• Indicator 3A - Participation for Children with IEPs on MCAS

  For 2022-23, the state target for the Participation Rate for Students with IEPs on MCAS in all Groups (Reading and Math- Grades 4, 8, and HS is 95%.).
  
  District-level data on the participation rate of students with IEPs on MCAS is available at:
  http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/participation.aspx?linkid=26&fycode=2023&orgtypecode=5&orgcode=01530045
  
  

• Indicator 3B – Proficiency for Children with IEPs on MCAS

  For 2022-23, the state target for the Proficiency Rate for Students with IEPs on MCAS is:
  
  

  Group State Target Grade 4 Reading 22.00% Grade 8 Reading 13.00% Grade HS Reading 28.00% Grade 4 Math 13.00% Grade 8 Math 9.00% Grade HS Math 17.00%

  
  
  District-level data on the performance of all students with IEPs on MCAS is available at:
  • http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/studentgroups.aspx?linkid=25&fycode=2023&orgtypecode=5&orgcode=01530045
  
  • Proficiency = Exceeding Expectations and Meeting Expectations
  
  

• Indicator 3C – Proficiency Rate for Students with IEPs on MCAS-Alt

  For 2022-23, the state target for the Proficiency Rate for Students with IEPs on MCAS-Alt is:
  
  District-level data on the performance of all students with IEPs on MCAS-Alt is available at:
  • http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/achievement_alt_level.aspx?linkid=116&orgcode=01530045&fycode=2023&orgtypecode=5
  • It is important to note that in Massachusetts the highest possible score on the MCAS-Alt, the state's alternate assessment, is Progressing. Therefore, the data reported in the SPP/APR for the "Number of Children with IEPs Scoring At or Above Proficient Against Alternate Academic Achievement Standards is zero '0'.
  
  
  

• Indicator 3D – Gap in Proficiency Rates between Students with IEPs and All Students on MCAS

  For 2022-23, the state target for the Gap in Proficiency Rate for Students with IEPs on MCAS is:
  
  

  Population Gap in Proficiency Rates in Reading State Target Met Target (Y/N) Gap in Proficiency Rates in Math State target Met Target (Y/N) Grade 4 28.90 21.30 Grade 8 29.10 24.30 High School 37.60 36.70 Special Education data are suppressed for enrollment counts fewer than 6.

Indicator 4 - Suspension/Expulsion for Students with IEPs

Indicator 5 - Educational Environments for students Kindergarten – Age 21 with IEPs.

Indicator 6 - Educational Environments for Students Aged 3 - 5 with IEPs

Indicator 7 - Early Childhood Outcomes*

Indicator 7 data reported in the SPP/APR reflect the early childhood outcomes for preschool children with IEPs, ages 3-5, in the following three measures: positive social-emotional skills, including social relationships (7A); acquisition and use of knowledge and skills, including early language/communication and early literacy (7B); and use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs (7C). Early childhood outcomes data are collected when a child enters and exits a preschool program and districts are sampled in cohort groups every four years.

For each of the three preschool outcomes, there are two summary statements reported. Summary Statement 1 measures growth; specifically, it assesses whether those children with IEPs who entered or exited preschool below age-level expectations substantially increased their rate of growth by the time they turned 6 years old and/or exited the preschool program. Summary Statement 2 measures proficiency; specifically, it assesses whether children with IEPs were functioning within age-level expectations by the time they turned 6 years old and/or exited the preschool program.


Special Education data are suppressed for districts reporting 10 or fewer students.

Indicator 8 - Parent Involvement *

For 2022-23, the state target for Parent Involvement is 89.5%.

This indicator measures the % of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that school facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for students with IEPs.

For information on the data collection and reporting schedule, please see the Memorandum on the Updated Data Collection Schedule and District Cohort Assignments for the Massachusetts State Performance Plan for Special Education (MA SPP) Activities.
 

Special Education data are suppressed for 10 or fewer returned surveys. A survey is considered to have met the standard if the parent completing the survey was in agreement with more than 50% of the survey items.

Indicator 9 - Disproportionality in Special Education

In all years, the state target for disproportionality in special education is 0%.

This indicator measures the % of districts showing a disproportionate over-representation of students from racial/ethnic groups in special education that was the result of inappropriate identification. Districts are "flagged" for further review if, for three consecutive years, the district exhibits a weighted risk ratio of 3.0 or greater. Flagged districts are then subject to review of the appropriateness of their policies, practices, and procedures for special education eligibility determination and disability identification. If inappropriate policies, practices, and procedures likely caused the disproportionate representation, then the district is deemed to have disproportionate representation due to inappropriate identification.

