ABOUT | VISION | RESOURCES | COMMENTS

RDA Comments Pages:

Question 1 (closed) | Question 2 (closed)
Question 3 (closed) | Question 4 (open)

ABOUT

Welcome to the Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) Web page and associated RDA Comments page. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is currently rethinking its accountability system in order to shift the balance from a system focused primarily on compliance to one that puts more emphasis on results. We believe it is critical that OSEP’s resources be aligned to support improved educational results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities and to that end, are designing a system that maximizes all of our resources.

We invite you to help us re-conceptualize our accountability system. Over the next several months we will use this blog to solicit input from the field regarding key questions as we move forward in developing a new framework for our accountability system. Each question will be posted for a two-week period during which time you will have the opportunity to provide your ideas. OSEP plans to post new questions every two weeks so that stakeholders can comment on various aspects of this effort to move to a Results-Driven Accountability system.

VISION

OSEP'S vision for Results-Driven Accountability is that all components of accountability will be aligned in a manner that best supports states in improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and their families. The IDEA requires that the primary focus of IDEA monitoring be on improving educational results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities, and ensuring that states meet the IDEA program requirements. The current system places heavy emphasis on procedural compliance without consideration of how the requirements impact student learning outcomes. In order to fulfill the IDEA’s requirements, a more balanced approach to supporting program effectiveness in special education is necessary.

• See the department’s Results-Driven Accountability in Special Education Summary:
  MS Word (46KB) | PDF (220KB)

RESOURCES

• Sample Approaches for Using Assessment Data as Part of a Results-Driven Accountability System
  MS Word (410KB) | PDF (837KB)
  (August 24, 2012)
  
  
• Using Assessment Data as Part of a Results-Driven Accountability System Input from the NCEO Core Team
  MS Word (693KB) | PDF (1.0MB)
  (July 17, 2012)
  
  
• Q&A on “Getting to Results-Driven Accountability in Special Education”
  MS Word (45KB) | PDF (492KB)
  (April 5, 2012)

• Department of Education Press Release on RDA
  MS Word (45KB) | PDF (492KB)
  (March 2, 2012)

COMMENTS

We are interested in engaging stakeholders and hearing your ideas for reframing our accountability system to more effectively focus on improving educational results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities.

There will be one question posted for comments at the beginning of a two-week period until fall 2012. At the conclusion of a two-week period, no further comments will be accepted for that question. Previous questions and comments will be visible but no additional comments will be accepted for previous questions. 

RDA Comments Pages:

Question 1 (closed) | Question 2 (closed)
Question 3 (closed) | Question 4 (open)

NOTE: We are posting these questions on a moderated site.

That means all posts will be reviewed before they are posted. We intend to post all responsive submissions on a timely basis. We reserve the right not to post comments that are unrelated to this request, are inconsistent with ED's Web site policies, are advertisements or endorsements, or are otherwise inappropriate. Please do not include links to advertisements or endorsements, as we will delete them before we post your comments. Additionally, to protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses in the body of your comments.

Please understand that posts must be related to the posted question and should be as specific as possible. Each post must be limited to 1,000 words. All opinions, ideas, suggestions, and comments are considered informal input and ED, OSERS, and OSEP will not respond to any posts. If you include a link to additional information in your post, we urge you to ensure that the linked information is accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities.

For more information, please be sure to read the "comments policy."

• Department of Education's linking policy
• Department of Education's disclaimer of endorsement

We look forward to receiving your comments.