Call for Comments for IDEA Goals and Performance Measures

May 4, 2004

APA's Comments on IDEA Goals and Performance Measures

Long-Term IDEA Goals and Strategies

1. All intended beneficiaries of IDEA services will be identified.

Identify children with developmental delay in the first year of life
Identify children with learning and behavior difficulties prior to third grade
Enhance the capacity of states to improve results for children with disabilities

2. Each intended beneficiary of IDEA will have access to appropriate s ervices to the maximum extent appropriate in an environment for typically developing peers.

Serve children 0-5 in settings typical for non-disabled peers
Provide effective coordination of services to children 0 - 21
Improve the access to and progress of children with disabilities in standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment
Enhance the capacity of states to improve results for children with disabilities

3. All intended beneficiaries of IDEA will be served by highly qualified personnel.

Identify knowledge and performance attributes of teachers and service providers that are related to improved outcomes for children with disabilities
Enhance the capacity of states to improve results for children with disabilities

4. All intended beneficiaries of IDEA will demonstrate proficiency in functional and learning abilities.

Improve reading skills of children with disabilities who are not making progress in the general education with effective interventions
Improve language/communication, cognitive functioning and pre-reading skills of pre-school children with disabilities
Improve functional abilities and development of infants and toddlers with disabilities
Improve the development and use of universally designed standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment
Enhance the capacity of states to improve results for children with disabilities

5. Children with disabilities will graduate and be prepared to complete post-secondary education, be employed and live independently at a rate comparable to their non-disabled peers

Enhance school completion and prevent school dropout
Improve transition and academic goals for adolescents with disabilities
Enhance the capacity of states to improve results for children with disabilities

Part B Grants to States

Goal: To help children with disabilities meet challenging standards and prepare them for postsecondary education, employment and independent living by assisting State and local educational agencies in providing them a free appropriate public education

Objective 1: All children with disabilities will meet challenging standards as determined by national and State assessments.

Indicator 1.1: PERFORMANCE AND INCLUSION IN NAEP: By 2013-14 all children with disabilities who participate in NAEP will meet or exceed basic levels in reading and math, and no more than 1% of children will be excluded from NAEP due to their disability.

Indicator 1.2: PERFORMANCE ON STATE ASSEMENTS: By 2013-14, all children with disabilities will meet State proficiency standards as measured by Statewide assessments administered to meet NCLB requirements.

Objective 2: Secondary school students will complete high school prepared for postsecondary education, competitive employment, or independent living.

Indicator 2.1: GRADUATION AND DROPOUT: The percentage of children with disabilities exiting school with a regular high school diploma will increase, and the percentage that drops out will decrease.

Indicator 2.2: POSTSECONDARY SCHOOL AND EMPLOYMENT: By 2013-14, the percentage of children with disabilities that is either (1) competitively employed; (2) enrolled in some type of postsecondary school; or (3) both, within two years of leaving high school will be at least that of their non-disabled peers.

Objective 3: All children with disabilities will receive a free appropriate public education.

Indicator 3.1: FULLY CERTIFIED TEACHERS UNDER IDEA: Increase in the number of States with at least 90 percent of special education teachers fully certified in the areas in which they are teaching.

Indicator 3.2: HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS UNDER NCLB: By 2006, consistent with NCLB, all special education teachers who teach academic subjects will be highly qualified.

Indicator 3.3: INCLUSIVE SETTINGS: Increase in the percentage of children with disabilities ages 6 through 21 served in the regular education classroom at east 80 percent of the day.

Indicator 3.4: GENERAL SUPERVISION: By 2007, every State will have a system of general supervision to assess whether its local educational agencies are ensuring that special education services are reasonably designed to result in the achievement of State standards by children with disabilities.

Part B Preschool Grants

Goal: To help preschool children with disabilities enter school ready to learn by assisting States in providing special education and related services.

Objective 1: Preschool children with disabilities will receive special education and related services that result in increased skills that enable them to enter school ready to learn.

