For the first time, the U.S. Department of Education has issued determination letters on implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to each state education agency for Part B and to each lead agency for Part C. The determinations, required under the statute, are part of the on-going efforts to improve results for children and youth with disabilities.
As amended in 2004, the IDEA requires the Secretary of Education to make an annual determination as to whether each state is meeting the requirements of the statute. Under the IDEA each state is required to have in place a State Performance Plan (SPP) that evaluates the state’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of Parts B or C of the IDEA, and describes how the state will improve its implementation of these programs. Each state must then submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) detailing its progress in meeting the targets it established in its SPP.
The Department approved states’ SPPs in 2006 and States submitted their first APRs under the SPPs in February of 2007. The letters the Department issued announce and explain the first determinations made under these new requirements of the IDEA.
The IDEA details four categories for the Secretary’s determination:
Meets the requirements and purposes of the IDEA
Needs assistance in implementing the requirements of the IDEA
Needs intervention in implementing the requirements of the IDEA
Needs substantial intervention in implementing the requirements of the IDEA
Data and criteria used to make determinations:
To make the determination for each Part B and Part C program, the Department considered the state’s APR, information obtained through monitoring visits, and any other public information. The following factors were considered for each state’s determination under each program:
For each compliance indicator in the APR, whether the state demonstrated compliance or that it corrected noncompliance in a timely manner, or if it did not demonstrate compliance, nonetheless had made progress in ensuring compliance over prior performance in that area. For all indicators in the SPP and APR, whether the state provided valid and reliable FFY 2005 data that reflected the measurement for the indicator. Whether the state had other IDEA compliance issues that had been identified in the Department’s monitoring, audit or other activities, and the state’s progress in resolving those problems.
The IDEA identifies specific technical assistance or enforcement actions aligned with each of the determinations, with the exception of “Meets Requirements” that the Department must take under specific circumstances. These actions are consistent with the level of concern signaled by the determination, however, consistent with the IDEA, none of the enforcement actions will be applied to states this year.
Copies of the determination letters for each state will be available on Part B at:
http://www.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/partbspap/index.html
and, for Part C:
http://www.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/partcspap/index.html
Below is a summary of the State results:
PART B DETERMINATIONS
Meets Requirements
Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Wyoming
Needs Assistance
Alabama, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Bureau of Indian Affairs, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Needs Intervention
Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Washington, DC, Federated States of Micronesia, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Washington
Needs Substantial Intervention
None
PART C DETERMINATIONS:
Meets Requirements
Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming
Needs Assistance
American Samoa, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin
Needs Intervention
Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington, DC, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee
Needs Substantial Intervention
None