Steel Magnolias: Strengthening 619 Data Culture in Mississippi

Section 619 of IDEA’s Part B focuses on the important element of early childhood special education services and supports. However, the various nature of preschool programs can make collecting high-quality data a challenge even for those with an iron—or should we say steel—will. In Mississippi, the quest to collect high-quality preschool data means working alongside the state’s LEAs to overcome these shared challenges and to develop a sustainable culture of high-quality data, for example through an updated child outcome summary process designed to capture a fuller, more accurate picture of child progress. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman heads South for a friendly sit-down with two of Mississippi’s steel magnolias of preschool special education, Early Childhood Special Education 619 Supervisor Candice Taylor and 619 Coordinator ...