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Department of Education Releases 2021 IDEA State Determinations

This week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs released its annual state ratings for implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) compared to each State Performance Plan (SPP). The 2021 ratings are based on fiscal year 2019 and fall into four categories ranking from best to worst: meets requirements of IDEA Part B, needs assistance, needs intervention, and needs substantial intervention.

Since 2014, OSEP has used the Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) Matrix to determine state’s grades. Currently, the matrix uses a variety of measurements including the participation of students with disabilities on state assessments and the National Assessment of Education Progress, data on dropout and graduation rates for students with disabilities, the fiscal year 2019 SPP Plan, and more. However, the number of states earning a “meets requirements” rating has not improved from 2014 to the present, prompting a need for revision in the RDA matrix.

In this year’s determinations, 23 states accomplished the highest ranking, whereas only one received the lowest.

View an analysis of the data by the Advocacy Institute.

Posted:  1 July, 2021
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