Transcript Results-Driven Accountability in Special Education

RESULTS-DRIVEN ACCOUNTABILITY
IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Ann Moore, State Director
Office of Special Education (OSE)
January 2013
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is
a Federal law that guarantees a free, appropriate public
education (FAPE) to each child with a disability
throughout the nation.
• The IDEA governs how states and public agencies
provide early intervention, special education, and related
services to approximately 7 million eligible infants,
toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
2
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)
From the very beginning in 1975 with the
passage of the Education for All Handicapped
Children Act (also known as Public Law 94-142),
the Federal Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) has required states to focus our
resources on procedural compliance through
rigorous monitoring efforts and extensive
reporting procedures.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
3
IDEA and Accountability
Under the IDEA 2004 requirements, the primary goal for
providing services to individuals with disabilities is:
to prepare them for further education, employment,
and independent living.
• Thus, improving educational results and functional
outcomes for students and their families should be the
main focus of the accountability system.
• However, the continued over emphasis on regulatory
procedural compliance without consideration of results has
created a bureaucratic process for states to implement.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
4
The National Association of State
Directors of Special Education
The National Association of State Directors of Special
Education (NASDSE) has consistently urged OSEP
officials to also consider results and outcomes rather
than continuing the heavy emphasis on the compliance
indicators alone. Furthermore, the NASDSE Board of
Directors has frequently expressed concerns with OSEP
leaders concerning the stringent emphasis on procedural
compliance requirements established through OSEP
directives and guidance documents, including
Memorandum 09-02.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
5
U.S. Department of
Education
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education
recognized that the educational outcomes of
children and youth with disabilities have not
improved as much as expected even with
intensive Federal regulatory oversight and
significant funding provided to address closing
achievement gaps through programs such as No
Child Left Behind and IDEA.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
6
Historic Changes
Announced in 2012
On March 2, 2012, U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan announced historic changes in
Federal policy:
• To help close the achievement gap for students
with disabilities,
• To move away from a one-size-fits-all,
compliance-focused approach, and
• To craft a more balanced system that looks at
how well students are being educated in addition
to continued efforts to protect their rights.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
7
U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan
"For too long we've been a compliance-driven
bureaucracy when it comes to educating
students with disabilities."
"We have to expect the very best from our
students—and tell the truth about student
performance—so that we can give all students
the supports and services they need. The best
way to do that is by focusing on results."
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
8
Results-Driven
Accountability (RDA)
A New Model to Strengthen Accountability
for Students with Disabilities
• Moving away from a Regulatory Emphasis on
Procedural Compliance to a Results-Driven
Accountability (RDA) Model
• Focusing on Improving Educational Results and
Functional Outcomes for Children and Youth with
Disabilities
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
9
OSEP’s Vision for RDA
• In order to fulfill the IDEA’s requirements, a more
balanced approach to determining program
effectiveness in special education is necessary.
• The Office of Special Education Programs’
(OSEP) vision for Results-Driven Accountability
(RDA) is that all components of accountability
will be aligned in a manner that best supports
states in improving results for infants, toddlers,
children and youth with disabilities, and their
families.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
10
OSEP’s Rationale for
Change and Background
Points
• Children with disabilities are part of, not separate from, the general
education population. Thus, special education accountability should
strengthen and compliment other ED reform initiatives, including
ESEA flexibility.
• An emphasis on compliance over results in special education fails to
acknowledge those states where children with disabilities are
achieving and being prepared for a range of college and career
options appropriate to their individual needs and preferences.
• The accountability system under the IDEA should provide
meaningful information to the public regarding the effectiveness of
states and local educational agencies in educating children with
disabilities.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
11
Core Principles of RDA
1. A system that is developed in partnership with our
stakeholders
2. A system that is transparent and understandable to
states and the general public, especially individuals
with disabilities and their families
3. A system that drives improved outcomes for all
children and youth with disabilities regardless of their
age, disability, race/ethnicity, language, gender,
socioeconomic status, or location
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
12
Core Principles of RDA
4. A system that ensures the protection of the
individual rights of each child or youth with a disability
and their families, regardless of his/her age, disability,
race/ethnicity, language, gender, socioeconomic status,
or location
5. A system that provides differentiated incentives,
supports, and interventions based on each state’s
unique strengths, progress, challenges, and needs
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
13
Core Principles of RDA
6. A system that encourages states to direct their
resources to where they can have the greatest
positive impact on outcomes
– and the protection of individual rights for all children
and youth with disabilities
– and minimizes state burden and duplication of effort
7. A system that is responsive to the needs and
expectations of the ultimate consumers (i.e., children
and youth with disabilities and their families) as they
identify them
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
14
NEW RDA MODEL
A more balanced approach for determining program effectiveness in
special education will be implemented in 2013.
• An annual review of all indicator data for both compliance and
results from the State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual
Performance Report (APR) will be required.
