Special Education Preschool

Resources for Families

If you have concerns about your child’s skills, contact the school district where you live to request a special education evaluation. For additional resources, visit partner sites below.

Understanding the Special Education Referral Process: Steps to Support
The document outlines the steps involved in the Special Education Referral Process, which helps identify and support students with unique needs through collaboration between parents, teachers, and other professionals. It details the stages from initial concern to evaluation, development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and parental rights in case of a refusal to evaluate.

Special Education Support: Steps to Determine Eligibility
This document helps outline the process public schools take for determining whether a student qualifies for special education services. 

Utah Parent Center (UPC)
The mission of the UPC is to help parents help their children, youth and young adults with disabilities and special healthcare needs to live included, productive lives as members of the community.

Indicator 6

Preschool Utah Core Standards
Utah State Board of Education Teaching and Learning

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Decision Tree for Reporting Educational Environments for Students Ages 3-5 with IEPs
A decision tree for reporting educational environments for preschool students aged 3-5 with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), helping educators determine the appropriate Self-Contained Resource Attendance Management (SCRAM) codes for these students. 

Preschool Service Time on the IEP
Technical assistance document that attempts to clarify common misconceptions around service time in preschool special education services by highlighting that the process for determining service time and setting should be consistent with the procedures used for K-12 students, while also considering the unique needs of preschool-aged children.

Preschool Regular Education Teacher as a Member of the IEP Team
Updated. Technical Assistance that explains the essential role of preschool regular education teachers in the IEP team, emphasizing their participation in developing, reviewing, and revising IEPs to ensure students with disabilities receive appropriate support and inclusion in the regular education environment. It provides options for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to meet the requirements for including a preschool regular education teacher in eligibility and IEP meetings.

Policy

Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs
The United States Department of Education and Health and Human Services set a vision and provide recommendations for increasing the inclusion of children with disabilities in high-quality early childhood programs, ensuring all children receive individualized support to fully participate alongside their peers.

Indicator 7

Utah Program Improvement Planning System for Special Education (UPIPS)
Used by the Utah State Board of Education to monitor and support compliance with federal and state requirements in Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across Utah, ensuring improved educational results and functional outcomes for students with disabilities.

Running and Using UPOD B7 Reports in UPIPS
This document explains how Local Education Agencies (LEAs) access, run, and interpret Utah Preschool Outcomes Data (UPOD) B7 reports in the Utah UPIPS

Utah Preschool Outcomes Data Timeline
A timeline infographic for the Utah Preschool Outcomes Data (UPOD) collection process, detailing key dates and activities for the school year to ensure timely and accurate reporting of preschool outcomes.

Annual LEA Determination
This UPOD data funnel outlines the process for making annual LEA determinations on indicator 7, using entry and exit scores to evaluate and categorize student progress in key developmental areas.

Decision Tree for Summary Rating Discussions
A summary of the decision-making process for determining the functioning level for preschool children with individualized education programs (IEPs), helping educators and administrators complete entry and exit ratings on UPOD. 

Definitions for Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Ratings
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center and The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DASY) define the COS ratings utilized, providing criteria for evaluating preschool children's developmental progress and functioning in various settings to ensure accurate and consistent assessment scores in UPOD. 

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Requirements: Reporting Child Outcomes
The ECTA Center and DASY outline the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) requirements for reporting child outcomes, detailing the criteria and progress categories for evaluating the developmental progress of preschool children with IEPs. 

Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center's site explains the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process. The page also offers resources for professional development and training on the COS process.

Indicator 12

Preschool Transition Compliance Timeline
Technical assistance on the compliance timeline for LEAs to follow when documenting children who transition from IDEA Part C early intervention to Part B preschool services.

Transition from Early Intervention Part B Responsibility Timeline
Technical assistance on the Part B responsibility timeline for LEAs to follow for children who transition from IDEA Part C early intervention to Part B preschool services.

IDEA Part C Early Intervention to Part B Preschool Transition: Addressing "Parent Declined" Conference
This technical assistance document provides guidance on LEAs’ responsibilities when parents decline the preschool transition conference from IDEA Part C Early Intervention to Part B Preschool. It aims to clarify the rules and regulations around the referral process, address liability concerns, and offer strategies for effective communication with parents.

Indicator 12 Preschool Transition from Part C to Part B Monitoring Checklist
A checklist that LEAs and the Preschool Special Education Specialist can utilize to outline the procedures and systems in place in an LEA to ensure timely evaluations, eligibility determinations, and the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for preschool children transitioning from Part C to Part B services by their third birthday.

Transition from Early Intervention Data Input System (TEDI)
Designed to facilitate data exchange between Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and the Baby and Toddler Online Tracking System (BTOTS) for managing student data and transitions from early intervention to preschool special education services. 

Understanding Indicator 12 and TEDI training video (YouTube)
This video covers the federal and state requirements around special education indicator 12 on the transition from Part C early intervention services to Part B preschool services. It also covers how to use the Transition from Early intervention Data Input (TEDI) system to document efforts to meet the federal and state requirements.

Baby Watch: Early Intervention Program
Utah Department of Health and Human Services

Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C and Part B Transition Requirements for Late Referrals to IDEA Part C (≤135 Days Before Child’s 3rd Birthday)
Technical assistance on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) early childhood transition requirements, providing guidance on how to fulfill these requirements effectively, particularly in light of the 2011 Part C regulations.

IDEA Part C Early Intervention to Part B Preschool Transition
Technical assistance for transitioning children from IDEA Part C early intervention to Part B preschool services, ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements for smooth and effective transitions.

Part C to Part B Early Childhood Transition Timeline for State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) Indicators C-8A, 8B, 8C, B-11 and B-12 For Part C Children Determined Eligible at Least 90 Days Prior to Their 3rd Birthday
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center provides a timeline for children from IDEA Part C early intervention transitioning to Part B preschool services who are determined eligible for Part C on time, detailing key steps and deadlines taken by Part C and Part B to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements.

Preschool Roundtable

Each month, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) preschool specialists send an email to all who subscribe to the UEN Roundtable Listserv during the last week of each month. The USBE preschool specialists are available during office hours once a month for all preschool staff, both general education and special education in LEAs, charter schools, and private programs across the state, to join and ask questions or gain clarification on the monthly email or anything preschool related.

Quarterly, the LEA preschool administrators across the state gather for a coordination meeting with the USBE preschool specialists called the Preschool Roundtable. The monthly emails, office hours, and quarterly meetings include information on compliance, resources available, and updates from the USBE. The quarterly meetings also include an opportunity for LEAs to collaborate with each other.

2026-2027 Office Hours and Meeting Dates