2022 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters PART B — DC
OSEP Response to SPP/APR
PDF2022 SPP/APR Submission PART B — DC
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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 equ al access.
U
NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
O
FFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
June 23, 2022
Honorable Christina Grant
Acting State Superintendent of Education
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
1050 First Street Northeast
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
Dear Acting State Superintendent Grant:
I am writing to advise you of the U. S. Department of Education’s (Department) 2022
determination under S ection 616 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The
Department has determined that District of Columbia needs 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 Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2020 State Performance
Plan/Annual Performance Repor t (SPP/APR), other State-reported data, and other publicly
available information.
With the FFY 2020 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 appreciat es States’ and Entities’ level of transparency regarding the impact of
COVID- 19 on the data reported in the FFY 2020 SPP/APR. When making determination
decisions for 2022, OSEP considered all information submitted that related to the impact of the
COVID- 19 pandemic. For 2022 determinations, as with 2021 determinations, no State or Entity
received a determination of “Needs Intervention” due solely to data impacted by COVID -19.
Your State’s 2022 determination is based on the dat a reflected in the State’s “2022 Part B
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
comp liance 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 State’s Determination.
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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 2022:
Part B ” (HTDMD).
OSEP is continuing to use both results data and compliance data in makin g determinations in
2022, as it did for Part B determinations in 2014-2021. (The specifics of the determination
procedures and criteria are set forth in the HTDMD and reflected in the RDA Matrix for your
State.) In maki ng Part B determinations in 2022, OSE P continued to use results data related to:
(1) the participation and performance of CWD on the most recently administered (school
year 2018-2019) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP);
1
(2) the percentage of CWD who graduated with a regular high school diploma; and
(3) the percentage of CWD who dropped out.
In 2022, States were required to submit a new SPP/APR for FFYs 2020 through 2025. The 2022
submission of the SPP/APR is the third six -year SPP and includes baseline data and measurable
and rigorous targets for FFY 2020 through FFY 2025 for each indicator in the SPP/APR. OSEP
has reviewed and approved your State’s SPP under IDEA Section 616(b) to include measurable
and rigorous targets for FFY 2025 that reflect improvement over the State’s baseline data. Any
action required by the State is reflected in OSEP’s response.
For the Department’s 2023 determinations, the Department is reviewing and considering whether
and how to use existing indicators and/or other available data in making its determinations as
part of its continuing effort to prioritize equity and improve results for infants, toddlers and
children with disabilities. In April 2022, the Department released an equity action plan as part of
its efforts to advance racial equity and support underserved communities. Examples of existing
indicators that could be considered and/or be weighted differently include indicators on child
find (for Part C) and/or significant discrepancy and disproportionate representation (for Part B).
We will offer opportunities for input from the public, including parents, agencies that implement
IDEA and other stakeholders, to provide feedback in the coming months, starting with the OSEP
Leadership Conference in July 2022 as well as through email submissions and listening sessions
open to the public.
As noted earlier, for its 2021 and 2022 determinations, the Department did not issue a
determination of “Needs Intervention” to any State because States’ SPP/APR data co llections for
FFY 2019 and FFY 2020 were impacted by COVID-19. OSEP is considering, but has not yet
determined, whether and how a State’s FFY 2021 SPP/APR data collection that was affected by
COVID-19 will be considered in the Department’s 2023 determinations.
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/suite/
. When you access your State’s SPP/APR on the site, you will find, in
Indicators 1 through 17, the OSEP Response to the indicator and any actions that the State is
1 For the 2022 determinations, OSEP is using results data on the participation and performance of children with disabilities on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Burea u of Indian
Education (BIE) .Starting in 2022 , OSEP is using the NAEP data in making the BIE’s 2022 determination (as indicated in the
2021 determination letters to States and Entities) . OSEP is considering whether to use the available NAEP data in making P uerto
Rico’s 2023 determination.
Page 3—Chief State School Officer
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 R esponse” an d/or “ Required Actions ” sections.
You will also find all of the following important documents saved as attachments: (1) the State’s RDA Matrix;
(2) the HTDMD document;
(3) a spreadsheet entitled “2022 Data Rubric Part B,” which shows how OSEP calculated the
State’ s “Timely and Accurate State- Reported Data” score in the Compliance Matrix; and
(4) a document e ntitled “Dispute Resolution 2020- 2021,” which includes the IDEA Section
618 data that OSEP used to calculate the State’s “Timely State Complaint Decisions” and
“Tim ely Due Process Hearing Decisions” scores in the Compliance Matrix .
