Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T01:44:52.411Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Data Practices in Australian Early Childhood Programs for Children With Additional Needs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2020

Yuriko Kishida Open the ORCID record for Yuriko Kishida [Opens in a new window] ,
Mark Carter  and
Coral Kemp
Yuriko Kishida*
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia Telethon Speech & Hearing Ltd, Australia Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
Mark Carter
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Coral Kemp
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Although the use of data is important for informing inclusive practice, research into Australian early childhood educators’ data practice is limited. Types of data collected in early childhood settings and the use of these data were investigated. Surveys completed by 105 early childhood educators across Australia indicated that anecdotal written records, photos, and children’s work samples were the predominant data collection strategies used for both children with and without additional needs. More educators reported that they collected counted or timed behaviour data for children with additional needs than for those without additional needs. One third of educators did not indicate that they collect this type of data. The majority of educators indicated that they value the use of data in their practice, reported that they use data for progress monitoring and modification of activities to meet the needs of individuals with additional needs, and perceived that they were confident in using the data collection strategies that they nominated. The data that these Australian early childhood educators used were predominantly qualitative, suggesting that training is needed for educators to collect and utilise both qualitative and quantitative data to assist with instructional decision-making.

Keywords

data collectiondata useearly childhoodchildren with disabilities/additional needsinclusion
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , July 2021 , pp. 34 - 48
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

†

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Michael Arthur-Kelly.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018). National, state and territory population [Data cubes: Estimated resident population]. Retrieved on April 6, 2019, from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/0/D56C4A3E41586764CA2581A70015893E?Opendocument Google Scholar
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2016a). Educational program and practice: An analysis of Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard: Occasional paper 1. Sydney, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2016b). Unpacking the planning cycle: Part 1. Retrieved from https://wehearyou.acecqa.gov.au/2016/09/01/unpacking-the-planning-cycle-part-1/ Google Scholar
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2018a). National Quality Standard. Retrieved from https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard Google Scholar
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2018b). Quality rating reassessments: An analysis of quality improvement in education and care services 2013-2017: Occasional paper 6. Sydney, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Australian Government. (1992, amended 2018). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00125 Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Australia’s children (Cat. no. CWS69). Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/6af928d6-692e-4449-b915-cf2ca946982f/aihw-cws-69-print-report.pdf.aspx?inline=true Google Scholar
Brawley, S., & Stormont, M. A. (2014). Investigating reported data practices in early childhood: An exploratory study. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16, 102–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300713480838 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, M., Stephenson, J., & Carlon, S. (2020). Data-based decision making. In G. W. Noblit (Ed.), Oxford research encyclopedia of education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1210 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation. (2014). Children with disability in inclusive early childhood education and care. Retrieved from https://www.cese.nsw.gov.au/publications-filter/literature-review-children-with-disability-in-inclusive-early-childhood-education-and-care Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Australian Early Development Census national report 2018. Canberra, Australia: The Department of Education and Training.Google Scholar
Cook, B. G., & Odom, S. L. (2013). Evidence-based practices and implementation science in special education. Exceptional Children, 79, 135–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291307900201 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2010). Educators belonging, being & becoming: Educators’ guide to the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Division for Early Childhood. (2014). DEC recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education 2014. Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org/recommendedpractices Google Scholar
Early Childhood Australia. (2016). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/eca-code-ethics/ Google Scholar
Early Childhood Australia and Early Childhood Intervention Australia. (2012). Position statement on the inclusion of children with a disability in early childhood education and care. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ECA_Position_statement_Disability_Inclusion_web.pdf Google Scholar
Early Childhood Intervention Australia. (2016). National guidelines: Best practice in early childhood intervention. Sydney, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Fowler, S. A., Coleman, M. R. B., & Bogdan, W. K. (2019). The state of the special education profession survey report. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 52, 8–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059919875703 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hojnoski, R. L., Gischlar, K. L., & Missall, K. N. (2009). Improving child outcomes with data-based decision making: Collecting data. Young Exceptional Children, 12(3), 32–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250609333025 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irvin, D. W., Crutchfield, S. A., Greenwood, C. R., Kearns, W. D., & Buzhardt, J. (2018). An automated approach to measuring child movement and location in the early childhood classroom. Behavior Research Methods, 50, 890–901. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-017-0912-8 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Irvin, D. W., Crutchfield, S. A., Greenwood, C. R., Simpson, R. L., Sangwan, A., & Hansen, J. H. L. (2017). Exploring classroom behavioral imaging: Moving closer to effective and data-based early childhood inclusion planning. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 1, 95–104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-017-0014-8 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ledford, J. R., Barton, E. E., Hardy, J. K., Elam, K., Seabolt, J., Shanks, M., … Kaiser, A. (2016). What equivocal data from single case comparison studies reveal about evidence-based practices in early childhood special education. Journal of Early Intervention, 38, 79–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815116648000 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Love, H. R., Horn, E., & An, Z. (2019). Teaching observational data collection to early childhood preservice educators. Teacher Education and Special Education, 42, 297–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406419836147 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
New South Wales Government. (2019). School Excellence Framework evidence guide: Guidelines for using data. Retrieved from https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/school-excellence-and-accountability/sef-evidence-guide/guidelines-for-using-data Google Scholar
Odom, S. L., Buysse, V., & Soukakou, E. (2011). Inclusion for young children with disabilities: A quarter century of research perspectives. Journal of Early Intervention, 33, 344–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815111430094 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Productivity Commission. (2014). Childcare and early childhood learning (Inquiry Report No. 73). Canberra, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Ruble, L. A., McGrew, J. H., Wong, W. H., & Missall, K. N. (2018). Special education teachers’ perceptions and intentions toward data collection. Journal of Early Intervention, 40, 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815118771391 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sandall, S. R., Schwartz, I. S., & Lacroix, B. (2004). Interventionists’ perspectives about data collection in integrated early childhood classrooms. Journal of Early Intervention, 26, 161–174. https://doi.org/10.1177/105381510402600301 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schildkamp, K., Ehren, M., & Lai, M. K. (2012). Editorial article for the special issue on data-based decision making around the world: From policy to practice to results [Editorial]. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 23, 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2011.652122 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwartz, I. S., & Olswang, L. B. (1996). Evaluating child behavior change in natural settings: Exploring alternative strategies for data collection. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 16, 82–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/027112149601600108 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stricker, D. (2008). BrightStat.com: Free statistics online. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 92, 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2008.06.010 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, A. E., & Marvin, C. A. (2016). Program monitoring practices for teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing in early intervention. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 37, 184–193. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740115597862 CrossRefGoogle Scholar