Determining A Child's Eligibility for Preschool Special Education Services Remotely - Guidance, considerations, and resources for state staff and practitioners

Oct 15, 2026

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Guidance supports state staff and local practitioners in determining Preschool Special Education eligibility remotely, addressing decision-making for children from birth through age five during COVID-19 related service changes. The resource explains evaluation and assessment concepts under Part B IDEA regulations, highlights effective remote screening and evaluation approaches (synchronous and asynchronous), and stresses equity, compliance, and family participation. It organizes remote assessment considerations and tool tables for screening, norm-referenced eligibility, and planning instruction and monitoring progress.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Background on Evaluation and Assessment

Organization and Remote Assessment Tool Tables

Consider System and State Policies

System Considerations

State Policy Considerations

Part B Regulations and Evaluation Requirements

Determining A Child's Eligibility for Preschool Special Education Services Remotely March 8, 2021 This document and additional resources on remote screening, evaluation and assessment can be found at: [https://ectacenter.org/topics/earlyid/remote.asp](https://ectacenter.org/topics/earlyid/remote.asp) Included here are guidance, considerations, and resources for state staff and local practitioners who are determining Preschool Special Education eligibility remotely, due in part to COVID-19. To accomplish this, many states are now exploring a variety of approaches such as teleconference, videoconference, and sharing information and video synchronously and asynchronously. Effective state policies, procedures, and practices are important to appropriately identify children eligible for Part B Special Education services remotely. Background on Evaluation and Assessment Part B IDEA regulations, that apply to preschoolers, define “evaluation” as “procedures used in accordance with §§300 .304 through 300.311 to determine whether a child has a disability and the nature and extent of the special education and related services that the child needs.” See: CFR 34 §303.321(a)(2)(i)(ii) Sometimes the distinction between evaluation and assessment seems artificial in practice. Assessment procedures can provide information that is useful for determining eligibility and evaluation information can add to the understanding of a child's strengths and needs. The distinction between evaluation and assessment can seem imprecise because the term "assessment" is used generically in early childhood to include gathering information for making multiple kinds of decisions. The content in this resource primarily addresses evaluation and assessment practices involved in determining a child's eligibility for Preschool Special Education remotely. Organization This document first presents associated tool table resources , and then the content is organized across five main sections. Each section includes considerations in the form of questions and suggestions. Resources also are embedded throughout the document, including links to: • regulations or materials (); • best practices including Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC RP) (); • examples of what best practice looks like or doesn’t look like (+); and • cautions about potential problems () . Three tool tables have been developed to identify assessment tools with potential for remote administration. Screening Tools for Children Birth to Age Five Years with Potential for Remote Administration This table includes tools which provide information about whether a child’s performance is consistent with age-expected functioning or needs further evaluation. Norm-Referenced Assessment Tools for Children Birth to Age Five Years with Potential for Remote Administration for Eligibility Determination This table includes standardized instruments which provide information on a child’s performance relative to a norming group. Assessment Tools for Planning Instruction and Monitoring Young Children's Progress Remotely This table includes instruments that compare a child’s performance against a set of standards or criteria that often reflect developmental sequences. 1. Consider System and State Policies System Considerations 1. Remote eligibility determination may require state-or district-level policy and practice changes. Consider the following when reviewing, revising, and establishing guidance. • Convey the importance of remote eligibility determination. Communicate its importance throughout the system including families, especially those with limited or no access to electronic communication. • Determine what effective and compliant remote eligibility processes look like and how the state, districts, and programs will evaluate whether these practices are successful. • Ensure and evaluate equity in timely referrals and remote eligibility determination proce

FAQs

What does the document say about the difference between evaluation and assessment?

The document notes that the distinction can seem artificial in practice. Assessment can gather information useful for eligibility decisions, while evaluation information helps clarify strengths and needs within early childhood decision-making.

Why is remote preschool eligibility determination challenging?

It may require state- or district-level policy and practice changes, while still ensuring quality, compliance, timely referrals, and equitable access for families with limited or no electronic communication.

What evaluation requirements does the document highlight under Part B IDEA?

Evaluations must use required parental consent, be administered by trained people, be timely and multidisciplinary, include a variety of technically sound tools and strategies, and avoid culturally or racially discriminatory selection and administration.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Connor