The purpose of this memo is to provide districts collecting State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Indicator data with an update on the data collection timelines for all Indicators. This memo replaces a previously released memo on August 19, 2019, regarding data collection activities.
The Office of Special Education Planning and Policy Development (SEPP) submits a report, the SPP/APR, to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) each year that details the status of Special Education in the Commonwealth. The SPP/APR includes 17 Indicators of Special Education that measure both performance and compliance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Indicator data is gathered through different methods throughout the year. Much of the Indicator data that is submitted to the Department by local education agencies (LEAs) is reported through the state required reporting system. However, there are some Indicators that require LEAs to provide the Department with data that is collected through other sources. Detailed below are other ways that the Department collects Indicator data.
Beginning in 2017, the Department began incorporating certain SPP/APR Indicator data collection activities for LEAs into the TFM review process. This includes Indicators 11 (Child Find/Initial Evaluation), 12 (Part C to B Transition), and 13 (Secondary Transition), which are integrated into the TFM Process that is conducted by the Department's Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM). Data collection for compliance Indicators 11, 12, and 13 occur every six years. Additionally, Indicator 8 (Parent Involvement) is included in PSM's Special Education Parent Survey and is completed every three years. All LEAs follow this cycle, with the exception of any LEA that maintains a daily average enrollment of 50,000 or more students, which is consistent with OSEP's requirement for monitoring. Any LEAs that meet this enrollment requirement, will be monitored on a yearly basis.
The process for all LEAs going through a TFM review is as follows:
Beginning in 2023, the Department ended the Cohort model for data collection for Indicator 7 (Preschool Outcomes) and Indicator 14 (Post-School Outcomes). Therefore, Indicators 7 and 14 are collected on an annual basis by all LEAs.
The process for all LEAs collecting Indicators 7 and 14 will be as follows:
Data for all other indicators (see below) is submitted to the Department through other submission systems. You can find more information about the Reporting Schedules and Documentation on the Data Collection website.
For questions about the SPP/APR or data collection for Indicators 7 and 14, please contact the Office of Special Education Planning and Policy Development at specialeducation@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-3375.
For questions about Indicators 11, 12, and 13, please contact Liza Ahern at Elizabeth.Y.Ahern@mass.gov or 781-338-3729 or review the TFM Review Schedule.
Last Updated: September 12, 2023
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