As noted above, the State’s 2022 determination is Needs Assistance. A State’s 2022 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 Part B grant awards (for FFYs 2019, 2020, and 2021), and those Speci fic Conditions are
i n effect at the time of the 2022 determination. While the District of Columbia’s RDA percentage
is 45.63%, for 2022 determinations, the Department is issuing a determination of “Needs
Assistance” instead of “Needs Intervention” given that the D istrict of Columbia’s low RDA
percentage is directly attributable to the District of Columbia’s FFY 20 20 SPP/APR assessment
data and compliance data under Indicator 11 (timely initial evaluations), Indicator 12 (IEP
developed and implemented by the third birthday), and Indicator 13 (Secondary Transition), all
of which were directly impacted by the COVID -19 pandemic as explained further below.
Specifically, due to the significant impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on the quality of the
school year 2020 -2021 St atewide assessment data, OSEP has determined that the data on
participation rates in regular Statewide assessments will not be scored on the Results Matrix to
ensure that the 2022 determinations for States and Entities are not negatively impacted by their
use of COVID -19 flexibilities available with respect to assessments.
2 Further, in its FFY 2020
SPP/APR submission, the District of Columbia provided information regarding the impact of the
COVID- 19 pandemic in its explanation of its FFY 2020 data for Indicators 11 (timely initial
evaluations), 12 (IEP developed and implemented by the third birthday), and 13 (secondary
transition). Specifically, with respect to its Indicator 11 data, the District of Columbia reported
that the public health emergency resulted in increased referral rates and, due to staffing shortages
and absences stemming from COVID -19, reduced capacity to conduct timely evaluat ions. With
respect to its Indicator 12 data, the District of Columbia reported that its Part C to Part B
transition efforts were adversely affected by the public health emergency, due to a reduced
capacity to conduct timely evaluations as well as a reduced capacity to convene timely transition
meetings. With respect to its Indicator 13 data, the District of Columbia reported that the data
2 The February 22, 2021, letter from the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to Chief State
School Officers offered flexibility with respect to accountability, reporting systems, and assessments for school year
2020 -2021.
Page 4—Chief State School Officer
were affected by closures due to COVID -19, including reduced availability of secondary
transition activities through sch ools and third-party organizations. The District of Columbia
received a score of zero for Indicator s 11, 12, and 13 on the Compliance Matrix. Given the
impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on the District of Columbia’s assessment data, and
compliance data under Indicator s 11, 12, and 13, OSEP is issuing its determination for the
District of Columbia to be “Needs Assistance.”
The Department will continue the Specific Conditions on the District of Columbia’s FFY 2022
IDEA Part B grant award. The specific reportin g requirements and other required actions will be
described in OSEP’s FFY 2022 IDEA Part B grant award documents.
The State’s determination for 2021 was also Needs Assistance. In accordance with S ection
616(e)(1) of the IDEA and 34 C.F.R. § 300.604(a), if a State is determined to need assistance for
two consecutive years, the Secretary must take one or mo re of the following actions:
(1) advise the State of available sources of technical assistance that may help the State
address the areas in which the State ne eds assistance and require the State to work with
appropriate entities;
(2) direct the use of State -level funds on the area or areas in which the State needs assistance;
or
(3) identify the State as a high -risk grantee and impose Specific Conditions on the State ’s
IDEA Part B grant award.
Pursuant to these requirements, the Secretary is advising the State of available sources of
technical assistance, including OSEP- funded technical assistance centers and resources at the
following websites:
Monitoring and State Improvement Planning (MSIP) | OSEP Ideas That
Work , Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Topic Areas , and requiring the State
to work with appropriate entities. In addition, the State should consider accessing technical
assistance from other Department -funded centers such as the Comprehensive Centers with
resources at the following link:
https://compcenternetwork.org/states . The Secretary directs the
State to determine the results elements and/or compliance indicators, and improvement
strategies, on which it will focus its use of available technical assistance, in order to improve its
performance. We strongly encourage the State to access technical assistance related to those
results elements and complia nce indicators for which the State received a score of zero. Your
State must report with its FFY 20 21 SPP/APR submission, due February 1, 2023, on:
(1) the technical assistance sources from which the State received assistance; and
(2) the actions the State took as a result of that technical assistance.
As required by IDEA Section 616(e)(7) and 34 C.F.R. § 300.606, your State 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 agencies.
As a reminder, your State must report annually to the public, by posting on the State educational
agency’s (SEA’s) website, 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 State’s submission of its FFY 2020 SPP/APR. In addition, your State must:
(1) review LEA performance against targets in the State’s SPP/APR;
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(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 posting 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 p ublic 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 their 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,
Valerie Williams
Director
Office of Special Education Programs
cc: State Director of Special Education
(Grant Year 2020–2021 — Issued June 23, 2022)
How the department made determinations
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Last modified on October 6, 2022