Every Child Accountability & Tracking System (ECATS)

ECATS is comprised of three integrated modules: Special Education, Service Documentation, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). ECATS also contains a combined set of data or Operational Data Store (ODS) from the three modules, referred to as the “ECATS ODS”. ECATS will have direct data interface with the Student Information System (SIS) PowerSchool and other NCDPI enterprise systems.

ECATS serves NCDPI and all current and future North Carolina Local Education Agencies (LEAs), Charter Schools, Regional Schools, Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind Schools (ESDB), and other public schools and entities under their purview as the need may arise (referred to individually as “PK-13 Educational Institution or collectively as “PK-13 Educational Institutions).

NCDPI is responsible for the oversight of all PK-13 Educational Institutions in North Carolina. Part of this oversight includes the Exceptional Children Division (ECD) ensuring that all students with disabilities develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized education program in the least restrictive environment. Federal regulations require that states collect, maintain and report data on exceptional children in support of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The ESSA law can be found at S.1177 - Every Student Succeeds Act, et. seq. Additional information on ESSA can be found at the U.S. Department of Education’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) website. The IDEA can be found at 20 U.S.C. 1400, et. seq. Additional information on IDEA can be found at the U.S. Department of Education’s IDEA. ECATS must comply with federal regulations and support the extraction of data in formats required for, but not limited to, reporting to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), used in the State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Progress Report (APR), and reporting for State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP). Additional information on OSEP can be found at the U.S. Department of Education OSEP website and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA Center), respectively. SPP, and APR information is available on the NC Public Schools Exceptional Children’s websites.