State Performance Plan (SPP)/ Annual Performance Report (APR)

Contact: Lauren Holahan, State Systemic Improvement Plan (Indicator 17) Coordinator

Supporting Stakeholder Partnerships to Improve Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

The NCDPI State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) evaluates our state's efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B. The SPP/APR also describes how NCDPI plans to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Our SPP/APRs includes 17 indicators that measure student and family outcomes and other indicators that measure compliance with the requirements of the IDEA. 

NCDPI submitted a new state performance plan (SPP) on February 1, 2022 which will extend until 2027. We will report our progress each February to the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in an annual performance report (APR).

OSEP uses information from our SPP/APR, information obtained through monitoring visits, and any other public information to annually determine if NC:

• Meets requirements and purposes of the IDEA
• Needs assistance in implementing the requirements of Part B of the IDEA
• Needs intervention in implementing the requirements of Part B of the IDEA
• Needs substantial intervention in implementing the requirements of Part B of the IDEA

OSEP Documents & Web Resources

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (1990, 1997, 2004)

US Department of Education SPP/APR Overview

US Department of Education SPP/APR Technical Resources

SPP/APR 2020 Measurement Table

Highlights from Five Years of Reviewing State Systemic Improvement Plans

Articles

The Implementation of Results-Driven Accountability: A Systemic Approach to Large-Scale Initiatives

Determinations of LEA Compliance with IDEA: Strategies and Resources Used by States

Pursuing Equity: Disproportionality in Special Education and the Reframing of Technical Solutions to Address Systemic Inequities

Meet the Teams

Internal NCDPI SPP/APR Team

In addition to the leadership group, the Internal SPP/APR team roster includes experts from across the department in the following areas: equity, evidence-based practices, social-emotional-behavioral learning, mental health, transition, multi-tiered systems of support, parent/family engagement, data and evaluation, implementation science, specially-designed instruction, standards/curriculum/instruction, low-incidence disabilities, special education policy and laws, fiscal management, charter schools, preschools, teacher recruitment and retention, professional learning, technical assistance, and coaching.

The internal team meets once a month and is primarily responsible for:

• aligning systems to promote shared vision setting and resource allocation to close equity gaps

• creating complementary policies and procedures to leverage funding streams and support unified approaches to implementing educational mandates (e.g., IDEA, ESSA, State Performance Plans, state legislation)

• refining infrastructures to reliably operate in ways that are both effective and efficient

External Stakeholder Team

The External SPP/APR team includes community representatives of the following areas: equity, evidence-based practices, social-emotional-behavioral learning, mental health, transition, multi-tiered systems of support, parent/family engagement, data and evaluation, implementation science, specially-designed instruction, standards/curriculum/instruction, low-incidence disabilities, special education policy and laws, fiscal management, charter schools, preschools, teacher recruitment and retention, professional learning, technical assistance, and coaching. Team members come from institutes of higher education, advocacy organizations, local education agencies, parent groups, professional associations, national technical assistance centers, and other state agencies.

The external team meets once a month and is primarily responsible for:

• providing feedback on work group deliverables

• providing guidance for all aspects of SSIP implementation

• partnering/aligning with DPI Regional Support Teams (Regional Case Managers)

• naming issues/ needs for SWD, families, and local exceptional children programs

• reducing the number of schools identified for under-performing SWD

Work Groups

Data Literacy

• Determining which data are necessary to deeply understand problems that are driving poor systemic results

• Accessing needed data

• Analyzing, interpreting, using, and reporting SSIP data

• Improving infrastructure to support stronger data use

Research-informed Practices

• using high-leverage instruction within EBP frameworks (e.g., MTSS) to ensure high expectations are set and met for SWD

• designing and using technical assistance and professional learning systems (including coaching) built on adult learning principles

• improving general supervision systems based on emerging best practices to yield actionable data & differentiated support

• using implementation and improvement science to guide planning, execution, and continuous improvement for systemic change

Stakeholder & Family Engagement

• ensuring adaptive leadership to develop and sustain trusting relationships that support shared problem solving

• networking to gather and disseminate information about pressing issues and educational options

• communicating to generate, scale, and sustain a shared commitment to improvement pursuits

• navigating and planning for leadership turnover