400 MARYLAND AVE. SW, WASHINGTON, DC 20202

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

fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

DEC 1, 2017

Honorable Nancy Bargmann

Director

California Department of Developmental Services

1600 9th Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Director Bargmann:

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 during the week of June 13, 2017 to the California Department of Developmental 

Services (DDS). Participants during the visit included staff from DDS, the regional Technical 

Assistance Center, and OSEP.

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 infants and toddlers 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 C 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) child find; and 5) fiscal.

On October 31, 2016, OSEP sent the State’s DMS notice to the Part C Coordinator, Sharon 

DeRego. That notice provided a designation of universal or intensive engagement for each of 

five areas OSEP identified for DMS. The information in the notice was based on Federal fiscal 

year (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.

As part of its DMS activities, including the on-site monitoring of State level policies and 

interviews with DDS staff, OSEP examined issues related to DDS’s State Systemic Improvement 
Page 2- Honorable Nancy Bargmann

400 MARYLAND AVE. SW, WASHINGTON, DC 20202

www.ed.gov

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

fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

Plan, and compliance with IDEA requirements related to the identification and correction of 

noncompliance, timely provision of services, meeting the 45 day timeline and providing timely 

transition conferences. Attached is a summary of the results of the specific areas that were the 

subject of OSEP’s monitoring and support activities. OSEP did not identify any findings of 

noncompliance with IDEA requirements related to the requirements identified above. However, 

we have provided specific information related to technical assistance, within the attachments for 

the specific DMS areas.

We appreciate your efforts to improve results for infants and toddlers with disabilities. If you 

have any questions, please contact Kate Moran, your OSEP State Lead, at 202-245-7315.

Sincerely,

/s/

Ruth E. Ryder

Acting Director

Office of Special Education Programs 

cc: Sharon DeRego, Part C Coordinator

Attachments