400 MARYLAND AVE., S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202-2600 

www.ed.gov 

The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparedness for global competiveness by 

fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES 

JULY 3, 2018

Honorable Diane Douglas 

Superintendent for Public Instruction 

Arizona Department of Education 

1535 West Jefferson Street 

Phoenix, Arizona 85007 

Dear Superintendent Douglas: 

The purpose of this letter is to provide you a summary of the results of the monitoring and 

support activities conducted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) during an onsite visit monitoring activity, the week of September 12–14, 2017 to the Arizona Department of 

Education (ADE). Participants during the visit included staff from the Exceptional Student 

Services (ESS) office and the Grants Management office. 

In 2016, OSEP began providing differentiated monitoring and support (DMS) to States as part of 

its Results Driven Accountability (RDA) framework. Under RDA, OSEP made a shift from 

monitoring based solely on compliance to monitoring and support focused on both compliance 

and improving results for students with disabilities. OSEP differentiates its approach for each 

State based on the State’s unique strengths, progress, challenges, and needs. 

As part of the DMS process, OSEP conducts an organizational assessment (OA) of risk factors to 

identify States’ progress in meeting performance standards and complying with the requirements 

of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing 

regulations, the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, and the Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. 

OSEP uses the information from the OA and an Engagement Decision Tree to make designations 

of universal, targeted, or intensive monitoring and support that a State will receive for the fiscal 

year. For 2016–2017, OSEP identified five areas for DMS: 1) results; 2) compliance; 3) State 

Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP); (4) correctional education; and 5) fiscal. 

On October 20, 2016, OSEP issued ADE’s DMS notice. That notice provided a designation of 

universal, targeted, or intensive engagement for each of five areas OSEP identified for DMS. 

The information in the notice was based on FFY 2014 data in the corresponding five areas, along 

with information about the factors contributing to elevated need for monitoring and support, the 

support the State has accessed, the State’s capacity to improve results and compliance, and 

additional contextual information. The notice also identified the monitoring and support 

activities that would be carried out to address the factors contributing to the elevated need for 

monitoring and support in each of the areas that were designated for intensive engagement. We 

have attached a copy of the DMS notice for your convenience. 
Page 2- Superintendent Diane Douglas

As part of the its DMS activities with Arizona, including the on-site monitoring and support 

visit, OSEP discussed issues related to the SSIP and fiscal areas. Attached is a summary of the 

results of the specific areas that were the subject of OSEP’s monitoring and support activities. If 

OSEP identified findings of noncompliance with IDEA requirements, you will find specific 

information, within the attachment for the specific DMS area, regarding the corrective actions 

ADE must take to address the noncompliance. Specifically regarding the SSIP, OSEP notes that 

in April 2018 ADE submitted the SSIP Phase III Year 2. Feedback on the latest submission will 

be provided over the summer. 

We appreciate your efforts to improve results for children with disabilities. If you have any 

questions, please contact Kathleen Heck, your OSEP State Lead, at 202-245-6465.

Sincerely,

/s/

Ruth E. Ryder

Acting Director

Office of Special Education Programs 

cc: Alissa Trollinger, Part B ESS Director

Attachments:

- DMS Notice

- SSIP summary of support activity

- Fiscal monitoring documents:

LEA Allocations narrative

Subrecipient Monitoring FMI

Fiscal monitoring letter and FMI (May 5, 2016)