Report to the Legislature: Annual Report on Students with Disabilities, 2014-2015
Author: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Date: 2016-03-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Disabilities,Special Education,Alignment (Education),Federal Government,Public Agencies,Compliance (Legal),Accountability,Achievement Gains,Academic Achievement,State Standards,Disability Identification,Student Placement,Low Income Students,At Risk Students,Disproportionate Representation,Inclusion,Public Schools,School Districts,Educational Legislation,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,Student Characteristics,Educational Environment,Educational Finance,Health Insurance,Individualized Education Programs,Early Childhood Education,Transitional Programs,Professional Development,Teamwork,Civil Rights,Court Litigation,Meetings,Elementary Secondary Education,Autism

This report has been provided to the Legislature on an annual basis since the year 2000. This report is issued in the context of a change in focus for the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the federal agency which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) implementation in each state. OSEP's new accountability framework, Results Driven Accountability (RDA), focuses first and foremost on improved educational results and functional outcomes for students with disabilities, rather than emphasizing procedural requirements only. In June 2015, OSEP notified the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (&quot;the Department&quot;) that, for the second year in a row, Massachusetts meets the requirements of IDEA. This is the highest accolade that a state can receive from OSEP. Such determinations are based on the totality of the state's data and information, including students with IEPs' participation and performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), their participation in the MCAS, data and information provided to the U.S. Department of Education from other sources, and the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2013 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). The Department has also focused on outcomes for students with disabilities in our state initiatives. In the FY14 Report to the Legislature research by Dr. Thomas Hehir and Associates was examined regarding student placement, services, and outcomes data for special education. Dr. Hehir's research found that students from low income families are almost twice as likely to be eligible for special education services as other students. Additionally, students with IEPs from low income families are almost twice as likely to be educated in separate settings. Given the growth of the numbers of students living in poverty in Massachusetts, it is concerning that response of disproportionately identifying these students for special education services is inappropriate, and separating them from the general education environment is resulting in poorer outcomes for these already vulnerable students. As a direct response, this past year the Department initiated the new Low-income Education Access Project (LEAP) to reduce the disproportionate special education identification and substantially separate placement of students from low income families. LEAP is directly addressed in this report on page six, and showcases the commitment to collaboration with partners both inside and outside of the Department, thus expanding and deepening partnerships across our offices and with sister agencies, school district personnel, and community members. This report highlights current efforts, achievements, and works in progress. [For the previous report, &quot;Report to the Legislature: Annual Report on Students with Disabilities, 2013-2014,&quot; see ED589968.]