Construction and validation of two parent-report scales for the evaluation of early intervention programs

The State Performance Plan (SPP) developed under the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004, Public Law 108-446) requires states to collect data and report on the impact of early intervention services on three key outcomes for participating families. The NCSEAM Impact on Family Scale (NIFS) and the NCSEAM Family Centered Services Scale (NFCSS) were developed to provide states with a means to address this new reporting requirement and to collect additional data that would inform program improvement efforts. Items suggested by stakeholder groups were piloted with a nationally representative sample of parents of children with developmental delays or disabilities ages birth to three participating in early intervention services in eight states. The 28-item NIFS had measurement reliabilities ranging from .93-.96 in a sample of 1,750; measurement reliabilities for the 135-item NFCSS ranged from .94 to .97 in a sample of 1,755 respondents. A 29-item version of the NFCSS had measurement reliabilities ranging from .87 to .92. Using data from the pilot study, stakeholders established a recommended performance standard, set at a meaningful point in the NIFS item hierarchy, for each of the three established outcome areas.