Indicator 1.1: IMPROVED SKILLS: By 2013-14, all preschoolers with disabilities receiving special education and related services will improve their early language/communication, pre-reading, and social-emotional skills.

Indicator 1.2: INCLUSIVE SETTING: All children with disabilities will receive education and related services in the least restrictive environment.

Indicator 1.3: CERTIFIED TEACHERS: The number of States with at least 90 percent of special education teachers are fully certified in the area in which they are teaching will increase.

Part C Grants for Infants and Families with Disabilities

Goal: To enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities and the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their child by assisting States in providing a comprehensive system of early intervention services.

Objective 1: The functional development of infants will be enhanced by early intervention services.

Indicator 1.1: FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES: By 2013-14, all infants and toddlers with disabilities participating in Part C will exhibit improved and sustained functional abilities.

Indicator 1.2: FAMILY CAPACITY: By 2013-14, all families served through Part C will report that early intervention services have increased their capacity to enhance their child's development.

Objective 2: All infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families will receive early intervention services in natural environments that meet their individual needs.

Indicator 2.1: INFANTS SERVED: The number if States that serve at least 1 percent of infants in the general population under the age of 1 through Part C will increase.

Indicator 2.2: INFANTS AND TODDLERS SERVED: The number of States that serve at least 2 percent of infants and toddlers in the general population, birth through age 2, through Part C will increase.

Indicator 2.3: SERVICE SETTINGS: The percentage of children receiving age-appropriate services primarily in home, in community-based settings, and in programs designed for typically-developing peers, will increase.

Part D - State Improvement

Goal: To assist State educational agencies in reforming and improving their systems for providing educational, early intervention and transitional services, including their systems of professional development, technical assistance and dissemination of knowledge about best practices, to improve results for children with disabilities.

Objective 1: State improvement grant projects will use research-based knowledge to support systems change and professional development activities.

Indicator 1.1: RESEARCH-BASED PROJECTS: All SIG projects will use research-based knowledge to support systems change and professional development activities.

Objective 2: The SIG program will result in systems change consistent with state-identified needs.

Indicator 2.1: SCALED-UP RESEARCH: By 2010 the number of SIG projects that ''scale-up'' research-based State initiatives such as reading, behavior and other targeted areas through professional development and other activities will increase.

Indicator 2.2: STATE DISSEMINATION SYSTEMS: By 2010, the number of States that enhance their State systems to disseminate research-based practices to teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, related services personnel, policy makers and other members of the educational community will increase.

Indicator 2.3: PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN: By 2010, there will be an increase in the number of States with improved performance of children with disabilities based on SIG professional development activities in areas such as reading, behavior, math, dissemination of research-based practices, recruitment/retention of staff, and other State-identified needs.

Objective3: The State Improvement Grant Program will be implemented consistent with Congressional intent.

Indicator 3.1: CONGRESSIONAL INTENT: All SIG projects will be implemented consistent with Congressional intent.

Part D - Research and Innovation

Goal: To produce and advance the use of knowledge to improve services provided under IDEA and results for children with disabilities.

Objective 1: Improve the quality of research and development projects

Indicator 1.1: HIGH QUALITY PROJECTS: By 2013-14, all research and development projects will be deemed to be of high quality

Indicator 1.2: RANDOMIZED DESIGNS: By 2013-14, all projects that address causal questions will employ randomized experimental designs

Objective 2: Increase the relevance of research and development projects to the needs of children with disabilities

Indicator 2.1: RELEVANCE JUDGED BY SCIENTISTS: By 2013-14, scientists will judge all research and development projects to be of high relevance to the needs of children with disabilities.

Indicator 2.2: RELEVANCE JUDGED BY STAKEHOLDERS: By 2013-14, stakeholders will judge all research and development projects to be of high relevance to the needs of children with disabilities.

Objective 3: Produce high quality products and communicate information for appropriate audiences.

Indicator 3.1: HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS: By 2013-14, the percentage of projects that produce high quality products appropriate for the target audience will increase to 95 percent (all projects) and 85 percent (projects addressing long-term strategies).

