Utah State Board of Education posts UPOD training for preschool special-education reporting

Chelsea Oakes, a preschool special education support specialist at the Utah State Board of Education, published an online training on using the Utah Preschool Outcome Data System (UPOD) and the related Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPs).

The video explains how local education agency (LEA) staff should access UPOD, how student records flow from local student information systems into UPOD, the timing and method for entering entry and exit child outcome summary scores, and how LEAs can generate Indicator 7 and other reports used for federal and state reporting.

Oakes led viewers step-by-step through the UPOD workflow. She demonstrated logging in with state credentials, using the UPOD search to filter by LEA, SSID, student name, date of birth or case manager, and reminded administrators that an individual case manager view shows only that person’s assigned students. "If I were only a case manager, I would only see the students that are assigned to me, Chelsea Oakes," she said, demonstrating the difference between admin and case-manager views.

The training clarifies where UPOD gets roster data: students are automatically uploaded from Utreks, which in turn receives data from local student information systems such as Skyward, PowerSchool or Synergy. Oakes emphasized that UPOD uploads only active preschool-age students who have an active SCRAM code indicating an IEP. She warned that 5-year-olds who are in kindergarten can appear in UPOD and that older students with entry scores remain until exited in the system.

On scoring, Oakes walked through the child outcome summary (COS) process. LEAs record three COS areas: positive social-emotional relationships; acquisition and use of knowledge and skills; and using appropriate behavior to meet needs. She demonstrated the decision tree on-screen and urged an IEP-team discussion that includes parents when choosing a score. "This should be a discussion with the entire IEP team, including parents," Oakes said.

The video notes timing rules and reporting conventions: entry scores should be entered within 30 days of the eligibility and IEP meeting; exit scores are recorded when a child leaves preschool (for example, moving on to kindergarten) and the trainer walked through reasons for exits such as transition to kindergarten, moved out of state, or exit for no longer qualifying. Oakes explained that UPOD excludes from state reporting children who were in the program for fewer than six months before exiting.

The exit workflow requires teams to indicate whether progress was made in each COS area even if the numeric score does not change. "You may give them the same score that they had when they entered, but they have still made progress," Oakes said, and recommended marking progress "yes" when a child has learned any new relevant skill.

Oakes also demonstrated reporting tools in UPOD, including the B7 (Indicator 7) report and summary statements used for Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) reporting and for annual LEA determinations. She said summary statement 1 (growth) remains a focus for LEA goal-setting, while summary statement 2 (proficiency at exit) is available but no longer a required focus for LEA determinations because it proved difficult to interpret and achieve.

Common technical problems and troubleshooting steps were covered: failures to connect often relate to Utreks or local SIS errors; slow performance can occur at peak submission times; and missing students usually stem from incorrect data in the local SIS or from an interrupted upload to Utreks. Oakes encouraged LEA staff to check SCRAM codes and SIS uploads first and to contact district Utreks leads or her office if problems persist.

For additional support, Oakes pointed viewers to UPOD resources on schools.utah.gov (Special Education → Programs → Preschool → Indicator 7) and offered individualized training through the district professional learning and training request portal. She provided her contact: chelsea.oaks@schools.utah.gov.

The video is instructional rather than policy-making; it documents recommended workflow, reporting deadlines, and technical support pathways for LEA staff entering and reviewing preschool outcomes in UPOD.