rda Office of Special Education Programs' Results Driven Accountability

News


  • We Would Like Your Feedback—Results Driven Accountability: IDEA Part C Results Data in Determinations 

    OSEP is committed to implementing a results-driven accountability framework that leads to increased state and local capacity to improve results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities. As part of this effort, OSEP asked the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) to provide input on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C results measures that could be used to review states’ performance results of their infants and toddlers with disabilities who receive early intervention services. We would like your feedback on the proposed approach
  • Joint Letter to Chief State School Officers about RDA

    The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), of which OSEP is a part, and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) are working together to ensure that all stakeholders in the Department of Education (Education) have the supports necessary to address the needs of all children, including children with disabilities. To provide Education’s stakeholders and partners with coordinated support, it is collaborating across offices to deliver more effective monitoring, policies and technical assistance.

    On May 21, 2014, OESE Assistant SecretaryDeborah Delisle and OSERS Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Yudin wrote a joint letter to Chief State School Officers about RDA:
    Joint Letter Explaining the RDA Framework (220KB)
    Michael Yudin's Press Call About RDA (7.6MB)

About

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has revised its accountability system to shift the balance from a system focused primarily on compliance to one that puts more emphasis on results.

RDA's Three Components: 

  • State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Reports (SPP/APR), which measures results and compliance. States are currently developing State Systematic Improvement Plans (SSIPs), designed to improve outcomes in targeted areas.
  • Determinations, which reflect state performance on results, as well as compliance.
  • Differentiated monitoring and support for all states, but especially low performing states.

The following Core Principles (Full Version) underlie and will guide OSEP’s RDA work:

  • Principle 1: Partnership with stakeholders
  • Principle 2: Transparent and understandable to educators and families
  • Principle 3: Drives improved results
  • Principle 4: Protects children and families
  • Principle 5: Differentiated incentives and supports to states
  • Principle 6: Encourages states to target resources and reduces burden
  • Principle 7: Responsive to needs

Resources


OSEP and its grantees have created and compiled a collection of resource materials to provide information related to RDA.

  • Slides to Explain Results Driven Accountability (RDA) 

State Directors of Special Education and Part C Coordinators can use these slide decks to explain RDA to their stakeholders in both Part B and Part C programs. 

Part B (MS Powerpoint) (54KB) | Part C (MS Powerpoint) (54KB)

OSEP GRADS360°is a site where you can find highlighted SPP/APR resources, other OSEP material on the Highlighted Resources page, information about grants, an SSIP Overview and Tools, and an events calendar with important dates to remember. GRADS360° is also the platform for states to submit the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) Part B and Part C State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) electronically.

  • Stakeholder Developed Rubrics in Support of RDA

Coalescing around an Evidence Based Practice

Building Support through Data

Creating Active Engagement

Stakeholder Role in Evaluation

Accountability


Archive


  • Sample Approaches for Using Assessment Data as Part of a Results-Driven Accountability System 

     MS Word (410KB) | PDF (837KB) (08/24/2012)
  • Using Assessment Data as Part of a Results-Driven Accountability System: Input from the NCEO Core Team 

    (A report from the National Center for Educational Outcomes, NCEO) MS Word (693KB) | PDF (1.0MB) (07/17/2012)
  • OSEP’s Results-Driven Accountability ED Homeroom Blog Posts

    Thank you for your responses to questions on OSEP’s Results-Driven Accountability ED Homeroom Blog posts. We opened the blog in July 2012 as an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input into the development of a Result-Driven Accountability system that places a heavy emphasis on the improvement of education results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities. As of November 19, 2012, we had received a total of 173 responses to the five questions posted. We sincerely appreciate the thoughtful input that was provided. The RDA blog is now closed. We may re-open the RDA blog in the future if we need additional stakeholder input during the development of RDA. 

    (07/10/2012) 
  • Q&A on “Getting to Results-Driven Accountability in Special Education”

     MS Word (45KB) | PDF (492KB) (04/05/2012)
  • Department of Education Press Release on RDA Education”

    MS Word (45KB) | PDF (492KB) (03/02/2012)