Local Education Agency Determinations and State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report

Determinations

Colorado's Level of Determination

34 CFR § 300.603 requires that the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) make determinations based on information provided by the State in the State's Annual Performance Report, information obtained through monitoring visits, and any other public information made available. OSEP determines if the State Meets Requirements; Needs Assistance; Needs Intervention; or Needs Substantial Intervention in its ability to carry out the duties required of Part B of the Act.

In June 2024, Colorado received its Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) determination for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022. FFY 2022 corresponds to data collected in School Year (SY) 2022-2023 for all Indicators except for Indicators 1, 2, and 4, which report data from 1 year prior (SY 2022-2023). 

Colorado is in the Needs Assistance category. The U.S. Department of Education has provided this document about How the Department Made Determinations (PDF).

• 2024 Determination Letter (PDF)
• 2024 RDA Matrix (PDF)

Local Education Agency (LEA) Determinations (which are called Administrative Units in Colorado)

The Colorado Department of Education is using both Compliance and Results matrices to make determinations for each Administrative Unit (AU) under section 616(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The CDE has created one user-friendly report that meets the requirements for both the AU Determination and the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Indicator Profile. Below is the presentation detailing the AU Determination document and rubric.

Directors Meeting PowerPoint the 2025 AU Determinations and SPP/APR 

2025 AU Determination Points Rubrics

If you would like more information regarding Colorado's level of determination or enforcement actions imposed by OSEP, please contact Orla Bolger (Bolger_O@cde.state.co.us).

SPP/APR Reports

The IDEA requires each state to develop a SPP/APR that evaluates the state’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and describes how the state will improve its implementation.

The SPP/APR includes indicators that measure child and family outcomes and other indicators that measure compliance with the requirements of the IDEA. 

The Indicators in Part B of IDEA fall into three monitoring priority areas:

1. Provision of a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
2. State exercise of general supervision, including child find, effective monitoring, the use of resolution meetings, mediation, and a system of transition services
3. Disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic groups in special education and related services, to the extent the representation is the result of inappropriate identification.

Colorado's SPP/APR

A state is required to submit the SPP/APR every year.

• Colorado's Part B SPP/APR FFY 2022 submitted in 2024 (Word)
• Colorado's Part B SPP/APR FFY 2021 submitted in 2023 (Word)
• Colorado’s Part B SPP/APR FFY 2020 submitted in 2022 (Word)

State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)

The SPP’s Indicator 17 is a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP). The SSIP is a comprehensive, ambitious, yet achievable multi-phase plan for improving results for students with disabilities. Colorado has chosen improving literacy knowledge and skills of students who are in kindergarten through third grade as the focus of its SSIP.

State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Theory of Action

Colorado SSIP Action Plan (PDF)

Structured Literacy Project 

Structured Literacy Logic Model (PDF)

Structured Literacy Evaluation Plan 1 (PDF)

Structured Literacy Evaluation Plan (PDF)

Structured Literacy Project FACTS (PDF)

Administrative Unit (AU) Determinations and SPP/APR Indicator Profiles

AU Determination and SPP/APR Indicator Profiles
IDEA 2004 requires the State to report to the public on each AU's performance compared to state targets and state performance for 14 indicators from the SPP/APR. 
 

SPP/APR Indicator Data

The SPP/APR contains measurable and rigorous targets in the following 17 indicators.

*Indicators in blue (above) are “result indicators” in which States are evaluated based on their achievement on the given indicator.

**Indicators in green (above) are “compliance indicators” in which States are evaluated based on the extent to which they are compliant with IDEA in the given indicator area.

IDEA Data Center (IDC) SPP/APR Indicator Card 2020-2025