Family & Community Special Communities
Special Education

December 1 Reporting Information

Last year we implemented a new process for collecting the December 1st special education data. The process was shifted from an aggregate form to a student level file exchange. Several new data elements were added to the collection resulting in more detailed information about the special education population in Massachusetts.

However, the change to a student level report increased the collection time by several months. Therefore, we have made some changes that we hope will result in a shorter collection and editing period.

In late November an Excel file will be available for download in a secure location on the ESE website. The file will contain all special education students reported by your district in the October 1, 2002 Student Information Management System transmission. The file will also contain the 4 additional special education data elements that were submitted in last year's December 1 file. You will need to update the file so that it reflects your special education population as of December 1, 2002. Once the file has been edited and all data have been entered, it must be submitted through the SPED MDCS application. The SPED MDCS application is a new application that will validate the data in a manner very similar to the current SIMS MDCS.

The following trainings are being offered to assist with this process. We strongly encourage both the MDCS Coordinator and the Special Education Director to attend one of these sessions. Please register on-line at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/registration.asp

The following is the list of SIMS and Special Education data elements that you should maintain for all special education students. The only elements that should be edited in the December 1st submission are in Italics. The December 1 file will not overwrite the October SIMS data. The complete list of data elements must be added for new special education students. If you need additional information please contact Dawn Ruiz at (781) 338-3588.

Data Elements Extracted from SIMS

• SASID
• First Name
• Middle Name
• Last Name
• Date of Birth
• Date of Birth Date Format
• City/Town of Birth
• Gender
• Race
• Reason For Reporting
• Enrollment Status
• Reason for Enrollment
• Town of Residence
• School Code
• Grade level
• Days in Attendance
• Days in Membership
• Low income status
• Perkins Low Income Status
• Migrant Status
• Immigrant Status
• First (Native) language
• Country of Origin
• First (Native) Language
• Limited English Proficiency
• Bilingual Education Program Status
• TBE - Oral Language Test
• TBE - Oral Language Proficiency Category
• TBE - LASRW Reading Score
• TBE - LASRW Writing Score
• TBE - Number of Years in Program
• TBE - Exit Type
• Post-Graduate Plans
• Sped Placement
• Career and Technical - Type of Program

Special Education Data Elements

• Primary Disability:
  Intellectual, Sensory/Hearing,
  Communication, Sensory/Vision,
  Emotional, Physical, Health, Specific
  Learning Disabilities, Sensory/Deaf-
  Blindness, Multiple Disabilities, Autism,
  Neurological, Developmental Delay
• Level of Need of Services:
  Low, Moderate, High
• Related Services Only:
  Yes, No
• Enrolled in Private Schools by Parents, Not Placed or Referred by Public Agencies:
  Yes, No