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Puerto Rico 

Monitoring and Support Visit Summary and Next Steps

March 14-17, 2017

DMS Area: Results and SSIP DMS Designation: Intensive

Background: 

On October 19, 2016 the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued Puerto Rico (PR) a 

Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) notice that specified the monitoring and support activities 

that OSEP would conduct with the State across five areas: results, compliance, State Systemic 

Improvement Plan (SSIP), correctional education, and fiscal. Under results, OSEP gave PR a designation 

of intensive engagement due to the percentage of children with disabilities that dropped-out and 

percentage of children with disabilities that graduated with a regular high school diploma based on PR’s 

FFY 2014 State Performance Plan /Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) data. The SSIP was also 

designated as an area for intensive engagement based on information specific to evidence-based practices 

and the evaluation plan included in the Phase II SSIP submitted to OSEP on April 1, 2016. Based on 

intensive designations in multiple areas, as well as recent changes in leadership within the Puerto Rico 

Department of Education (PRDE), OSEP leadership determined that a site visit would be an effective 

engagement activity to support the efforts of PRDE’s special education program to improve educational 

outcomes for children with disabilities.

Visit Summary

OSEP met with representatives of the Commonwealth to discuss PRDE’s activities to implement and 

evaluate the coherent improvement strategies outlined in the SSIP that are necessary for improving 

educational outcomes for children with disabilities. 

Data Reviewed

During the on-site visit, OSEP reviewed PRDE’s draft of the SSIP Phase III, Year 1, submission, which 

was due on April 3, 2017. An OSEP staff member representing the Performance Accountability 

Implementation Team provided verbal and written feedback to PRDE. PRDE staff was given an 

opportunity to ask questions and provide clarifying information regarding its submission of Phase III of 

its SSIP. Phase III of the SSIP included updates on PR’s infrastructure, improvement activities, evidencebased practices specific to math proficiency, and a revised State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR).

Topics Discussed:

Revisions to the State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR)

PRDE has revised the SiMR based on several factors, including restructuring of school districts on the 

island and stakeholder input. The revised SiMR is: “To increase the percentage of special education 

[students] in 5th grade who score proficient or advanced on the regular assessment for math in the selected 

schools in Yubucoa School District.” The State’s revisions were logical and supported by district data 

and information gleaned from the implementation and evaluation of Phase II strategies. The revised 

SiMR, baseline and annual targets through FFY 2018 met the required measurement and instructions for 

indicator B-17 of the FFY 2015 SPP/APR.

Evidence-Based Practices

PRDE implemented a coaching model with contract service providers, Red de Apoyo Diferenciado

(“RAD” by its acronym in Spanish), responsible for school transformation. RADs were assigned to work 
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with targeted schools within the Yabucoa district in the Humacao region where intervention strategies 

were implemented and data were collected to evaluate the impact on participating students’ math 

proficiency. The Commonwealth was encouraged to provide additional information in its final SSIP 

submission, including the number of students receiving the intervention, the specific evidence-based 

practices or instructional techniques for which coaching was provided, as well as intermediate measures

of progress toward the SiMR. The SSIP also included references to general instructional strategies and 

practices to be implemented throughout PRDE schools. For both general and math-specific evidencebased practices, PRDE was encouraged to explain how it will assess the use of practices as intended and 

the translation from knowledge to teaching behaviors in schools and classrooms by practitioners. Fidelity 

measures were not discussed in the draft SSIP and the Commonwealth was encouraged to elaborate on 

how fidelity data is collected and used to inform decision-making for SSIP strategies and activities. In 

addition, the SSIP indicated that the development of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) was a longterm objective for PRDE and considered a state-wide evidence-based practice for PRDE. However, 

limited information was provided as to how the MTSS work aligns with the SSIP, including achievement 

of the SiMR or sustaining the use of selected evidence-based practices over time.

Evaluation Plan

The SSIP included a revised logic model with evaluation questions and measures identified. There were 

multiple references in the logic model to professional development activities and learning communities 

for teachers and practitioners. The Commonwealth was encouraged to describe in greater detail how 

these are measured, how coaches were selected and supported for each evidence-base practice; and how 

often fidelity of implementation will be measured. The SSIP included multiple data sources to explain 

the progress of the Commonwealth implementing activities outlined in Phase II and their relationship to 

the SiMR. PR was encouraged to elaborate on how data was collected and analyzed (e.g. measures, 

number of respondents, statistical methods utilized) and how data informed decision-making specific to 

the SSIP.

Stakeholder Engagement

The SSIP included multiple references to stakeholder groups and their input into the SSIP’s revisions 

from Phase II. The Commonwealth was encouraged to describe the mechanisms for dissemination of 

SSIP activities to different stakeholders, eliciting stakeholder input for decision-making and different 

stakeholder roles and responsibilities in the implementation and evaluation of the SSIP’s activities 

throughout Phase III. 

Challenges and Barriers

Fiscal constraints and the economic needs of Puerto Rico are on-going barriers to implementing the 

SSIP’s improvement strategies and sustaining efforts over time. Although the SSIP activities are specific 

to the Yabucoa school district, PR intends to eventually implement effective interventions across all 

school districts. If scale-up is to be achieved and sustained, PRDE will need to identify fiscal resources to 

fund intervention efforts and support their long-term use. PRDE also identified a culture of bureaucracy 

as a barrier to SSIP activities and identified streamlining processes and facilitating a service-oriented 

culture as a strategy to address this barrier. 

Outcome of Engagement Activity

OSEP provided PRDE input on its final SSIP submission, which was due on April 3, 2017. 

Use of Technical Assistance and Professional Development Resources 

NCSI and IDEA Data Center (IDC) technical assistance providers work regularly with PRDE to refine

implement and evaluate activities and strategies in the SSIP.
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Next Steps

OSEP and PR will continue to use regular TA calls to discuss resources for improving educational 

outcomes for children with disabilities and support PR’s infrastructure improvement strategies and 

evidence-based practices implemented for the SSIP. In addition, OSEP will share TA resources and 

materials with PR that may be most helpful for improving graduation and drop-out rates for children with 

disabilities.

PRDE submitted its final SSIP on April 3, 2017. OSEP reviewed PRDE’s submission and scheduled a 

call to discuss its feedback this summer. However, due to scheduling conflicts and the hurricane 

emergency, this call was indefinitely postponed. OSEP is prepared to reschedule the call when PRDE is 

available.