The law suit led plaintiffs to court because Dr. Jim Tucker deemed Texas model fundamentally flawed. Experts for the plaintiffs developed an alternative monitoring model designed to correct the flaws found in the Texas model. This model has been refined in recent years as Focused monitoring. Focused Monitoring has several key principles. Directs resources to areas of greatest need Results in timely verification or enforcement of compliance.
Considerable data are available to suggest areas of improvement in special education programs.
States have also used data to characterize the performance of special education programs and describe areas for improvement. Several states have begun to pilot or experiment with alternative monitoring models that focus on priorities or selected issues of implementation. Commonly referred to as Focused Monitoring or Performance-Based Monitoring these new models have been developed using the principles of Focused Monitoring noted above. Florida began planning to implement Focused Monitoring in May, 2000. New Mexico began developing Focused Monitoring in September, 2000.