Determination Letters on State Implementation of IDEA
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services releases state determinations on implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Part B and Part C for each fiscal year.
The 2004 Amendments to the IDEA require each state to develop a State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) that evaluates the state’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA, and describes how the state will improve its implementation. The Part B SPP/APR and Part C SPP/APR include indicators that measure child and family results, and other indicators that measure compliance with the requirements of the IDEA. Since 2015, the Part B SPP/APR and Part C SPP/APR have included a State Systemic Improvement Plan through which each state focuses its efforts on improving a state-selected child or family outcome.
The IDEA also requires each state to report annually to the Secretary on its performance under the SPP. Specifically, the state must report in its APR, the progress it has made in meeting the measurable and rigorous targets established in its SPP. The Secretary is required to issue an annual determination to each state on its progress in meeting the requirements of the statute. The determinations are part of the ongoing efforts to improve education for America’s children with disabilities.
IDEA details four categories for the Secretary’s determinations. A state’s determination may be:
- Meets the requirements and purposes of IDEA;
- Needs assistance in implementing the requirements of IDEA;
- Needs intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA; or
- Needs substantial intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA.
State Determination Letters:
Last modified on January 24, 2022