IDEA Indicators

Indicators are measures of compliance and effectiveness of a state’s implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B.

IDEA Part B is a federal statute which deals with individuals ages 3 through 21 years of age who are receiving special education and/or related services. Part B lists 20 indicators of effectiveness on which states collect and report data to the Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP).

"(a) IN GENERAL- Each State that receives assistance under this part, and the Secretary of the Interior, shall provide data each year to the Secretary -- (1)(A) on -- (i) the number of children with disabilities, by race, ethnicity, and disability category, who are receiving a free appropriate public education" (IDEA, Section 618).

States are required to report indicator outcomes in their State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) to OSEP by February 1st annually. Data are collected not only for reporting but also for continuous improvement of special education and/or related services for students with disabilities.

Of the 17 IDEA Part B indicators, only four indicators (1, 2, 13, and 14 highlighted below) relate to secondary transition. The 17 indicators are as follows:

Part B Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2020-2025 State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Plan (APR)

Graduation. % of youth with IEPs graduating with regular diploma.
Drop Out. % of youth with IEPs dropping out.
Assessment. (A) Participation rate for children with IEPs; (B) Proficiency rate for children with IEPs against grade-level academic standards; (C) Proficiency rate for children with IEPs against alternate academic achievement standards; (D) Gap in proficiency rates for children with IEPs and all students against grade-level academic achievement standards.
Suspension/Expulsion. (A) % of LEAs with significant discrepancy; (B) % of LEAs with significant discrepancy by race/ethnicity.
Education Environments (School Age). % of children with IEPs, age 5 and enrolled in kindergarten and ages 6-21, served (A) Inside regular class 80% or more of day; (B) Inside regular class less than 40% of day; (C) In separate schools, residential facilities, or homebound/hospital placements.
Preschool Environments. % of children with IEPs, ages 3, 4, and 5 who are enrolled in a preschool program, (A) Receiving majority of special education and related services in regular early childhood program; (B) Attending separate special education class, separate school, or residential facility; (C) Receiving special education and related services in the home.
Preschool Outcomes. % of preschool children ages 3-5 with IEPs with improved (A) Positive social-emotional skills; (B) Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills; (C) Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.
Parent Involvement. % of parents who report that the school facilitated parent involvement.
Disproportionate Representation. % of districts with disproportionate representation of racial/ethnic groups due to inappropriate identification.
Disproportionate Representation in Specific Disability Categories. % of districts with disproportionate representation of racial/ethnic groups in specific disability categories due to inappropriate identification.
Child Find. % of children evaluated within 60 days of parental consent or state timeframe.
Early Childhood Transition. % of children found Part B eligible with IEP implemented by 3rd birthday.
Secondary Transition. % of youth ages 16+ with measurable, annually updated IEP goals & appropriate transition assessment, services, and courses.
Post-School Outcomes. % of youth with IEPs, no longer in school, (A) Enrolled in higher education; (B) Enrolled in higher education or competitively employed; (C) Enrolled in higher education, other postsecondary education, or training program or competitively employed or in some other employment, within one year of leaving high school.
Resolution Sessions. % of hearing requests resolved through resolution session settlement agreements.
Mediation. % of mediations held resulting in mediation agreements.
State Systemic Improvement Plan. SPP/APR includes comprehensive, ambitious, achievable, multi-year SSIP, with Phase I analysis, Phase II plan, Phase III implementation and evaluation, with stakeholder engagement in all phases, for improving results for children with disabilities.

Following are the measurements for the four indicators relating to transition:

Indicator 1: Graduation Rates | "Percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high school with a regular diploma."
Indicator 2: Drop-out Rates | "Percent of youth with IEPs dropping out of high school."
Indicator 13: Post-school Transition Goals in IEP | "Percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated, measurable, annual IEP goals and transition services that will reasonably enable the student to meet the post-secondary goals."
Indicator 14: Participation in Post-secondary Settings | "Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of postsecondary school, or both, within one year of leaving high school."

(Sources: IDEA, 20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(A), Florida's State Performance Plan)

Resources

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT), Data Analysis and Use
This website features resources related to all four transition indicators as well as related resources including a "tree of influence" that provides a visual of the relationship among the transition indicators.

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) GRADS360
Contains SPP/APR resources as well as other OSEP material and related events. GRADS360° is also the platform for States to submit the IDEA Part B and Part C State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) electronically each year.

Part B State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR): Part B Indicator Measurement Table
Contains descriptions of all IDEA Part B Indicators and resources for data collection and reporting.