Indicator 3.2: PUBLISHED FINDINGS: By 2013-14, the percentage of research projects that have findings published in peer-refereed journals will increase to 90 percent (all projects) and 85 percent (projects addressing long-term strategies).

Part D - Personnel Preparation

Goal: To prepare service providers and leadership personnel in areas of critical need who are highly qualified to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

Objective 1: Improve the curricula of IDEA training programs to ensure that personnel preparing to serve children with disabilities are knowledgeable and skilled in effective, research-based practices.

Indicator 1.1: CURRICULA: By 2013-14, all training programs will have curricula that reflect the current knowledge base on effective practices and will produce trainees that are knowledgeable and skilled in these practices.

Objective 2: Improve the extent to which the program trains personnel to serve in areas of high need.

Indicator 2.1: AREAS OF HIGH NEED: By 2013-14, all projects will train personnel to meet State-identified acute and chronic shortages (eg., child disability areas where states are experiencing acute or chronic shortages such as emotional disabilities; and other areas where the demand for qualified personnel exceed the supply, such as rural, inner city, and bilingual special education).

Indicator 2.2: PROGRAM COMPLETERS: By 2013-14, all scholars will complete their personnel preparation program.

Indicator 2.3: SCHOLARS EMPLOYED: By 2013-14, 95 percent of the scholars will be employed upon program completion in the critical need area for which they were trained.

Indicator 2.4: MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT: By 2013-14, 80 percent of program completers will
maintain employment for three or more years in the areas for which they were trained.

Objective 3: Improve the extent to which the program supports scholars who are highly qualified for the position for which they are trained.

Indicator 3.1: PROGRAM COMPLETERS QUALIFIED UNDER NCLB: By 2013-14, all program completers teaching in core academic subjects will be highly qualified under NCLB requirements.

Part D - Technical Assistance & Dissemination

Goal: To assist States and their partners in systems improvement through scientific-based practices.

Objective 1: Improve the quality of technical assistance and dissemination projects.

Indicator 1.1: HIGH QUALITY METHODS: By 2013-14, all projects will use high quality methods.

Indicator 1.2: HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS: By 2013-14, all projects will produce high quality materials.

Objective 2: Products and services will be used to improve results for children with disabilities.

Indicator 2.1: USEFUL PRODUCTS.: By 2013-14, all projects will provide useful products and services.

Indicator 2.2: IMPROVED TA CAPACITY: By 2013-14 all States and territories will report improved ability to provide technical assistance to their constituents as a result of training and information received from a TA&D project.

Indicator 2.3: IMPROVED RESULTS: By 2013-14, all States will demonstrate improved results for children with disabilities.

Part D - Parent Information Centers

Goal: To provide training and information to parents of children with disabilities

Objective 1: Improve the quality of the parent training and information projects

Indicator 1.1: HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS: By 2013-14, all PTI projects will use high quality materials

Indicator 1.2: HIGH QUALITY METHODS: By 2013-14, all PTI projects will use high quality methods.

Objective 8.2: PTI projects will provide parents with information they need to participate effectively in their child's education program.

Indicator 2.1: PARENTS SERVED: The number of parents trained or served by PTI projects will increase by 5 percent annually.

Indicator 2.2: RESULTS FROM TRAINING: By 2013-14, all parents receiving training or services from PTIs will report improved services for their child as a result of such training.

Part D - Technology & Media Services

Goal: To promote the development, demonstration, and use of technology and media services to improve results for children with disabilities.

Objective 1: Increase the relevance of technology and media projects to the needs of children with disabilities.

Indicator 1.1: RELEVANCE: By 2013-14, all technology and media projects will be of high relevance to improving educational outcomes of children with disabilities.

Objective 2: Improve the quality of media and technology projects.

Indicator 2.1: HIGH QUALITY: By 2013-14, all technology and media projects will be of high quality.

Objective 3: Products and services will be used to improve results for children with disabilities.

Indicator 3.1: USEFUL PRODUCTS: By 2013-14, all technology and media projects will produce findings, products, and/or services that contribute to improving results for children with disabilities.

APA's Comments on IDEA Goals and Performance Measures