
• Practice improvement tools and self-assessments (DEC/ECTA — English and Spanish)

Recruitment and Retention

• Supportive Practices Research for Recruitment and Retention
• Maine's Alternative Certification and Mentoring Program (SEEDS)
• Maine Roads to Quality — Professional Development Network Registry
• ECE Workforce Salary Supplement Program (DHHS)

The P.L. 2023, c.643, part W legislative initiative designated dedicated funding for SAUs to provide FAPE to preschool-aged children with disabilities. The Preschool Special Education Program Fund provides funding through a quarterly allocation. The Maine Department of Education pays 100% of the PreK Special Education program costs reported in the Maine Education Finance System, quarterly. Expenditures must be reasonable and necessary.

Onboarding Overview

• One Page Fiscal Overview
• Model Chart of Accounts for ECSE

Accounting Codes for Budget Preparation

Fiscal Presentations for Cohort Schools

• September 24, 2025 — Child count data and enrollment process. YouTube | Presentation
• October 8, 2025 — Fiscal reporting overview. YouTube | Presentation
• February 4, 2026 — Grants4ME monitoring tool intro. YouTube | Presentation
• February 25, 2026 — Needs-based budgets and funding. Presentation
• April 15, 2026 — Capitalizing assets and purchasing. YouTube | Presentation

Allocations

The quarterly allocation is based on the submitted count of the number of children eligible in the SAU. The count is submitted on the first day of each quarter; payments are made within two weeks.

• 2026 Sample Funding Allocation Estimator
• 2027 Sample Funding Allocation Estimator
• Early Allocations

Expenditures and Reporting

• Building an ECSE Budget Based on Student Need
• Administrative Staffing Decision Matrix
• Guidance on Administrative Positions
• Special Purpose Private Schools Daily Rate Sheet
• Capitalizing Assets

Section 618 under Part B of the IDEA requires each state to submit data about children with disabilities who receive special education and related services. The following data collections include information about descriptions and timelines.

Data Indicators

• Indicator 6 (Ongoing) — Preschool-aged children enrolled in placement options by LRE code. Collected in SAU's NEO reporting system.
• Indicator 7 (Due July 1) — COS Process ratings at entry and exit. Blank Child Outcomes Data Form
• Indicator 8 (During SAU Monitoring) — Percentage of parents reporting schools facilitated parent involvement.
• Indicator 11, Child Find (Ongoing) — Children evaluated within 60 days of parental consent. Collected in NEO.
• Indicator 12 (Due July 1) — Children referred from Part C who received an IEP prior to age three.
• SAU Child Count (Quarterly) — For fiscal allocations.
• Expense Reporting (Quarterly)

Results Data Presentations

• ECSE Results Data for FFY23 and FFY24 (December 18, 2024)
• ECSE Data Collections, Methods, and Results (April 15, 2026)