2021 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART C – Arizona

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 NITED S TATES D EPARTMENT OF E DUCATION O FFICE OF S PECIAL E DUCATION AND R EHABILITATIVE S ERVICES June 22, 20 21 Honorable Michael Wisehart D irector Arizona Department of Economic Security 1789 West Jefferson Street, Mail Drop 1111 Phoenix , Arizona 85007 Dear Director Wisehart : I am writing to advise you of the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) 2021 determination under sections 616 an d 642 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Department has determined that Arizona needs assistance in meeting the requirements of Part C of the IDEA . This determination is based on the totality of the State’s data and information, including the Federal 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, 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 narrativ e 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; a nd (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 i mpacted by COVID - 19. Your State’s 2021 determination is based on the data reflected in the State’s “ 2021 Part C 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 compliance factors; (2) Results Components and Appendices that include scoring on Results Elements; (3) a Compliance Sco re and a Results Score;