• The state as well as local districts will be held accountable jointly to
improve results and demonstrate growth over time.
• This new focus on joint responsibility for accountability will
require states and local districts to establish collaborative models
that will address improving educational results and student
learning outcomes.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
15
State Accountability and
Annual Determinations
The designation “Meets Requirements” should acknowledge a
state’s effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and
youth with disabilities relative to other states and to the nation as
well as ensuring that states meet the IDEA program requirements.
• Mississippi is one of the few states that achieved a “Meets
Requirements” determination for four consecutive years based on
the compliance indicators in the SPP/APR.
• OSEP is constructing a new matrix for making annual
determinations that will address student achievement and growth as
well as other student outcome measures such as graduation rates.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
16
Moving Forward in 2013
with RDA
• Our next Annual Performance Report will be
submitted to OSEP on February 15, 2013, and
State determinations will be announced in late
June or early July 2013.
• Each local school district will now receive an
annual determination based on the district’s
overall performance results on a set of priority
indicators and other relevant data rather than
only compliance indicators beginning in fall of
2013.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
17
Next Steps for Mississippi
in 2013
• Engage stakeholders in developing the State’s
RDA model.
• Revise State policies to:
– incorporate the RDA model, and
– establish a differentiated system of monitoring and
technical assistance (TA) based on the performance
indicator data.
• Redesign internal work processes to better
support local districts in improving results.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
18
Next Steps for Mississippi
in 2013
• Develop service models to better support local
school districts in improving results and
outcomes.
• Establish and train service teams to implement a
differentiated system of monitoring, technical
assistance, and support for local school districts.
• Provide targeted technical assistance and
supports to districts and schools with the most
significant needs for improvement.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
19
Office of Special Education
Primary Functions
• The Office of Special Education assures
that programs and services for students
with disabilities meet State and Federal
requirements.
• This involves both compliance and
technical assistance functions.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
20
Compliance Functions
Compliance functions include continuous
monitoring compliance through data reports,
administering the due process system,
providing mediation services, conducting complaint
investigations and fiscal audits, approving policies
and procedures, conducting focused and
Comprehensive reviews, and approving nonpublic
special education programs.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
21
Technical Assistance
Technical assistance functions involve providing
information and guidance on regulations as well as
promising practices in educating students with
disabilities, including numerous Statewide and regional
trainings and technical assistance initiatives,
administering the comprehensive system of personnel
development for special education, and management
of grant programs to school districts for special
education service delivery.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
22
New Vision for the Office of
Special Education
Improving educational results and functional
outcomes for EVERY child and youth with
disabilities
In the new RDA model, all components of accountability
will be aligned in a manner that best supports the local
education agencies (LEAs) in improving educational
results and functional outcomes for children and youth
with disabilities.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
23
New Mission of Service
The primary function of the Office of Special Education (OSE) will be
refocused to provide a more service-oriented organization that
seeks to improve the educational results and functional outcomes
for EVERY child and youth with disabilities.
 We will strive to nurture a dedicated staff through professional
development opportunities, field experience, and individual
accountability.
 We will coordinate services, including training, technical
assistance, and supports, to local school districts as well as
parents and families to provide effective educational programs
and services to students with disabilities, ages 3-20, who need
special education and related services.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
24
General Supervision and
IDEA Requirements
The Office of Special Education will continue efforts to
monitor and enforce the IDEA program requirements and
to protect the rights of students with disabilities and their
families.
• The IDEA requires states to monitor LEAs, but it does
not specifically require on-site monitoring of each LEA.
• The Office of Special Education will fulfill its statutory
responsibility to monitor all local educational agencies
(LEAs) through the Annual Performance Reports (APR)
and monitoring of compliance with fiscal requirements.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
25
Monitoring and Compliance
• A differentiated system of monitoring and
technical assistance will be developed and
implemented to support LEAs with the most
significant needs for improvement.
• The Office of Special Education will continue to
investigate Formal State Complaints, as required
by the IDEA regulations, and protect the rights of
students with disabilities and their families.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
26
Monitoring and Technical
Assistance
• All school districts will be monitored through
ongoing review of the required data reports,
including fiscal data reports.
• Performance data will be used to determine the
appropriate level of monitoring, technical
assistance, and additional support for districts
that do not receive an annual designation of
Meets Requirements.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
27
Monitoring and Technical
Assistance
Using data on priority indicators, districts with
identified needs may receive an on-site visit that
will be designed to provide targeted technical
assistance and supports
– utilizing a collaborative approach to analyze
data, and
– jointly planning strategies for program
improvement.
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
28
References
• For more information about the work of the U.S. Department's Office
of Special Education Programs, see
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html
• For more information on the 20 Part B Indicators, see
http://www.nichcy.org
• Bartlett, John C., Attitudes for Excellence, Principal Leadership,
September 2012
RDA January 2013
Office of Special Education
29