State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report
State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)
Every state must develop and submit for federal approval a State Performance Plan (SPP) that outlines the actions the State will take to implement the purposes of the IDEA and that explains how the State will evaluate its progress in these areas. In an Annual Performance Report (APR), each State must report on its progress and on the progress of children with disabilities toward meeting the goals established in the APR.
Annually, based on the SPP/APR submission, other state-reported data, and other publicly available information, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) makes a determination as to whether each state “meets requirements,” “needs assistance,” “needs intervention,” or “needs substantial intervention” in meeting the requirements of the IDEA.
Each State must also report annually to the public on the performance of each public educational agency (PEA) located in the State on the targets in its Part B – SPP as soon as practicable, but no later than 120 days following the State’s submission of its Part B – APR to the United States Department of Education.
To understand how the SPP/APR Indicators connect to each other and are relevant to parents and educators, please view the video below of Miguel: A Student’s Educational Timeline Through the SPP/APR Indicators. The video shows a possible timeline of how the 17 indicators in the SPP/APR may influence a child's and his family's life under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The sections below provide a brief definition of each Indicator and a link to information on how it is measured, why it is important, and how Arizona is currently performing. Graphs and tables that include multiple years of data for Indicators 1 through 16, including student counts and future targets, can be viewed at Arizona’s Progress on the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Indicators.
Please click Indicators of your interest to learn more about them.
Indicator 1 provides information on how many students with disabilities graduate from high school with a regular diploma. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 2 provides information on how many students with disabilities dropped out of high school. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets
Indicator 3 calculates the number of students with disabilities who completed the statewide achievement test and gives information regarding their results. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 4 looks at incidents of discipline in excess of 10 days among students with disabilities across different races/ethnicities. This is a compliance indicator. Targets are set by the Office of Special Education at 0%.
Indicator 5 identifies the locations where students with disabilities (ages 6–21) are receiving their special education services. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 6 identifies the location where students with disabilities (ages 3–5) are receiving their special education services. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 7 measures improvements in preschool students with disabilities. Areas include social-emotional well-being, gaining and using new knowledge/skills, and the use of appropriate behaviors. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 8 surveys the parents of special needs children. The purpose of the survey is to gauge how well the school is involving parents in decisions regarding their child’s special education services. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 9 compares the races/ethnicities of students with disabilities to the races/ethnicities of students without disabilities in a school district. This is a compliance indicator. Targets are set by the Office of Special Education at 0%.
Indicator 10 looks at different racial/ethnic categories in a Public Education Agency (PEA). Within each category, Indicator 10 will then compare the disability category of students. This is a compliance indicator. Targets are set by the Office of Special Education at 0%.
Indicator 11 measures the percentage of students who received an initial evaluation for special education within 60 days of a parent giving consent. This is a compliance indicator. Targets are set by the Office of Special Education at 100%.
Indicator 12 looks at children (ages 0–2) who may qualify for special education services. If they qualify, Indicator 12 measures the percentage of students who have a formal plan ready by their third birthday. This is a compliance indicator. Targets are set by the Office of Special Education at 100%.
Indicator 13 calculates the percentage of students with disabilities (ages 16+) that have certain components in their educational plan. Their plan must include appropriate goals, transition information, services, and courses. This is a compliance indicator. Targets are set by the Office of Special Education at 100%.
Indicator 14 provides the status regarding employment or higher education of students with disabilities one year after the student leaves high school. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 15 measures the percentage of problems that are solved through resolution sessions. If a parent has an issue regarding special education services, for example, the parent and school may have a resolution session wherein they meet and try to come to an agreement. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 16 measures the percentage of problems that are solved through mediation. If a parent has an issue regarding special education, for example, the parent and school may have a mediator (an unbiased third party) assist in coming up with an agreement. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Indicator 17 includes a multi-year plan called the SSIP. This plan is designed to improve results for students with disabilities. In Arizona, the goal is to improve literacy proficiency in grade 3. This is a performance indicator. The State establishes targets.
Between September 2021 and January of 2022, ADE/ESS initiated a series of stakeholder meetings to establish new targets for the new six-year SPP/APR package (FFY 2020-FFY 2025). Surveys were distributed after the meetings for stakeholders to vote on the proposed targets. The results of these surveys can be found in the documents below.
This reference illustrates the differences among school year (SY) and federal fiscal year (FFY), as they relate to data that states collect and report to meet their Part B IDEA federal reporting requirements.
This document contains Special Education Programs and Cost Analysis to provide actionable data to policymakers, public schools, education stakeholders and the general public on the funds public schools expend to provide special education services compared to the total resource allocation provided by state funding formulas.
Annually, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to report special education (SPED) data to the federal government. The October 1 Data Collection (ODC) is part of that process and is required by all Public Education Agencies (PEAs).
