Emerging issues from state level evaluations of early intervention programs

This article synthesizes discussions that occurred among a consortium of pr ofessionals who were responsible for the evaluations of Parr H (now Part C) programs in various stares. The consortium was part of the Federal Interag ency Coordinating Council's Subcommittee on Service Integration and Continu ity of Services. This paper highlights issues emerging from state level eva luations in the context of 6 different areas: measures, outcomes, service i ntegration, eligibility, funding models, and cost effectiveness. Part C ori ginally was conceived to provide additional services to children and famili es who qualified under stare definitions and to assist iii system reform ef forts through service integration strategies. The consortium addressed thes e purposes within the context of evaluation plans and data collected by sta tes conducting state level evaluations, This paper synthesizes the consorti um deliberations and suggests issues that need to be addressed in the evalu ation planning process.