2021 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART B – Northern Mariana Islands
OSEP Response to SPP/APR
PDF2021 SPP/APR Submission PART B – Northern Mariana Islands
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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. U
NITE D STATE S D EPARTMENT OF EDUC ATION
O FFICE OF SPECIAL EDUC ATIO N AND REHABILIT ATIVE SERVICES
June 24, 2021
Honorable Alfre d Ada
Commissioner of Education
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System
P.O. Box 501370 CK
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 96950
Dea r Commissioner Ada:
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 Educati on Act (IDEA). The
Department has determined that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands needs
assistance in implementing the requirements of Part B of the IDEA. This determination is based
on the totality of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ data and information,
including the Federal fiscal yea r (FFY) 2019 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance
Report (SPP/APR), other Entity-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.
OSEP is continuing to use both results and compliance data in making determinations for
outlying areas, freely associated States, and the Bureau of Indian Education (the Entities) in
2021, as it did for determinations in 2020. 1
The 1
OSEP has used results data on the participation and performance of chil dren with disabilities on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in making determinations for States (but not Entities) since 2014.
Although t he BIE is the only E ntity that administer s 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 2— Chief State School Officer
Commonwealth of the Northern Marian a Islands ’ 2021 determination is based on the data
reflected in the Entity’s “2021 Part B Results -Driven Accountability Matrix” (RDA Matrix). The
RDA Matrix is individualized for each Entity and consists of:
(1) a Compliance Matrix that includes scoring on C ompliance 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 Determinati on.
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:
Freely Associated States, Outlying Areas, and the Bureau of Indian Edu cation -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 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands . In making
Part B determinations in 2021, OSEP used results data related to:
(1) the percentage of CWD who graduated with a regular high school diploma; and
(2) the percentage of CWD who dropped out.
You may access the results of OSEP’s review of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands ’ SPP/APR and other relevant data b y accessing the EMAPS SPP/APR reporting tool
using your Entity -specific log -on information at https://emaps.ed.gov/suite/. When you access
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’ 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 Entity 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 Response” and/or “Required Actions” sections.
You will also find all of the following important documents saved as attachments:
(1) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’ RDA Matrix;
(2) the HTDMD do cument;
(3) a spreadsheet entitled “2021 Data Rubric Part B,” which shows how OSEP calculated
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’s “Timely and Accurate State -Reported
Data” score in the Compliance Matrix; and
(4) a document entitled “Dispute Resolution 2019 -2020,” which includes the IDEA section
618 data that OSEP used to calculate the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands ’ “Timely State Complaint Decisions” and “Timely Due Process Hearing
Decisions” scores in the Compliance Matrix.
As noted above, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’ 2021 determination is
Needs Assistance. A State’s or Entity’s 2021 RDA Determination is Needs Assistance if the RDA
Page 3— Chief State School Officer
Percentage is at least 60% but less than 80%. A State ’s or Entity ’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 or Entity’s last three IDEA Part B grant awards (for
FFYs 201 8, 201 9, and 20 20 ), and those Specific Conditions are in effect at the time of the 202 1
determination.
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’ determination for 2020 was also Needs
Assistance. In accordance with section 616(e)(1) of the IDEA and 34 C.F.R. § 300.604(a), if a
State or Entity is determined to need assistance for two consecutive years, the Secretary must
take one or more of the following actions:
(1) advise the State or Entity of available sources of technical assistance that may help the
State or Entity address the areas in which it needs assistance and require the State or
Entity to work with appropriate entities;
(2) direct the use of State or Entity -level funds on the area or areas in which the State or
Entity needs assistance; or
(3) identify the State or Entity as a high -risk grantee a nd impose Specific Conditions on the
State’s or Entity’s IDEA Part B grant award.
Pursuant to these requirements, the Secretary is advising the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands of available sources of technical assistance, including OSEP -funded te chnical
assistance centers and resources at the following website: https://osep.communities.ed.gov , and
requiring the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to work with appropriate entities.
In addition, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands should consider accessing
technical assistance from other Department -funded centers such as the Comprehensive Centers
with resources at the followi ng link: https://compcenternetwork.org/states . The Secretary directs
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to determine the results elements and/or
compliance indicators, and improvement strategie s, on which it will focus its use of available
technical assistance, in order to improve its performance. We strongly encourage the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to access technical assistance related to those
results elements and compliance ind icators for which the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands received a score of zero. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
must report with its FFY 2020 SPP/APR submission, due February 1, 2022, on:
(1) the technical assistance sources from which the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands received assistance; and
(2) the actions the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands took as a result of that
technical assistance.
As required by IDEA section 616(e)(7) and 34 C.F.R. § 300.606, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands must notify the public that the Secretary of Education has taken the
above enforcement actions, including, at a minimum, by posting a public notice on its website
and distributing the notice to the media and through public agencie s.
States and Entities were required to submit Phase III Year Five of the SSIP by April 1, 2021.
OSEP appreciates the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’ 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.
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Additionally, OSEP will continue to provide technical assistance to the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands as it implements the SSIP, which is due on February 1, 2022 .
As a reminder, the C ommonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands must make its SPP/APR
available to the public by posting it on its agency’s website. Within the upcoming weeks, OSEP
will be finalizin g an Entity Profile that:
(1) includes the En tity ’s determination letter and SPP/APR, OSEP attachments, and all Entity
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 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ’ efforts to improve results
for children and youth with disabilities and looks forward to working with the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands 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 like to discuss this further, or want to request technical assistance.
Sincerely,
David Cantrell, PhD
Acting Director
Office of Special Education Programs
cc: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Director 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