ROBBIN BULL: SLIDE 1: All right, we're going to cover how to conduct the 2020 deaf - blind child count. SLIDE 2: We're going to cover the December 1 2020 data reporting requirements. The timeline for implementing the changes that were released this year, where to find resources for the reporting and for the changes. The guide to the resources for what - to where you can find what resources and what you can find where. What's new, and what's different based on the changes that were implemented. Frequently Asked Questions. We'll cover some of those frequently asked questions that we get each year. Data quality and accuracy. We'll cover just a brief bit on that and network sharing. SLIDE 3: The data reporting requirements are as follows.. the snapshot date is December 1 of 2020. So data should be a representation of the children, as of December 1 of 2020. The due date for the data to be turned into NCDB will be May 10TH of 2021. Data should be turned in to us in a spreadsheet file format. And that would be in a dot xls dot XLSx, or a dot CSV format. So typically that comes through in an Excel format but that could be a dot CSV, which isn't necessarily Excel. Also, we are requiring general data notes for each file, and that will indicate your level of implementation of the new updates, as well as any unique details for your state or data that's helpful to understand, or information helpful to understand your data, we'll go over that in more detail here in a moment. SLIDE 4: All right, timeline for implementing changes. We are allowing a phase in implementation for the changes. We understand that this was a crazy year this year. A lot of things are going on. Things are not set in place as they typically are. And so, we understand that you might not be able to get everything into place this year for the December 1 2020 child count. So, with that, there is the opportunity to one, fully implement all of the changes within your December 1 2020 child count, so if you're able to do that, That is great. Go ahead and get those all set up and report your child count, based on all the new changes. If you're not able to do that, but you're able to implement some of the changes. Then you can incorporate those changes in, and you'll be able to just indicate which categories you were able to update, and which categories, you are not able to update. And so for example if you're able to get the newly identified category, integrated in in the other categories, you're not able to this year. You're going to be reporting that in your data notes to us. And you can report that and we'll take that information and we'll use that to create our reports this year. If you're not able to incorporate any of the changes this year. And you have to wait till next year to get everything incorporated in, then you'll just report on the old format, and you will just let us know. So, the data notes will be important this year, and you're going to be in, you're going to be indicating in those data notes, what you were able to do as far as implementing the changes whether you were fully implementing doing a partial implementation and what you were able to implement, or if you are were unable to make the changes, and that you were waiting till next year to make the changes in your data and it is in the previous year format. SLIDE 5: All right, where to find the resources. So, this is for the resources for the child count reporting materials, and for the changes that were made. The materials are in the reporting materials section on the child count management page of the NCDB website. And to get to that, you can go to the "for State Deaf-Blind Projects" tab on the main menu of the NCDB website. And from there, there's project management link, and under that there is a child count anD annual outreach dropped down. From there you'll get the link to the child count management page, and on that page is where the reporting materials section is on that page, in that section you will find the instructions which includes the codebook and the quick reference table. There is also the sample spreadsheet and there is the submission link for when you're ready to submit your data. Additional resources that are included there is the document that has all of the revisions and all of the detail about the revisions from the needs assessment that was conducted over the last year. The child count change log is there that includes all of the changes, the crosswalk changes from old data to new data for this go around in 2020, but also historically over the past years if you need to refer back to that. We also have a document on guidance on reporting ethnicity and race. And we'll go into more detail on all of these documents in the subsequent slides. SLIDE 6: All right, the instructions codebook and quick reference table. So, in this document we when combined everything into one document so there wasn't as many documents to try to keep track of. The instructions is just the basic information about preparing your report. The code book has all the details, the detailed instructions and code definitions for each of the fields that you'll be reporting on, and has the order of all of the fields. And then we have the quick reference table at the very end of the document that has the condensed summary of all the codes for the fields. And so that is something that I know a lot of you referred to in the past. And we've set it up to where that can be pulled out separately if you want to, but we have incorporated it into the one document so that you're not having to track down as many documents. That might be a good resource also to share with your IT people or database developers. The child count sample spreadsheet is available. It does have some new formatting than it has in the past. It has the data spreadsheet with the categories lined out as we've seen in the past. It has a data note sheet on it as well. And then it also has another sheet in it for "other specified", for those categories where you have things like etiologies that are not on the list and you want to specify those or other disabilities that are in the other disabilities - other category. You can specify those on that list, in that extra sheet. SLIDE 7: The child count change log. This is the resource that has all of the crosswalks for all the code changes. And it is the best document for database people to work from after you determine how you want your changes implemented, because it has all of the old codes and all of the new codes, so it's a nice document to look at, as you're referring to what what the current codes are, and what the labels are, and what the new codes and labels are, what things have been removed what things have been added. And so, that's all there. It also has the history of the changes, so as I mentioned before, if you need to look back at items from past changes, it's there as well. Also I have created a simplified version of the change log which is the 2020 changes with a little check column to track changes if you need a checklist to track updates as they are made. If you want a copy of that just let me know and I'll get you a copy of