Overview of the State Performance Plan Development
See Overview of the State Performance Plan Development preceding Indicator #1.
Monitoring Priority: Effective General Supervision Part B / General Supervision |
Indicator 20: State reported data (618 and State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report) are timely and accurate.
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))
Measurement:State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are: a. Submitted on or before due dates (February 1 for child count, including race and ethnicity, placement; November 1 for exiting, discipline, personnel; and February 1 for Annual Performance Reports); and b. Accurate (describe mechanisms for ensuring accuracy). |
NYSED maintains various systems to collect, edit, verify and report valid, reliable and accurate data to meet all State and federal data collection requirements for accountability and program improvement. The federal reporting requirements include the SPP, APR, and USDOE data collection requirements in Section 618 of IDEA which include data on Child Count, LRE, Exiting, Discipline, Personnel, State Assessments and Due Process.
Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, the SPP has significantly added to the need for data collection by requiring data from the State on 20 federal “indicators.” The areas requiring collection and analysis of new types of data include:
Disproportionality in long-term (more than 10 days) out-of-school suspensions based on race and ethnicity.
Outcomes for children who receive preschool special education programs and/or services.
Parents who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities.
School districts with inappropriate policies, practices and procedures related to identification of children for special education or their identification by particular disabilities.
Timely evaluation of preschool and school age children for special education services.
Timely evaluation and services for preschool children who transition from eligibility under Part C of IDEA to Part B of IDEA.
Reviews of IEPs of youth, aged 15 and above, related to IEP goals and transition services.
Post high school outcomes for students with disabilities one year after leaving high school.
Due process hearings that went to resolution sessions and were resolved through resolution session settlement agreements.
NYS maintains the following systems for collecting data required under section 618 of IDEA and for the SPP:
The PD System collects data on
child count, LRE, exiting, discipline and personnel for students with
disabilities. This system is a web-based system that allows school districts
to submit, review and revise data according to established timelines. Data
undergo many edit checks to ensure their internal consistency and accuracy.
Reasonability checks are also conducted annually before data are finalized to
further enhance data accuracy. Data reliability is ensured by maintaining
consistent definitions and formats for data collection and providing
consistent technical assistance and training. Data validity is ensured by
designing the aggregate data collection forms consistent with federal
requirements and guidelines and maintaining knowledge of changes at the
national level. NYS is developing an individual student record system that
will collect all data required by State and federal laws and regulations at
the individual student level with a unique student identifier, which will make
it possible to track student performance over the years and across schools and
districts within NYS. Most of the data currently collected via the PD system
will be collected through the individual student record system. This change
will be phased in over the next several years.
The Local Education Agency Program (LEAP) and System for Tracking Education Performance (STEP) systems collect data on State assessments for all students. The LEAP system collects assessment, program services and some demographic data for students in elementary and middle schools and the STEP system collects similar data for high school students. During the 2005-06 school year, LEAP will be phased out and replaced by the individual student record system. It is planned that the STEP system will be replaced by the individual student record system during the 2006-07 school year. LEAP, STEP and the individual student record systems are supported by the Regional Information Centers (RICs). RICs provide data collection, analysis, reporting, technical assistance and training services to all participating school districts. The State has developed and published an initial listing of standardized definitions and data formats in a data dictionary for the ISRS. Individual student level data from all school districts will be housed in a single statewide data warehouse, and all the required State level reports and analysis will be conducted based on these data.
See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysstudents/Documentation/DataDictionary.doc for the data dictionary. Also see the LEAP and STEP reporting manuals for the 2004-05 school year at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/leap/2005-06/05-leap-manual.doc
See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/STEP/2005/downloads/STEPManual.doc. The LEAP and STEP reporting manuals describe all reporting requirements, definitions, schedules and data verification procedures for collecting State assessment data on all students.
IHRS collects data on due
process proceedings. Section 200.5(i)(3)(xiv) of
the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires each BOE to report
information relating to an impartial hearing in a format and interval
prescribed by the Commissioner. The IHRS is a web-based data collection
system designed to record information about the impartial hearing process at
critical points, beginning with the initial written request for a hearing and
ending with the implementation of decisions rendered in the hearing.
School districts are required to report data regarding the impartial hearing
process, including IHO appointments, time lines, extensions, and closures
through the IHRS. The IHRS provides real time information that SED uses to
monitor timeliness of hearings and NYS’ due process
system to ensure that impartial hearings are completed within the time periods
required by federal and State law and regulation. For more information on due
process hearings, please refer to Indicator 17.
