The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the status of the Annual Evaluation of Program Effectiveness for Special Education. For the 1998-99 school year, the process for conducting the Annual Evaluation of Program Effectiveness remains the same as for past years. Clent Holly, Administrator for Data and Grants Management, will disseminate the forms for submitting effectiveness data in early June, 1999. As in the past, approximately 100 districts will be randomly selected to provide data. Based on these data, the Special Education Unit will submit a state report to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
The Special Education Unit, in conjunction with local Special Education Supervisors, is in the process of developing a new methodology for conducting the Annual Evaluation of Program Effectiveness. The Special Education Unit is committed to developing a process that incorporates the effectiveness of individualized education programs, the performance of students with disabilities on district wide and statewide assessments, progress toward the performance goals of the state and links with the Creating Opportunities for Excellence (COE) process. Developing such a system of program effectiveness, as previously described, requires extensive input from local Special Education Supervisors, the Advisory Council for the Education of Children with Disabilities, and Arkansas Department of Education staff from various Units within the agency. Thus, a definite date of when the new system for the Annual Evaluation of Program Effectiveness will be in place cannot be stated at this time.
We apologize for any confusion regarding this activity.