Baby Watch Early Intervention Program

States are currently being required to develop and implement a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) as a result of the revised accountability system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). There has been a recent shift in the US Department of Education's accountability efforts from a primary focus on compliance to including a detailed framework with a focus on improved outcomes for children with disabilities and also continuing to ensure that States meet IDEA requirements. The Part C (infants and toddlers) SSIP will be developed as part of State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). Each State will focus on results that will promote the innovative use of evidence based practices in the delivery of services to children with disabilities, and as result lead to improved outcomes for children with disabilities. States submitted Phase I of the SSIP in April 2015. Phase I of the SSIP was based on five components. These components were:

1. Data Analysis
2. Analysis of Infrastructure to Support Improvement and Build Capacity
3. State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR) for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
4. Selection of Coherent Improvement Strategies
5. Theory of Action

The SIMR included FFY 2013 baseline data, and also established measurable goals for each successive year with the target year being FFY 2018. By FFY 2018, States need to have demonstrated improvement from the FFY2013 baseline data. Utah's Baby Watch Early Intervention Program (BWEIP) organized leadership and work teams that have continued to contribute to the planning, development, and implementation of the SSIP. These teams included BWEIP staff, representatives of State agencies, parent advocacy, ICC members, and early intervention service providers and administrators. Through collaboration of the leadership and work teams Utah's BWEIP SiMR was identified. The focus of the BWEIP's SiMR is to increase child social relationships by substantially increasing the rate of growth for children of culturally diverse backgrounds as measured by the Child Outcomes Summary (COS). The BWEIP has determined four specific focusses of action that include:

1. Assessment
2. Professional Development
3. Family Engagement
4. Collaboration

In order to achieve Utah's SiMR, the BWEIP plans to identify and establish the use of valid, reliable, culturally sensitive assessment measures for children ages birth to three years, strive to retain and educate staff, develop a role/job description for a "cultural guide", and identify agencies at State and local levels who provide support for diverse cultures in Utah. As a result of these efforts, the desired outcome will be a substantial increase in social and emotional rate of growth, measured by COS scores, among infants and toddlers of culturally diverse backgrounds.

Utah's BWEIP's Phase I of the SSIP has been approved by the Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, and efforts are currently beginning toward the completion of Phase II of the Part C State Systemic Improvement Plan. The Office of Special Education Programs has summarized the focus of Phase II as building on State capacity to support Early Intervention Service programs (EIS) and/or (EIS) providers with the implementation of evidence-based practices that will result in measurable improvement in the SiMR for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

Overview opens in a new tab
SSIP Teams opens in a new tab
Fishbone Diagram opens in a new tab
Component 1: Data opens in a new tab
Component 2: Infrastructure opens in a new tab
Component 3: SiMR opens in a new tab
Component 4: Improvement Strategies opens in a new tab
Component 5: Theory of Action opens in a new tab