2015 Part B – SPP/APR

Part B SPP/APR Part B SPP/APR Instruction Sheet – Section I - 1

(OMB NO: 1820-0624 / Expiration Date:)

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

Instruction Sheet

I. General Instructions

Information Collection 1820-0624, Part B State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report 

(APR), contains both Part B State Performance Plan (SPP) and Part B Annual Performance Report 

(APR) instructions. The instruction sheet is divided into two sections: 1) General Instructions; and 2) 

SPP/APR, or Report, specific instructions. States are encouraged to make note of the due date and 

implement a development schedule accordingly:

By February 2, 2015, States must submit:

1) One Report that includes both SPP and APR information.

2) An introduction, with sufficient detail to ensure that the Secretary and the public are informed of 

and understand the State’s systems designed to drive improved results for students with 

disabilities and to ensure that the State educational agency (SEA) and local educational agencies 

(LEAs) meet the requirements of IDEA Part B. This introduction must include descriptions of the 

State’s: 

a. General Supervision System: The systems that are in place to ensure that IDEA Part B 

requirements are met, e.g., monitoring, dispute resolution, etc.; 

b. Technical Assistance System: The mechanisms that the State has in place to ensure the 

timely delivery of high quality, evidenced based technical assistance and support to LEAs; 

c. Professional Development System: The mechanisms the State has in place to ensure that 

service providers have the skills to effectively provide services that improve results for 

students with disabilities;

d. Stakeholder Involvement: The mechanism for soliciting broad stakeholder input on targets in 

the SPP, including revisions to targets; and

e. Reporting to the Public: How the State will report annually to the public on the performance 

of each LEA located in the State on the targets in the SPP/APR as soon as practicable, but 

no later than 120 days following the State’s submission of its APR, as required by 34 CFR 

§300.602(b)(1)(i)(A).

3) Targets for each indicator, determined with stakeholder input, which covers the years of the SPP 

(i.e., FFY 2013 through FFY 2018).

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4) Data from FFY 2013 and other responsive APR information for all indicators.

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5) Explanation of slippage in indicators where the State did not meet its FFY 2013 target. 

6) An overall improvement plan that includes the following information and annually update the 

status of improvement activities in the plan3:

a. Data Analysis: How the State will analyze data, including indicator data, to identify 

LEAs that need improvement. Analyses could include by LEAs, race/ethnicity, 

placement, etc. The goal of this analysis is to determine which LEAs are most in need of 

support from the State and identify areas of needed support.

b. Connection with Other State Improvement Efforts: How the State has aligned with other 

improvement initiatives in the State.

 

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As noted in the conference report to HR 1350, it is Congress’ expectation that targets will be developed with broad stakeholder 

input and will be disseminated to the public.

2

Previous Indicator 15 (Timely Correction) and Indicator 20 (Timely and Accurate Data) have been removed. Consequently, the 

indicators have been renumbered.

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States should include information that was covered under the former section “Discussion of Improvement Activities Completed”
2015 Part B – SPP/APR

Part B SPP/APR Part B SPP/APR Instruction Sheet – Section I - 2

(OMB NO: 1820-0624 / Expiration Date:)

c. Infrastructure to Support Improvement and Build LEA Capacity: How the State will 

develop an infrastructure to best support improvement in LEAs. For example, OSEPfunded technical assistance centers have identified leadership teams at the State, LEA 

levels as critical components to effective scale up and sustainability. Communication 

from the LEA level to the regional and State level has also been identified as critical to 

ensuring that adequate support for implementation is available. 

d. Professional Development: How the State will select evidence-based practices and the 

personnel to support implementation fidelity. This should include how the State will 

provide ongoing training and coaching; assist with building and using data systems; and 

improve administrative support so that systems that support the use of evidence-based 

practices are in place.

e. Scale-Up and Sustainability: Once implementation with fidelity has been established, 

how the State will plan to replicate these systems in other LEAs that demonstrate similar 

needs. 

f. Evaluating Implementation: How the State will analyze data, including stakeholder input, 

to determine if LEAs are effectively implementing evidence-based practices and to 

assess the impact that implementation is having on the outcomes of infants and toddlers 

with disabilities.

When completing the SPP/APR, States will use the following parts of Information Collection 1820-

0624.

SPP/APR Materials –

 SPP/APR Instructions (See Section II of the enclosed Instructions.)

 Part B Indicator Measurement Table with Instructions4

 SPP/APR Template

The Part B Indicator Measurement Table lists the Monitoring Priorities and Indicators, required data 

sources and measurement and instructions for providing the required information for each indicator. 

In addition to the percentages required in the indicators, States are required to provide actual 

numbers used in the calculations.5 

States may add indicators if there are additional areas that the State wishes to track and measure. If 

additional indicators are added, the State is to include a data source, measurement, and calculation 

for each indicator added. In addition, the State must include targets and data to address its 

performance against the targets the State establishes for those additional indicators.

