State Departments Report On IDEA

The State Department of Education and the Department of Mental Retardation each recently submitted its revised State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) to the US Department of Education on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).

Submitted February 1, the SPP and APR include Parts B and C that focus on special education and early intervention, respectively. In accordance with IDEA, each state must have in place a performance plan that evaluates the state’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the law as well as  how the state will implement this law.

The SPP is a six-year plan that describes the state’s performance on 34 indicators across early intervention and special education. It was developed by broad stakeholder groups consisting of parents, school district personnel, early intervention providers, and state representatives. Indicators for special education are grouped around three priorities: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Disproportionality and Effective General Supervision.

Indicators for early intervention are also grouped around three priorities: Child Find, Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments, and Effective General Supervision. Targets for each year and improvement activities are contained in each SPP.

An annual performance report of the SPP activities for the 2005-2006 school year was submitted to the US Department of Education on February 1. Additionally, the state shall report annually to the public on the performance of each local educational agency (LEA) and Birth to Three program located in the state on the targets in the SPP.

To access the SPP Part B report, go to sde.ct.gov and follow the link for special education. Part C can be found at birth23.org under “Quality Assurance.”

A hard copy of Part B is available by calling 860-632-1485 or 860-713-6910. Part C is available by calling 860-418-6155.