JUNE 27, 2023: The U.S. Dept. of Education (ED) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has released the annual IDEA state determinations for 2023.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires ED to annually assign every state a “rating” on its implementation of IDEA, based on the state’s performance on its State Performance Plan (SPP). The 2023 determinations are based on performance for fiscal year 2021. Each state is assigned one of the following ratings:
– Meets requirements and purposes of the IDEA Part B
– Needs assistance in implementing the requirements of IDEA Part B
– Needs intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA Part B
– Needs substantial intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA Part B

The OSEP Fact Sheet on 2023 determinations is here. How OSEP made the 2023 determinations is explained here.

The map below shows the 2023 determination for each state.

Changes from 2022 Determinations

• Rating improved for 6 states: AL, AR, ID, OH, RI, WA
• Rating dropped for 6 states: GA, ME, OK, OR, NH, VA, as well as the Bureau of Indian Education (not shown on map) and the Federated States of Micronesia
• Just 6 states have received a Meets Requirements rating each of the past 10 years (2014-2023): KS, MA, MN, MO, PA, WI.
  
  Get ratings by state for 2014 to 2023 here. (PDF, 1 pg)

Beginning in 2014, OSEP began using the “Results-Driven Accountability” (RDA) Matrix to arrive at state determinations. Our critique of the current RDA process is examined in depth in this report, “Results Driven Accountability Needs Substantial Intervention.” We discuss in detail what’s working and not working after several years of RDA-based state determinations.

Under the current RDA determinations matrix, it is mathematically impossible for all states to achieve a “meets requirements” rating given the heavy use of scoring based on rank-ordering of States. Consequently, as the chart below shows, the number of states earning a “Meets Requirements” rating has changed little under RDA.

Annual Performance Report documents for states and territories are available on this page. The Results Matrix is found toward the end of the WORD document titled 2023 SPP/APR Submission – Part B.

See also:
How the States Stack Up: 2022 IDEA State Determinations
How the States Stack Up: 2021 IDEA Determinations
How the States Stack Up: 2020 IDEA Determinations
Little Improvement in States’ Implementation of IDEA Part B in 2017