that. We've also included that revisions document as I mentioned that documents all the revisions that have been made through the needs assessment process and all the feedback that we had gotten over that process and gives a deep understanding of the specific changes, if you need to look at that for reference. So that one is more detailed and is there for your reference. SLIDE 8: All right, what's new and what's different. So the first thing you'll notice is that the child count items have been reordered. And we did that because we thought it was a better flow for the collection of materials, and a lot of you have already reorganize your own materials in a similar fashion. And we thought this was just a better flow.We've made some bigger chunk sections that seemed to make sense. You are not required to reorganize your information in this way. But I will say, that it'll be easier in the future for you and your communication with NCDB, and for viewing future resources. For example, like the data feedback file that I, that I give you back of your data will be organized in this variable order and future resources will likely be in this new order. However, we know that there's a cost to making changes in your own data systems so if you don't want to make changes to the order of your data, your data fields within your database system, then you can turn your data into us in the old order and I can reorganize your data when it comes in to be in the field order that I need them to be. So that's a possibility. SLIDE 9: All right, what's new and mandatory. So, the mandatory new items are the newly identified field. The new ID. This is for internal use only. It was designed for use between the state projects and in NCDB. It wasn't really intended to be used on your child count forms. And it's going to be..it's something that you are using or identifying on your common measures for your APR, and we'll be using for national reports. And likely you already have something like this in your database as a new referral date or eligibility or enrollment date. And so it should be pretty easy for you to incorporate this into your report. Eligibility for state deaf-blind project services vary among states. What you, what criteria you use to classify that. And so we'll let each of you determine what you.. what criteria you use for identifying what is "newly identified" for determining that date. But that will be something that will be required. Data notes for each child record. That is a new field that will go in. You may not have information for each record, likely you won't, but it is available if there is anything to note that is unusual or noteworthy for any particular child. And so that is there. That data note field is one that may not be in, you may not have it in your data system right in the same order as it does occur in the instructions. You might put it at the end. But it seemed to flow in the instructions in the order that we placed it, so you have some flexibility there. IDEA services. In the past we had a field called funding source, which was similar, and may still be in some project databases. It's also shown as "column 22 intentionally not used" in many data sets or data files that I receive. The IDEA services was added to help us more accurately report the Part C and Part B data on the national report. So this is important..to report this. So you may not have all the information initially. We ask that you fill that in as completely as you can, as quickly as you can, and continue to build that, and keep track of that information as you can. SLIDE 10: Optional items. So we have the ID code, which is the first name and last name combined to make the ID code. And that is now optional. As long as you are truly using unique codes for the child number, child code, and that the unique code that is being used is consistent for a child throughout the time that they are used on the child count. So it is important in that child code child number field that there is not a duplication of a code for any children in that field. And as long as that's the case, and once a child is assigned ID number it stays with that child throughout the time that they're on the child count, then, we don't need to have that ID code. So that is an optional going forward if that's the case with the child number child code. Date of birth is now available to be reported in one of two ways. We have a DOB Date field that is possible to enter the full birth date into one date field and report it that way. Or you can report it in the existing format that we've reported.. in three separate fields, birth day, birth month, and birth year. Some states already have it in their system as a date field, or birth date goes in and they are actually having to separate it out into three separate fields to report it to us. And it's not necessary to separate it out into three fields. So, if you don't want to have those extra three fields you can report it to us in that date field. And we'll take it that way. If you do already have it in those three fields and you want to leave it separated out and report it that way, we'll take it that way as well. You do not have to report it both ways. Primary language in the home is an optional item that we added this year. It is not necessary to report it, but we felt like it was something that a lot of states were interested in collecting. Some states are already collecting. And so we've added it. We encourage those states that would like to collect that information to collect it and report it. We will aggregate any data that is received by projects, who report this information, and we'll monitor this category for future inclusion as a required item if we feel like it is a necessary item in the future. Part B exiting is going to be optional for ages three through 13, only in that we will be reporting on a national basis ages 14 to 21. So for Part B Exiting 14 to 21 is still required, but ages three to 13 is not required. However, some states do find that it's useful to keep track of information such as moved or transferred to regular education or deceased. And so if you are still collecting that information and find that that's useful, you can do that. You can include that in your reports, that's fine and we'll just not include that in our reports. We will only be reporting ages 14 to 21 in our national reports for that information. SLIDE 11: All right, ethnicity and race. So we have now aligned this with federal guidelines for collecting the two part question. That gives individuals the opportunity to first indicate if their ethnicity is Hispanic Latino or not, regardless of race. There are different guidelines for collecting and reporting. And so, we have created a new supporting document to give more details on these categories, and the document is available on the website and linked here. It does, it can be a little confusing and we try to give you as much information there as possible. And so, look at that resource, see if it can clarify some of the questions you have, but feel free to contact me if you have more questions. I will make one word of note..that if you do not have