2021 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART C – Maryland
OSEP Response to SPP/APR
PDF2021 SPP/APR Submission PART C – Maryland
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 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, 2021
Honora ble Karen B. Salmon
St ate Superintendent of Schools
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street, 7th floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Dea r Superintendent Salmon:
I am writing to advise you of the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) 2021
determination under sections 616 and 642 of the Individuals with Disabilities Educati on Act
(IDEA). The Department has determined that Maryland meets the requirements and purposes of
Part C 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 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 Indicato rs and other
compliance factors;
(2F Results Components and Appendices that include scoring on Results Elements;
(3F a Compliance Score and a Results Score;
(4F an RDA Percentage based on both the Compliance Score and the Results Score; and
Page
2—Lead Agency Director
(5) the State’s Determination.
The RDA Matrix is further explained in a document, entitled “How the Department Made
Determinations under Sections 616(d) and 642 of the Individuals with Disabilities Educati on Act
in 2021: Part C” (HTDMD).
OSEP is continuing to use both results data and compliance data in making the Department’s
determinations in 2021, as it did for Part C determinations in 2015-2020. (The specifics of the
determination procedures and criteria are set forth in the HTDMD and reflected in the RDA
Matrix for your State.) For 2021, the Department’s IDEA Part C determinations continue to
include consideration of each State’s Child Outcomes data, which measure how children who
receive Part C services are improving functioning in three outcome areas that are critical to
school readiness: • p ositive social - emotional skills;
• acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication); and
• use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs .
Specifically, the Departme nt considered the data quality and the child performance levels in each
State’s Child Outcomes FFY 2019 data .
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 y our State - specific log - on information at
https://emaps.ed.gov/suite/ . When you access your State’s SPP/APR on the site, you will find, in
Indicators 1 through 10, the OSEP Respon se to the indicator and any actions that the State is
required to take. The actions that the 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 Response” and/or “Required Actions” sections.
You will also 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 C,” which shows how OSEP calculated the
State’s “Timely and Accurate State - Reported Data” score in the Compliance Matrix; and
(4F a document entitled “Dispute Resolution 201 9 - 2020 ,” which includes the IDEA section
618 data that OSEP used to c alculate the State’s “Timely State Complaint Decisions” and
“Timely Due Process Hearing Decisions” scores in the Compliance Matrix.
As noted above, the State’s 20 21 determination is Meets Requirements. A State’s 20 21 RDA
Determination is Meets Requirement s if the RDA Percentage is at least 80%, unless the
Department has imposed Specific Conditions on the State’s last three IDEA Part C grant awards
(for FFYs 201 8 , 201 9 , and 20 20 ), and those Speci fic Conditions are in effect at the time of the
20 21 determina tion.
States were required to submit Phase III Year Five of the SSIP by April 1 , 20 21 . OSEP
appreciates the State’s ongoing work on its SSIP and its efforts to improve results for infants and
toddlers with disabilities and their families. We have carefully reviewed and responded to your
Page 3— Lead Agency Director
submission and will provide additional feedback in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, OSEP
will continue to provide technical assistance to your State as it implements the SSIP, which is
due on February 1, 2022 .
As a reminde r, your State must report annually to the public, by posting on the State lead
agency’s website, on the performance of each early intervention service ( EIS ) program located in
the State on the targets in the SPP/APR as soon as practicable, but no later tha n 120 days after
the State’s submission of its FFY 2019 SPP/APR. In addition, your State must:
(1) review EIS program performance against targets in the State’s SPP/APR;
(2) determine if each EIS program “meets the requirements” of Part C, or “needs assistance,”
“needs intervention,” or “needs substantial intervention” in implementing Part C of the
IDEA ;
(3) take appropriate enforcement action; and
(4) inform each EIS program of its determination.
Further, your State must make its SPP/APR available to the public by posting it on the State lead
agency’s website. 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 t he State’s efforts to improve results for infants and toddlers with disabilities
and their families 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 t heir
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: State Par t C Coordinator
(Grant Year 2019–2020 — Issued June 24, 2021)
How the department made determinations
idea_file-template-default single single-idea_file postid-83057 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 August 10, 2021