Program Improvement

The Office of Program Improvement is responsible for (1) the oversight and monitoring of the implementation of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by local educational agencies (LEAs) with students with disabilities under their jurisdiction, (2) the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), and (3) the Statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Monitoring of IDEA Part B

Special education monitoring is conducted to ensure all educational entities in Virginia that educate students with disabilities, ages 2-21 inclusive, meet state and federal mandates. The Office of Program Improvement monitors special education in the following facilities:

1. 131 local educational agencies (LEAs), including students with disabilities in local and regional jails, students in special education regional programs, and students in local nursing homes;
2. state-operated programs, including state mental health hospitals, regional and local detention centers, and state specialized children’s hospitals; and
3. other educational facilities, including state training centers, state department of corrections including juvenile corrections and adult corrections, Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB), Wilson Work Force Center, and private hospitals.

In addition to monitoring compliance, Results-Driven Accountability monitoring incorporates:

1. ensuring that LEAs have policies, procedures, and practices that focus on improving educational results and outcomes for all children with disabilities; and
2. targeting needs as determined by data analyses of the State’s SPP and APR, which incorporates both results data and compliance data generated from several different sources, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; Virginia's Standards of Learning; Discipline, Crime, and Violence Annual Report; Special Education Child Count; and other quantitative and qualitative data sources.

This monitoring is accomplished by the following methods:

• Comprehensive Review: A comprehensive review involves multiple activities to ensure that all educational facilities that operate as LEAs are monitored every five years, at a minimum. Monitoring activities encompass IDEA compliance as well as improving educational results and outcomes for all children with disabilities.
• Targeted Review: A targeted review is narrower in scope and more focused by nature. When concerns or complaints are brought to VDOE’s attention regarding an LEA’s or other educational facility’s implementation of IDEA, a targeted review may be conducted.

State Performance Plan / Annual Performance Report

The IDEA requires reports on progress toward meeting state targets, as described in the State’s special education State Performance Plan. The IDEA also requires states to report state-level and division-level data on the performance of students with disabilities, annually. The data submitted as part of the SPP/APR is utilized to make state and local determinations. Refer to Special Education Reports, Plans & Statistics for more information.

Virginia IEP

The statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP), known as the Virginia IEP System, grew out of a need for school divisions to have a streamlined IEP process. At its core, the Virginia IEP System provides functionality as an IEP writer and compliance tool that affords educators the functionalities necessary to facilitate IEP meetings, develop IEPs, monitor student progress, and gather and submit data for state reporting purposes. Refer to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for additional information.

Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services

Section 618 and section 613 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 requires states to identify school divisions that have significant disproportionality of racial/ethnic groups in the identification, disability, placement, and/or discipline of children with disabilities. Significant disproportionality is determined by the State, based on the division’s numerical data. Identified divisions must use 15 percent of the total amount of its 611 and 619 Part B IDEA funds for Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) to help address issues of disproportionality. These services are provided to assist students, age 6 through grade 12, who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. To learn more about division notifications, visit Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services.

Resources

• Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia (PDF) - These regulations set forth the requirements of the Virginia Board of Education regarding the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities in Virginia, reflecting both state and federal requirements.
• School Quality – VDOE assists schools in which students are achieving at levels below federal and state accountability standards.
• Virginia Tiered Systems of Support (VTSS) – VTSS is a framework and philosophy that provides resources and support to help every student to be successful in academics and behavior. It begins with systemic change at the division, school and classroom level that utilizes evidence-based, system-wide practices (response to intervention, positive behavior interventions and supports and content literacy curriculum) to provide a quick response to academic and behavioral needs.
• Student Assistance Programming – Student Assistance Programming goals are to prevent problems through education and address existing problems by directing students to school-based or community services providers as may be appropriate.
• TeacherDirect – Updates from VDOE regarding SOL resources and information targeted to classroom teachers
• Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Centers – VDOE's state-wide projects with TTACs provide professional development and support designed to assist schools in addressing accountability and improvement goals for students with disabilities.

Outside Resources

• TTAC Online – Information and resources regarding assessment, instruction and training specific to students with disabilities