a response to the ethnicity question, you can use the unknown/missing code of 999. That's something that can be put in there for that code, for that if you don't have a response for the ethnicity/race question. Other disabilities. That one was.. previously there was no definitions for other disabilities. And so, we added definitions. We tried to align those with the IDEA definitions wherever possible. Data labels were also updated to incorporate terminology from the Part B disability category, while maintaining the old label terminology to help bridge that change from what you have been reporting to going forward. So, there were some changes there. Now the IDEA Part B, educational environments. You want to be sure just to review that section pretty thoroughly. All codes have changed for the three to 21. Ages three to five and the six to 21 still have separate codes, but all the codes have been changed for each of those groups so you'll need to look at those closely. As you know in the past we had some coding errors with those. And so we have just updated all of the codes. They all need to be looked at. All of your data needs to be checked before you update them to make sure that they are accurate within your data set before you make the updates, and then make sure that they get updated. We've also added additional definitions and contextual help within that section to help alleviate some of those questions that come in.. Hopefully to help you as you complete that information. SLIDE 12: All right. Frequently Asked Questions I'm just going to go through a few of these frequently asked questions that we have. One question, do you want the date for the newly identified students only for the current December reporting period. December 2 previous year to December 1 of the reporting year, or do you want everyone's date of identification? Does data need to be cleared each year of previously, previous newly identified dates? Answer: Once data is reported in the newly identified field it should not be cleared. NCDB will extract data each year for only children with dates within the current reporting year. So just to clarify with that newly identified field, we're only expecting you to include data for children this year and going forward. So if you have data already for children who are currently in your child count, you can provide data. So that if you have a field that already can populate data for children in the past..that are currently on your count, you can do that, but don't feel like you have to dig up information for existing children, we're not expecting that. SLIDE 13: Question. If a child is determined not to be eligible for DB services, how do I report them for Part C, or Part B exiting? Answer: The child may still be eligible for IDEA Part C or Part B, depending on age, and therefore may not have exited and is still receiving IDEA. Indicate in program in the appropriate age exiting field, and only indicate "no longer eligible for DB project services" in the DB project status field. SLIDE 14: Question. Our state allows children to receive Part C services past age two. Can I still report them using the categories that pertained to Part C ages birth to two? Answer: Yes. However, you must include state data notes letting NCDB know that your state allows for Part C services to extend past age two. SLIDE 15: Question. I have a student that became ineligible for DB project services after the last child count report. Do I include them on this report, even though they are ineligible? Answer: Yes, it is important to get exiting data. Report any child that was active at the beginning of the reporting period and at the end of the reporting period was no longer eligible. Report the child as "no longer eligible to receive services from the deafblind project" in the deafblind project status field. And again, the report year is December 2 of the previous year to December 1 of the report year. SLIDE 16: Okay, just a quick review on data quality and accuracy. So just a reminder that states do have a responsibility for checking your data prior to submitting to NCDB. So you do need to look at your data, rather than just exporting it from your database and shooting the file to NCDB. You should be looking at your data file, looking to see if there's anything that that sticks out, any data anomalies that might catch your attention. A couple things to be checking for particularly are for children transitioning from Part C to part B, and make sure that those age related categories have been updated. Also you can check for children with Part B category code of developmentally delayed, and make sure if they've aged beyond the age that your state allows for developmentally delayed, that those codes have been updated. There also some data codes from the past where we've made changes to the child count in the past have been updated, that might still be in your child count, and those may still need to be updated as well. So, looking again at that child log, or that change log might be helpful, but the data feedback file that I've given you last year and I will give you again from the 2019 data will be helpful as you look at your data. Because it'll help highlight some of those things that are things to look at some data to to double check in your database. And so those are some ways to look at your data before you send it in and double check some of your data and clean it up in your database so hopefully you won't continually have data problems in the past in the future that will just get things cleaned up and it'll be much cleaner going forward. I also want to refer you to the meeting that we had earlier this year on data accuracy and using the data feedback file, which does give more tips on how to look at your data, different things to look for, different ways to look at your data and organize your data for reviewing for possible errors. And also just mention that I am happy to help you look at your data or discuss ways to steam streamline the process for reviewing your data with you. SLIDE 17: Alright. And also just want to mention for network sharing, on the changes that you're making to your child count collection tools that I'm sure others would benefit from seeing what you've done to make changes to your child count tools. So if you are willing to share those as examples, if you'd contact me once you have those updated I can set up a Basecamp folder to share those forms, and let everybody know where those are. And so you can go in and look at what other people have done with those updates. SLIDE 18: Alright, so if you have questions, you are free to contact me via email or phone. And also I have weekly office hours, that are just drop-in. I have a Google Meet room that is always open on Thursdays from 11 to 12 Pacific. You don't need to have an appointment, you can just drop in. You can use that link there and it's in my email as well, on my tag line my signature line. And so you can always get that link, and during that timeyou can just drop in and ask your questions. SLIDE 19: And that is it. So, thank you very much and I hope that you got some of your questions answered.