QAIS is an Access system used to maintain information about 60-day complaints and quality assurance monitoring reviews. The system is being replaced by CSEIS, which is a web-based system that will provide the State enhanced capacity to manage many special education business processes. Implementation of CSEIS is expected to occur in the spring of 2006. CSEIS will assist the State to track school districts’ compliance with issues identified during reviews, record and resolve complaints within required timelines, and communicate with school districts throughout the review time period until all compliance issues are resolved.
The following Department processes contribute to the timeliness, quality and accuracy of State reported data:
NYS follows a strict protocol in order to ensure timely PD, LEAP, STEP, and individual student record system data. All forms and materials pertaining to these data collection forms are posted on the Department’s website:
· http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/sedcar/data.htm (PD system)
· http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/leap/home.shtml (LEAP system)
· http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/STEP (STEP system).
Due dates are established for forms and dunning
procedures are completed for missing data within a short timeframe following
the due dates.
NYS has procedures in place to ensure the accuracy and quality
of data. NYS completes error identification and correction procedures. These
are followed by reasonability checks and completion of verification
procedures.
NYS also conducts training sessions and provides technical assistance through telephone, e-mail, and websites. Technical assistance is also provided through the NYS SEQA offices, RICs, SETRC and other funded networks. NYS also attends national training and information sessions. NYS special education staff participate with general education staff to collaboratively develop manuals, memos and provide technical assistance to school districts.
IHRS uses similar processes to ensure that impartial hearing cases are timely. It contains accurate data on all phases of the hearing from the initial written request to the implementation of decisions rendered by IHOs. The system initially generates an e-mail if there is a late appointment of a hearing officer or a decision is late. After the initial e-mails, a series of phone calls and written contact is made until the decision is rendered. The system also generates an error notice if there is an error made during data entry.
Many staff members expend a considerable amount of time preparing the APR and the SPP. Staff members review instructions, attend training and technical assistance sessions, conduct various stakeholder meetings, engage in research, complete data analysis, collaborate and discuss findings among workgroups and Department leadership and prepare the required written summaries that comprise the SPP and APR. Each year timelines and work plans are developed to ensure that different parts of these projects are completed and reviewed for timely submissions.
All required reports were submitted by their due dates.
|
Type of Data |
Due Date |
Submitted |
|
Child Count, including race and ethnicity, and LRE |
February 1, 2005 |
February 1, 2005 |
|
Exiting |
November 1, 2005 |
November 1, 2005 |
|
Discipline |
November 1, 2005 |
November 1, 2005 |
|
Personnel |
November 1, 2005 |
November 1, 2005 |
|
APR (including due process & state assessment data for school year 2003-04) |
March 31, 2005 |
March 31, 2005 |
|
SPP (including due process data for 2004-05 school year) |
December 2, 2005 |
December 2, 2005 |
All required reports were submitted by their due dates. NYS took
the opportunity to revise the 12/1/04 child count and LRE data by July 1, 2005
and plans to submit revised exiting, personnel and discipline data for 2004-05
school year by July 1, 2006 as permitted. The additional time between November
1, 2005 and July 1, 2006 allows NYS time to complete error corrections and
reasonability checks before data are finalized for publication in the annual
congressional report. The Department anticipates that with the full
implementation of the individual student record data system, the timeline for
finalizing section 618 data will be shortened.
|
FFY |
Measurable and Rigorous Target |
|
2005 |
100 percent of State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are submitted on or before due dates and are accurate. |
|
2006 |
100 percent of State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are submitted on or before due dates and are accurate. |
|
2007 |
100 percent of State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are submitted on or before due dates and are accurate. |
|
2008 |
100 percent of State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are submitted on or before due dates and are accurate. |
|
2009 |
100 percent of State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are submitted on or before due dates and are accurate. |
|
2010 |
100 percent of State reported data, including 618 data and annual performance reports, are submitted on or before due dates and are accurate. |
All appropriate processes and procedures to ensure timeliness, accuracy and quality of data listed under the Overview of Issue/Description of System or Process section will continue throughout the six-year cycle of the SPP.
NYS will begin to phase in the ISRS with unique student identifiers beginning in the 2005-06 school year and continuing throughout the six-year cycle of the SPP until all student specific data are collected through the single statewide system.