The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) requires each state to have in place a State Performance Plan (SPP). This plan describes and evaluates the state’s efforts to implement the requirements of the IDEA Part B. The SPP provides the baseline data, targets and improvement activities, timelines, and resources established by the state for each indicator. Furthermore, the SPP includes annual targets for 17 indicators that measure a mix of student outcomes and compliance with the requirements of the IDEA. States are required to submit an SPP at least every six years. Each year, states must report against the targets in its SPP in an annual performance report (APR).
The APR consists of the following:
- the targets for each indicator
- the state’s performance for each indicator
- an explanation for slippage
- any additional information the state considers relevant to the indicator
States have entered a new SPP/APR cycle and will be required to set new annual targets for FFY 2020 through FFY 2025. For the new six-year SPP/APR cycle, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) requires stakeholder involvement for setting targets. Families, educators and school administrators, parent centers, the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP), local and statewide advisory and advocacy groups are encouraged to provide input on activities to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Stakeholders can participate in the target setting process by completing the SPP/APR target setting survey.