Special Education State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA) requires each state to have a State Performance Plan (SPP) that evaluates its efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and describes how the state will improve results for students with disabilities. The SPP includes baseline data, measurable and rigorous targets for a six-year period, identified by the state for 17 indicators established under three monitoring priority areas:
- Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE);
- Disproportionality; and
- Effective General Supervision Part B, including Child Find, effective transition and effective general supervision.
The IDEA also requires states to submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to report progress toward meeting the targets identified in the SPP. Each State must also report annually to the public on the performance of each local educational agency.
Annually, based on the SPP/APR submission, other state-reported data, and other publicly available information, OSEP makes a determination as to whether each state “meets requirements,” “needs assistance,” “needs intervention,” or “needs substantial intervention” in meeting the requirements of the IDEA.