2021 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART B – Arkansas
OSEP Response to SPP/APR
PDF2021 SPP/APR Submission PART B – Arkansas
MS WORD (.docx)View 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 equ al access. U NITED S TATES D EPARTMENT OF E DUCATION
O FFICE OF S PECIAL E DUCATION AND R EHABILITATIVE S ERVICES
June 24, 2021
Honora ble Johnny Key
Commissioner
Arkansas Department o f Education
Four Capitol Mall, Room 304-A
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Dea r Commissioner Key:
I am writing to advise you of the U. S. Department of Education’s (Department) 2021
determination under section 616 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The
Department has determined that Arkansas nee ds assistance in implementing the requirements of
Part B of the IDEA . This determination is based on the totality of the State’s data and
information, including the Federa l fiscal year (FFY) 2019 State Performance Plan/Annual
Performance Report (SPP/APR), other State-reported data, and other publicly available
information.
With the FFY 2019 SPP/APR submission, the Office of Special Education Programs ( OSEP)
requested that States and Entities report whether and how the data collection for any indicator
was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, OSEP requested that States and Entities
include in the narrative for each impacted indicator: (1) the impact on data completeness,
validity, and/or reliability for the indicator; (2) an explanation of how COVID- 19 specifically
impacted the State’s or Entity’s ability to collect and verify the data for the indicator; and (3) any
steps the State or Entity took to mitigate the impact of COVID- 19 on the data collection and
verification. OSEP appreciates States’ and Entities’ level of transparency regarding the impact of
COVID-19 on the data reported in the FFY 2019 SPP/APR. When making determination
decisions for 2021, OSEP considered all information submitted that related to the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic. For 2021 determinations, no State or Entity received a determination of
“Needs Intervention” due solely to data impacted by COVID-19.
Your State’s 202 1 determination is based on the dat a re flected in the State’s “2021 Part B
Results- Driven Accountability Matrix” (RDA Matrix). The RDA Matrix i s 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 Result s Elements ;
(3) a Compliance Score and a Results Score ;
(4) an RDA Percentage based on both the Compliance Score and the Results Score ; and
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2—Chief State School Officer
(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 Disabilities Education Act in 2021 :
Part B” (HTDMD).
OSEP is continuing to use both results data and compliance data in making determinations in
2021, as it did for Part B determinations in 2014-2020. (The specifics of the determination
procedures and criteria are set forth in the HTDMD and reflected in the RDA Matrix for your
State.) In making Part B determinations in 2021, OSEP continued to use results data related to: (1) the participation and performance of CWD on the most recently administered (school
year 201 8 - 201 9 ) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1
;
(2) t he percentage of CWD who graduated with a regular high school diploma; and
(3) the percentage of C WD who drop ped out.
You may access the results of OSEP’s review of your State’s SPP/APR and other relevant data
by accessing the EMAPS SPP/APR reporting tool using your State - specific log - on information at
https://emaps.ed.gov/suiteL . When you access your State’s SPP/APR on the site, you will find I in
Indicators 1 through 16, the OSEP Response to the indicator and any actions that the State is
required to take. The actions that t he State is required to take are in the “Required Actions”
section of the indicator.
It is important for you to review the Introduction to the SPP/APR, which may also include
language in the “ OSEP o esponse ” and/or “ Required Actions ” sections .
You will al so find all of the following important documents saved as attachments:
(1F the State’s RDA Matrix;
(2F the HTDMD document;
(3F a spreadsheet entitled “ 2021 Data Rubric Part B,” which shows how OSEP calculated the
State’s “Timely and Accurate State - Reported Data” sc ore in the Compliance Matrix; and
(4F a document e ntitled “Dispute Resolution 201 9 - 20 20 ,” 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 .
As noted above, the State’s 2021 determination is Needs Assistance. A State’s 2021 RDA
Det ermination is Needs Assistance if the RDA Percentage is at least 6 0% but less than 80%. A
State’s determination would also be Needs Assistance if its RDA Determination percentage is
80% or above but the Department has imposed Specific Conditions on the State’s last three
IDEA Pa rt B grant awards (for FFYs 2018, 2019, and 2020 ), and those Speci fic Conditions are
i n effect at the time of the 2021 determination.
1
OSEP has used results data on the participation and performance of children with disabilities on the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) in making determinations for States (but not Entities) since 2014. Although the BIE is the only
Entity that administers the NAEP, OSEP has not used NAEP data in making the BIE’s determinations because the BIE’s NAEP
data were previously not available. However, given that the BIE’s NAEP data are now available, OSEP is considering using the
NAEP data in making the BIE’s 2022 determination under IDEA section 616(d).
Page 3— Chief State School Officer
States were required to submit Phase II I Year Five of the SSIP by April 1, 2021 . OSEP
appreciat es the State’s ongoing work on its SSIP and its efforts to improve results for students
with disabilities. We have carefully reviewed and responded to your submission and will provide
additional feedback in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, OSEP will conti nue to provide
technical assistance to your State as it implements the SSIP, which is due on February 1, 2022 .
As a reminder, your State must report annually to the public, by posting on the Stat e educational
agency’s (SEA’s) webs ite, the performance of each local educational agency (LEA) located in
the State on the targets in the SPP/APR as soon as practicable, but no later than 120 days after
the St ate’s submission of its FFY 2019 SPP/APR. In addition, your State must:
(1) review LEA performance against ta rgets in the State’s SPP/APR;
(2) determine if each LEA “meets the requirements” of Part B, or “needs assistance,” “needs
intervention,” 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 pos ting it on the SEA’s
web site. Within the upcoming weeks, OSEP will be finalizing a State Profile that:
(1) includes the State’s determination letter and SPP/APR, OSEP attachments , and all State
attachments that are accessible in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 ; and
(2) will be accessible to the public via the ed.gov website.
OSEP appreciates the State’s efforts to improve results for children and youth with disabilities
and looks forward to working with your State over the next year as we continue our important
work of improving the lives of children with disabilities and thei r 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,
David Cantrell, PhD
Acting Director
Office of Special Education Programs
cc: State Direct or of Special Education
(Grant Year 2019–2020 — Issued June 24, 2021)
How the department made determinations
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Last modified on August 10, 2021