Improving Systems, Practices and Outcomes

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Part C State General Supervision Systems

The primary focus of state monitoring activities is on improving educational results and functional outcomes for all children with disabilities; and ensuring that states meet the program requirements of IDEA, with a particular emphasis on those requirements that are most closely related to improving educational results for children with disabilities. As a result, states must have in place a general supervision system that monitors implementation of IDEA by early intervention programs (whether or not they receive Part C funds), and local education agencies statewide. [IDEA 2004, Section 616(a)(2)]

Overall, each state's General Supervision System must include multiple methods (or components) to ensure implementation of IDEA 2004, identify and correct noncompliance, facilitate improvement, and support practices that improve results and functional outcomes for children and families.

Photograph: A child care professional holds two infants in her lap. (Photograph by Alex Lazara)

Core Components of an Effective State General Supervision System

These core components were identified by The National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring (NCSEAM) in collaboration with the regional resource centers, the Federal Regional Resource Center, the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, and representatives from state agencies, the National Association of State Directors in Special Education, and the IDEA Infant and Toddlers Coordinators Association in 2007. The core components are outlined in the following documents:

Developing and Implementing an Effective System of General Supervision (March 2007) (paper)
Concepts of General Supervision: Accountability for Implementation and Improved Results (companion Presentation)

Data Resources

A variety of data resources are available to support the collection, analyses, and reporting of data to document results for children and families, for use in monitoring programs, and for program improvement.

Streamlining and Integrating Part C General Supervision Activities: Monitoring and Program Improvement

Streaming Presentation: An Interactive Guide to Streamlining and Integrating Part C General Supervision Activities (10:56 minutes)

There are three ways to use these resources and framework to identify where and how monitoring and program improvement activities can be streamlined and better integrated to meet both state needs and national reporting requirements:

Use the Interactive Guide to Streamlining and Integrating Part C General Supervision Activities: Monitoring and Program Improvement to learn the steps, their challenges, and visit links to related resources you can use for each step.
Download a print version of the Streamlining and Integrating Part C General Supervision Activities: Monitoring and Program Improvement.
Use the direct links to the resources for all six steps provided below:

Step 1 Identify an Issue

State Monitoring Indicator Matrices: Examples of matrices that identify indicators that will be used in monitoring local early intervention programs performance.
State Self-Assessment Tools: Self-assessment tools for local early intervention programs to complete as part of monitoring performance.

Step 2 Determine the Extent/Level of the Issue

Resources for Linking Extent and Level of Noncompliance with Corrective Action and Verification of Correction: Resources to assist states in linking an early intervention program's level/extent of noncompliance with the actions required (including corrective action plans or CAPS) to ensure correction of noncompliance and the amount of data that the state will use to verify resolution or correction.

Step 3 Determine the Cause of the Issue

Root Cause Analyses Tools: Tools to assist states and local early intervention programs in determining the root cause of noncompliance or performance issues.

Step 4 Assign Accountability for the Issue and Its Resolution

State Written Notification of Noncompliance Letters: Examples of written notification of noncompliance letters.
Corrective Action/Implementation Plan Resources: Examples of resources for corrective action/improvement plan.

Step 5 Ensure and Verify Resolution of the Issue

State Tools for Tracking Correction of Findings of Noncompliance: Examples of tools for tracking correction of findings of noncompliance.

Step 6 Follow Up on Resolution of the Issue

Local Determination Resources: OSEP resources to assist states in developing and implementing their local determination process.

The ECTA Center is a program of the FPG Child Development Institute of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, funded through cooperative agreement number H326P170001 from the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the Department of Education's position or policy.