2017 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART B – Alabama
OSEP Response to SPP/APR
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OSEP Response to SPP/APR
400 MARYLAND AVE. S.W., WASHINGTON DC 20202-2600
www.ed.gov
The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by
fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
J une 28, 2017
Honorable Michael Sentance
Superintendent of Education
Alabama State Department of Education
Gordon Persons Office Building
P.O. Box 302101
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Dear Superintendent Sentance :
I am writing to advise you of the U. S. Department of Education's (Department) 2017
determination unde r section 616 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ). The
Department has determined that Alabama meets the requirements and purposes of Part B of the
IDEA . This determination is based on the totality of the State’s data and information, including
th e Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2015 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report
(SPP/APR), other State -reported data, and other publicly available information.
Your State’s 2017 determination is based on the dat a reflected in the State’s “2017 Part B
Results -Driven Accountability Matrix” (RDA Matrix). The RDA Matrix is individualized for
each State and consists of:
(1) a Compliance Matrix that includes scoring on Compliance Indicators and other
comp liance factors;
(2) a Results Matrix that includes scoring on Results Elements ;
(3) a Compliance Score and a Results Score;
(4) an RDA Percentage based on both the Compliance Score and the Results Score ; and
(5) the State’s Determination.
The RDA Matrix is further explained in a document, entitled “How the Department Made
Determinations under Section 616(d) of the Individuals with Di sabilities Education Act in 2017:
Part B ” (HTDMD).
OSEP is continuing to use both results data and compliance data in making determinations in
2017, as it did for Part B dete rminations in 2014, 2015, and 2016. (The specifics of the
determination procedures and criteria are set forth in the HTDMD and reflected in the RDA
Matrix for your State.) In maki ng Part B determinations in 2017, OSEP continued to use results
data related to:
(1) the participation of children with disabilities (CWD) on regular Statewide assessments;
Page 2—Chief State School Officer
(2) the participation and performance of CWD on the most recently administered (school
year 2014- 2015) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP);
(3) the percen tage of CWD who graduated with a regular high school diploma; and
(4) the percentage of CWD who dropped out.
You may access the results of OSEP’s review of your State’s SPP/APR and other relevant data
by accessing the SPP/APR module using your State -specific log- on information at
osep.grads360.org. When you access your State’s SPP/APR on the site, you will find, in
Indicators 1 through 16, the OSEP Response to the indicator and any actions that the State is
required to take. The actions that the State is requ ired to take are in two places:
(1) actions related to the correction of findings of noncompliance are in the “OSEP
Response” section of the indicator; and
(2) any other actions that the State is required to take are in the “Required Actions” section
of the indi cator.
It is important for you to review the Introduction to the SPP/APR, which may also include
language in the “ OSEP Response” and/or “ Required Actions ” sections.
You will also find all of the following important documents saved as attachments to the P rogress
Page:
(1) the State’s RDA Matrix;
(2) the HTDMD document;
(3) a spreadsheet entitled “201 7 Data Rubric Part B,” which shows how OSEP calculated the
State’s “Timely and Accurate State- Reported Data” score in the Compliance Matrix;
(4) a document entitled “Dispute Resolution 2015- 16,” which includes the IDEA section 618
data that OSEP used to calculate the State’s “Timely State Complaint Decisions” and
“Timely Due Process Hearing Decisions” scores in the Compliance Matrix; and
(5) a Data Display, which presents cert ain State-reported data in a transparent, user -friendly
manner and is helpful for the public in getting a broader picture of State performance in
key areas.
As noted above, the State’s 2017 determination is Meets Requirements. A State’s 201 7 RDA
Determina tion is Meets Requirements if the RDA Percentage is at least 80%, unless the
Department has imposed Special Conditions on the State’s last three IDEA Part B grant awards
(for FFYs 201 4, 2015, and 2016), and those Special Conditions are i n effect at the time of the
2017 determination.
States were required to submit Phase II I of the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) by April
3, 2017. OSEP appreciates the State’s ongoing work on its SSIP and its efforts to improve results
for students with disabilities. W e have carefully reviewed your submission and will provide
feedback in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, OSEP will continue to work with your State as it
implements the second year of Phase III of the SSIP , which is due on April 2, 2018.
As a reminder, yo ur State must report annually to the public, by posting on the State educational
agency’s (SEA’s) website, the performance of each local educational agency (LEA) located in
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the State on the targets in the SPP/APR as soon as practicable, but no later than 1 20 days after
the State’s submission of its FFY 2015 SPP/APR. In addition, your State must:
(1) review LEA performance against targets in the State’s SPP/APR;
(2) determine if each LEA “meets the requirements” of Part B, or “needs assistance,” “needs
interventio n,” or “needs substantial intervention” in implementing Part B of the IDEA ;
(3) take appropriate enforcement action; and
(4) inform each LEA of its determination.
Further, your State must make its SPP/APR available to the public by posting it on the SEA’s
websi te. Within the next several days, OSEP will be finalizing a State Profile that:
(1) will be accessible to the public;
(2) includes the State’s determination letter and SPP/APR, and all related State and OSEP
attachments; and
(3) can be accessed via a URL unique to your State, which you can use to make your
SPP/APR available to the public .
We will provide you with the unique URL when it is live.
OSEP appreciates the State’s efforts to improve results for children and youth with disabilities
and looks forward to wor king with your State over the next year as we continue our important
work of improving the lives of children with disabilities and their families. Please contact your
OSEP State Lead i f you have any questions, would like to discuss this further, or want to request
technical assistance.
Sincerely,
/s/ Ruth E. Ryder
Ruth E. Ryder
Acting Director
Office of Special Education Programs
cc: State Director of Special Education
(Grant Year 2015-2016—Issued June 28, 2017) Contact the Partner Support Center at EDEN-Submission-System@ed.gov or 877-HLP-EDEN (877-457-3336) for state profile.
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Last modified on July 6, 2017