 

For information regarding how disproportionate representation is determined in individual districts, please see the Indicator 9 Flowchart   .

Indicator 10 - Disproportionality in Specific Disability Categories

In all years, the state target for disproportionality in special education is 0%.

This indicator measures the % of districts showing a disproportionate over-representation of students from racial/ethnic groups in specific disability categories that was the result of inappropriate identification. Districts are "flagged" for further review if, for three consecutive years, the district exhibits a weighted risk ratio of 4.0 or greater. Flagged districts are then subject to review of the appropriateness of their policies, practices, and procedures for special education eligibility determination and disability identification. If inappropriate policies, practices, and procedures likely caused the disproportionate representation in specific disability categories, then the district is deemed to have disproportionate representation due to inappropriate identification.

 

For information regarding how disproportionate representation is determined in individual districts, please see the Indicator 10 Flowchart   .

Indicator 11 - Initial Evaluation Timelines

Indicator 11 data reported in the SPP/APR reflect the children who were evaluated within 45 school working days (state-established timeframe) of receiving parental consent for initial evaluation. The state-established timeframe is defined in 603 CMR 28.05(1): Special Education - Education Laws and Regulations (https://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr28.html?section=05). Districts are assigned to monitoring cohorts based and on a cyclical basis must report to the state student data related to initial evaluations that were initiated in October, November, and December of the reporting year..
 

Data are suppressed if # of signed evaluation consent forms received is fewer than 10.

Indicator 12 - Early Childhood Transition

Indicator 12 data reported in the SPP/APR reflect the children who referred by Part C prior to turning three years old, who were found eligible for Part B, and who had an IEP developed and implemented by their third birthday. Districts are assigned to monitoring cohorts based and on a cyclical basis must report to the state student data related to children transitioning from Part C to Part B who were referred by Early Intervention to an LEA and who will turn three years old between January 1 and March 31.
 

Data are suppressed if number of students referred by Part C and found eligible for special education services is fewer than 10.

Indicator 13 - Secondary Transition

Indicator 13 data reported in the SPP/APR reflect the children with IEPs aged 14 and above with an IEP that includes appropriate measurable postsecondary goals that are annually updated and based upon an age appropriate transition assessment, transition services, including courses of study, that will reasonably enable the student to meet those postsecondary goals, and annual IEP goals related to the student’s transition services needs. There also must be evidence that the student was invited to the IEP Team meeting where transition services are to be discussed and evidence that, if appropriate, a representative of any participating agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services, including, if appropriate, pre-employment transition services, was invited to the IEP team meeting with the prior consent of the parent or student who has reached the age of majority. Compliance is determined through the state’s review of the Massachusetts Postsecondary Transition Planning Checklist for Indicator 13 (https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/secondary-transition/indicator13-checklist.docx). Districts are assigned to monitoring cohorts based and on a cyclical basis must report to the state student data related to transition plans captured in IEPs that were completed between October 1 and March 31 of the reporting period..
 

Data are suppressed if number of student records reviewed is fewer than 10.

Indicator 14 - Post-School Outcomes for Students with IEPs

Indicator 14 data reported in the SPP/APR reflect the self-reported post-school engagement in education or employment for students with IEPs in place at the time they exited school, one year after leaving high school. Engagement is defined through three measurements, which build upon each other based on the category totals in the 'Survey Responses' table below:
• Measurement A: Enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school (Category 1)
• Measurement B: Enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one year of leaving high school (total of Categories 1 and 2)
• Measurement C: Enrolled in higher education, or in some other postsecondary education or training program; or competitively employed, or in some other employment within one year of leaving high school (total of Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4)
 

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Indicators 11, 12, and 13 are collected through state monitoring. The Department has divided all districts into cohorts that are representative of the state as a whole. Each district is monitored once every six years for these Indicators. See Public School Monitoring’s schedule: (https://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/schedule.html) for a list of districts who are monitored each year. The Group A designation signifies when a district will submit Indicators 11, 12, and 13 to the Department.

If at any point a district reaches and surpasses an average daily membership of over 50,000 students, they will participate in collection activities for Indicators 8, 11, 12, and 13 every year.

For all other indicators, data reported here is collected through SIMS or other existing data systems.