Policy and Research

The Desired Results Developmental Profile [DRDP (2015)] is designed to assist the California Department of Education in determining the effectiveness of its early care and education programs. CDE's Special Education Division (SED) implements the DRDP (2015) in Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs) to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) and requirements of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The Desired Results Access Project conducts research, technical studies, and evaluation activities to support the use of the DRDP (2015) for special education.

Policy

Describes the requirements of Public Law 108-446, (IDEA 2004) and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that form the legal basis for the participation of infants and toddlers and their families with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) and preschool-age children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in the DRDP (2015). The DRDP (2015) enables California to comply with these federal laws.

Outlines the responsibilities of SELPA staff and special education administrators for the DRDP.

The California Department of Education/Special Education Division uses DRDP (2015) data for the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) to meet requirements of the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This document describes the relationship between the DRDP (2015) and Indicator 7 of the SPP/APR: Preschool Outcomes.

A document illustrating how the Domains and Measures of the DRDP (2015) used in early childhood special education correspond to the three OSEP outcomes.

Research

DIF analysis is used to investigate whether measures on an assessment instrument functions differently for different groups of children. Examination of DIF is important to determine whether subgroups of children who possess comparable ability levels have equal (or different) likelihood of receiving the same ratings on the measures. This analysis provides evidence that the DRDP (2015) generally functions as intended for all children of the same ability level (i.e., no bias in a specific developmental area or skill). The two subgroups examined are children with disabilities (infants and toddlers with IFSPs and preschool children with IEPs) and children without disabilities.

This report outlines the technical properties of the Desired Results Developmental Profile (2015) which stem from the specifications that guided the development of the DRDP (2015) to produce a statewide early childhood assessment. The criteria for a high-quality early childhood assessment are presented within 10 indicators along with evidence for how the DRDP (2015) meets each criteria.

This document describes the findings of the 2014-15 Interrater Agreement Study conducted by the Desired Results Access Project. The study investigated rating agreements between pairs of special education assessors who independently rated the DRDP (2015) for the same child within the same time period.

In August 2018, the California Department of Education, Special Education Division began requiring that all special education DRDP (2015) assessors complete a training program to increase the accuracy of the DRDP (2015) data. This report describes the results of the first six months of this new training requirement.