States are allowed to use sampling when so indicated on the Part B Indicator Measurement Table. 

When sampling is used, a description of the sampling methodology outlining how the design will yield 

valid and reliable estimates must be submitted to OSEP. The description must describe the: (a) 

sampling procedures followed (e.g., random/stratified, forms validation); and (b) similarity or 

differences of the sample to the population of students with disabilities (e.g., how all aspects of the 

population such as disability category, race, age, gender, etc. will be represented). The description 

must also include how the SEA addresses any problems with: (a) response rates; (b) missing data; 

and (c) selection bias.

Samples from LEAs must be representative of each of the LEAs sampled considering such variables 

as disability categories, age, race, and gender. If a State chooses to sample LEAs, all LEAs with 

average daily memberships (ADM) of over 50,000 must be included in the sample. States have the 

option of sampling within some LEAs and using a census (i.e., obtaining data from the total targeted 

population) in other LEAs. Relative to small districts, the State shall not report to the public or the 

Secretary any information on performance that would result in the disclosure of personally identifiable 

 

4

Monitoring Priorities, Indicators, and Measurements included on the Part B Indicator Measurement Table are to be used to 

populate designated sections of the SPP/APR Templates. Populated templates can be found at 

http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/bapr/index.html.

5

SEAs are not required to provide the actual numbers for Indicators 5 and 6 because they are using 618 State-reported data for 

these Indicators.
2015 Part B – SPP/APR

Part B SPP/APR Part B SPP/APR Instruction Sheet – Section I - 3

(OMB NO: 1820-0624 / Expiration Date:)

information about individual children or where the available data are insufficient to yield statistically 

reliable information, i.e., numbers are too small.

For indicators that permit sampling, the State must include in its report on the performance of LEAs 

the most recently available performance data on each LEA and the date the data were obtained. If a 

State is using sampling for one or more indicators, the State must sample on the performance of each 

LEA on each of those indicators at least once during the period of FFYs 2013 - 2018. Further, if a 

State is using sampling, the State must collect data from a representative sample of LEAs each year 

in order to report on State performance annually.

The State must submit its SPP/APR electronically through OSEP’s online submission tool. 

The State may, in addition, choose to also submit a hard copy of the documents to the following

address:

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Special Education Programs

400 Maryland Ave. SW

Washington, DC 20202

The submission requirements, tables, and templates that should be used to complete the Part B SPP/ 

APR can be accessed electronically at http://www2.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/sppapr.html .

If you have any further questions about the SPP/APR and/or the submission procedures listed above, 

please contact your Part B State Contact.

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of 

information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number 

for this information collection is 1820-0624. It is estimated that respondents will spend approximately 

1,700 hours when maintaining and completing the SPP/APR. These times include such things as 

reviewing instructions, searching any existing data resources, gathering needed data, analyzing collected 

data, implementing improvement activities, and completing and reviewing the information collection. The 

obligation to respond to this collection is mandatory (20 U.S.C. 1400, Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA)). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4536 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and 

reference the OMB Control Number 1820-0624. Note: Please do not return the completed SPP/ APR to 

this address. 
2015 Part B – SPP/APR

Part B SPP/APR Part B SPP/APR Instruction Sheet – Section II - 1

(OMB NO: 1820-0624 / Expiration Date:)

II. State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) for 2013-2018

Information found in the following sections of the SPP/APR Template is provided by the 

Secretary:

Monitoring Priority:

 A prioritized area in which States and local education agencies’ performance is measured. 

Monitoring priorities are determined by the Secretary.

Indicator:

 A statement used to help quantify and/or qualify a monitoring priority. Indicators are 

determined by the Secretary.

Data Source:

 The mechanism and process used for collecting Indicator data (database, child specific 

records, file system, etc.).

Measurement:

 Specific measures, determined by the Secretary and in designated cases by the State, 

used to quantify or qualify given indicators

FFY

2013

(2013-14)

2014

(2014-15)

2015

(2015-16)

2016

(2016-17)

2017

(2017-18)

2018

(2018-19)

Measurable 

and 

Rigorous

Targets

FFY ____ 

Data

Explanation of Slippage that occurred for (Insert FFY):

 Analyze data to form a basis for the explanation. Explain slippage if the State did not meet its 

target and how the State plans to address the slippage through adjustments or improvements 

made in State programs, policies, or practices.

Discussion of any actions required in OSEP’s response to prior year’s Report:

 Provide information on topics such as public reporting, timely correction of noncompliance, or 

information that was missing from the prior year’s Report.

Justification for any changes in targets that will be less rigorous for (Insert FFY):

 Provide information on revised targets that are less rigorous. Revisions to targets do not relieve 

the State of its responsibility to provide data for the given year.