2018 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART B – Federated States of Micronesia
Home » SPP/APR » 2018 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART B – Federated States of Micronesia
OSEP Response to SPP/APR
PDFView PDF
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
June 28, 2018
Honorable Kalwin Kephas
Secretary of Education
Federated States of Micronesia
P.O. Box PS 87
Palikir , Federated States of Micronesia 96941
Dear Secretary Kephas :
I am writing to advise you of the U. S. Department of Education’s (Department) 2018
determination under section 616 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA ). The
Department has determined that the Federated States of Micronesia needs assistance in
implementing the requirements of Part B of the IDEA . This determination is based on the totality
of the Federated States of Micronesia ’s data and information, including the Federal fiscal year
(FFY) 2016 State Performance Plan/Annual Pe rformance Report (SPP/APR), other Entity -
reported data, and other publicly available information.
Protecting the rights of children with disabilities and their families is a key responsibility of
States, but it is not sufficient if children are not attaini ng the knowledge and skills necessary to
achieve the goals of IDEA as reflected in Congressional findings in section 601(c)(1) of the
IDEA: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self -
sufficiency. To address this conc ern, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has been
using results data when making annual determinations for States under IDEA section 616(d)
since 2014, and this year for the first time, the Department used results data when making
determination s for outlying areas, freely associated States and the Bureau of Indian Education
(the Entities).
OSEP informed the Entities in their 2017 determination letters, that it was considering using both
compliance and results data when making determinations in 2018. Over the past year, OSEP has
solicited input from the Entities on multiple occasions; in a face to face meeting on July 19, 2017
and subsequent conference calls with technical assistance providers who shared additional
questions and suggestions colle cted from Entities in later meetings. After careful consideration
of the input provided by each of the Entities, technical assistance providers, and other
stakeholders, OSEP developed an equitable and reasonable process for using results data with
complian ce data in making determinations for each Entity. In early February 2018, OSEP sent a
letter to the Federated States of Micronesia ’s Chief State School Officer explaining how both
results and compliance data would be used in making 2018 determinations.
The Federated States of Micronesia ’s 2018 determination is based on the data reflected in the
Entity’s “2018 Part B Results -Driven Accountability Matrix” (RDA Matrix). The RDA Matrix is
individualized for each Entity and consists of:
Page 2— Chief State School Officer
(1) a Compliance Matrix that includes scoring on Compliance Indicators and other
compliance 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 Entity’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 Disabilities Education Act in 2018:
Freely Associated States, Outlying Areas, and th e Bureau of Indian Education -Part B”
(HTDMD).
The specifics of the determination procedures and criteria are set forth in the HTDMD and
reflected in the RDA Matrix for the Federated States of Micronesia . In making Part B
determinations in 2018, OSEP used r esults data related to:
(1) the participation of children with disabilities (CWD) on regular Statewide assessments;
(2) the percentage of CWD who graduated with a regular high school diploma; and
(3) the percentage of CWD who dropped out.
You may access the results of OSEP’s review of the Federated States of Micronesia ’s SPP/APR
and other relevant data by accessing the SPP/APR module using your Entity -specific log -on
information at https://osep.grads360.org . When you access your Entity’s SPP/APR on the site,
you will find, in applicable Indicators 1 through 16, the OSEP Response to the indicator and any
actions that the Entity is required to take. The actions that the En tity is required 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 Entity is required to take are in the “Required Actions” sectio n
of the indicator.
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 attachm ents to the Progress
Page:
(1) the Federated States of Micronesia ’s RDA Matrix;
(2) the HTDMD document;
(3) a spreadsheet entitled “2018 Data Rubric Part B,” which shows how OSEP calculated the
Federated States of Micronesia ’s “Timely and Accurate State -Reported Da ta” score in the
Compliance Matrix; and
(4) a document entitled “Dispute Resolution 2016 -17,” which includes the IDEA section 618
data that OSEP used to calculate the Federated States of Micronesia ’s “Timely State
Complaint Decisions” and “Timely Due Process H earing Decisions” scores in the
Compliance Matrix.
Page 3— Chief State School Officer
As noted above, the Federated States of Micronesia ’s 2018 determination is Needs Assistance. A
State’s or Entity’s 2018 RDA Determination is Needs Assistance if the RDA Percentage is at
least 60% but less than 80%. A State or Entity would also be Needs Assistance if its RDA
Determination percentage is 80% or above but the Department has imposed Special Conditions
on the State’s or Entity’s last three IDEA Part B grant awards (for FFYs 2015, 2016, and 2017) ,
and those Special Conditions are in effect at the time of the 2018 determination.
States and Entities were required to submit Phase III Year Two of the State Systemic
Improvement Plan (SSIP) by April 2, 2018. OSEP appreciates the Federated States of
Micr onesia ’s ongoing work on its SSIP and its efforts to improve results for students with
disabilities. We have carefully reviewed your submission and will provide feedback in the
upcoming weeks. Additionally, OSEP will continue to work with the Federated States of
Micronesia as it implements the third year of Phase III of the SSIP, which is due on April 1,
2019.
As a reminder, the Federated States of Micronesia must make its SPP/APR available to the
public by posting it on its agency’s website. Within the next several days, OSEP will be
finalizing an Entity Profile that:
(1) will be accessible to the public;
(2) includes the Entity’s determination letter and SPP/APR, and all related Entity and OSEP
attachments; and
(3) can be accessed via a URL unique to your Entit y, 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 Federated States of Micronesia ’s efforts to improve results for children
and youth with disabilities and looks forward to working with the Federated States of Micronesia
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 if you have any questions,
would l ike to discuss this further, or want to request technical assistance.
Sincerely,
Ruth E. Ryder
Acting Director
Office of Special Education Programs
cc: Federated States of Micronesia Director of Special Education
(Grant Year 2016-2017—Issued June 28, 2018)
Some historical APRs can be found on the GRADS360 website Public Domain Clearinghouse for APRs. To find available APRs, filter by the state you want to find and then filter by the year. If you cannot find the APR you are looking for, contact the Partner Support Center at EDEN-Submission-System@ed.gov.
idea_file-template-default single single-idea_file postid-64240 wp-custom-logo wp-embed-responsive with-font-selector no-anchor-scroll footer-on-bottom animate-body-popup social-brand-colors hide-focus-outline link-style-standard has-sidebar content-title-style-normal content-width-normal content-style-boxed content-vertical-padding-show non-transparent-header mobile-non-transparent-header kadence-elementor-colors elementor-default elementor-kit-82278
Last modified on July 17, 2018