State of Oregon
Part C Annual Performance Report
Status of Program Performance/November 2005
Combined
Cluster Area CI: General Supervision and Cluster Area CIV: Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments
Question:Is effective general supervision of the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensured through the Lead Agency’s (LA) utilization of mechanisms that result in all eligible infants and toddlers and their families having an opportunity to receive early intervention services in natural environments (EIS in NE)?Question:Are early intervention services provided in natural environments meeting the unique needs of eligible infants and toddlers and their families?
CI, GS.II Systemic issues are identified and remediated through analysis of data findings from all available sources, including monitoring, complaint investigations, and hearing resolutions.
CIV, CE.II The timely evaluation and assessment of child and family needs lead to identification of all child needs, and the family needs related to enhancing the development of the child.
OSEP Directed Target: ODE ensures compliance with Part C’s 45-day timeline requirements.
In direct response to OSEP’s findings through review of Oregon’s 2002 APR and the OSEP verification visit in July 2004, ODE is submitting the following plan “to ensure compliance with Part C’s 45-day timeline requirement for completing EI evaluations and initial IFSP meetings.” ODE will report on progress to OSEP on June 30, 2005, and November 30, 2005.
Improvement Plan for Timely Correction of Identified Noncompliance
Strategies / Activities/timeline / Evidence of change
Strategy 1: EI/ECSE contractors report 45-day timeline data to ODE on a monthly schedule. / Activity 1: ODE will develop an electronic monthly data collection system for contractors to report, by county, the number of children:
1a. for whom the program completed EI evaluation, eligibility determination, and initial IFSP meeting within 45 calendar days.
1b. for whom the program completed EI evaluation, eligibility determination, and initial IFSP meeting in more than 45 days; the number of days to completion; and the reasons for not meeting the 45-day timeline.
1c. for whom the program did not complete EI evaluation, eligibility determination, and initial IFSP meeting in 45 calendar days.
1d. who dropped out of the process with the reason why.
Timeline: Beginning April 2004 and completed December 2004.
Activity 2: ODE will implement electronic monthly data collection system.
Timeline: April 2004 and ongoing. / ODE has a system in place for EI/ECSE programs to report 45-day timeline data on a monthly schedule.
03/31/05 Status:
The electronic data reporting system was developed in April 2004 and completed in October 2004. The system requires each EI/ECSE program to report the number of children completing and not completing EI evaluations and initial IFSP meetings in 45 days, reasons for not meeting the 45-day timeline, corrective actions for meeting the 45-day timeline, and number of children and families that drop out of the process. Monthly data reports are available.
Strategy 2: Through monthly data submission, EI/ECSE programs provide documentation of the correction of compliance with 45-day timeline. / Activity 1: All instances of noncompliance are addressed through a corrective action plan. Plans address
1a. reasons each noncompliance occurred.
1b. corrective actions based on analysis of the problem(s).
1c. activities planned to address each problem identified.
1d. next steps for correction.
1e. request for technical assistance from ODE, if needed.
Timeline: Full implementation by December 2004 and ongoing. / Through monthly data reports, all EI/ECSE programs report compliance with 45-day timeline.
03/31/05 Status:
The process was fully implemented in December 2004. Data collection continues on a monthly basis.
Strategy 3: ODE will implement a series of sanctions for EI/ECSE programs that fail to meet the 45-day timeline. / Activity 1: Develop a list of corrective actions and sanctions that ODE will follow for programs that continue to fail to meet the 45-day timeline.
1a. Notification of noncompliance sent by ODE to contractor and ESD superintendent with expectation of improvement.
1b. Review progress and inform contractor and superintendent of findings and an ODE-specified plan of improvement.
1c. Inform contractor, ESD superintendent, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the continued noncompliance. ODE will direct the contractor to contract services with another entity for the provision of referral, evaluation, and initial IFSP meeting with children and families referred for EI services.
Timeline: Completed September 2004.
Activity 2: Disseminate and implement corrective actions and/or sanctions with EI/ECSE contractors.
Timeline: December 2004 and ongoing. / Monthly data reported by EI/ECSE programs indicate compliance with 45-day timelines.
03/31/05 Status:
The series of corrections and sanctions have been disseminated to all EI/ECSE programs. ODE reviews program data monthly to determine the need for sanctions.
06/30/05 Status:
Data for February through May 2005 show significant progress in the number of EI/ECSE programs completing EI evaluations and initial IFSP meetings within 45 days. The February 2005 – May 2005 data indicate a 33% increase in comparison to the July 2004 – January 2005 data.
EI Evaluations and Initial IFSP Meetings Completed in 45 Days
Time Period / Percent of EI/ECSE Programs
2002
/ 18% (6/33)2003
/ 21% (7/33)July 2004 – January 2005
/ 55% (18/33)February 2005 – May 2005
/ 88% (29/33)Source: 2002 data are from EI/ECSE Service Area Plans reports.
2003, 2004 and 2005 data are from monthly EI/ECSE reports to ODE.
The four programs that did not meet the timeline for all children had high rates of compliance, ranging from 92% to 99%,as shown in the table below.
Percent of Evaluations and Initial IFSP Meetings Completed in 45 Days
for Those Programs Not Meeting the 45-Day Timeline
February 2005 – May 2005
Program / Percent of evaluations and initial IFSP meetings completed in 45-days
A / 92% (24/26)
B / 95% (40/42)
C / 99% (161/162)
D / 99% (136/137)
Source: Monthly EI/ECSE reports to ODE.
The four programs that did not meet the 45-day timeline completed the steps required in Strategy 2 of this improvement plan. The high rates of compliance, while not 100%, did not warrant the corrective actions and sanctions described in Strategy 3. ODE will continue to monitor the 45-day timeline to determine the need for sanctions.
All EI/ECSE programs will continue to report monthly to ODE on completion of EI eligibility evaluations and initial IFSP meetings in 45days.
11/30/05 Status:
A high number of EI/ECSE programs continue to complete EI evaluations and initial IFSP meetings within 45-days as shown in this report period. Further analysis of the data show that a total of 99% (1464/1479) of EI evaluations and initial IFSP meetings were completed in the 45-day requirement.
EI Evaluations and Initial IFSP Meetings Completed in 45 Days
Time Period / Percent of EI/ECSE Programs
2002
/ 18% (6/33)2003
/ 21% (7/33)July 2004 – January 2005
/ 55% (18/33)February 2005 – May 2005
/ 88% (29/33)June 2005 – October 2005
/ 79% (26/33)Source: 2002 data are from EI/ECSE Service Area Plans reports.
2003, 2004 and 2005 data are from monthly EI/ECSE reports to ODE.
The six programs that did not meet the timeline had high rates of compliance, ranging from 96% to 98%, as shown in the table below. Two of the programs showed improvement from the previous report period, two showed a decrease in meeting the 45-day timeline and three additional programs did not meet the timeline.
Percent of Evaluations and Initial IFSP Meetings Completed in 45 Days
for Those Programs Not Meeting the 45-Day Timeline
February 2005 – September 2005
Program / Percent of evaluations and initial IFSP meetings completed in 45-days from Feb 05-May 05 / Percent of evaluations and initial IFSP meetings completed in 45-days from June 05-Oct 05
A / 92% (24/26) / 96% (22/23)
B / 95% (40/42) / 100% (31/31)
C / 99% (161/162) / 98% (148/151)
D / 99% (136/137) / 98% (203/208)
E / 100% (55/55) / 96% (46/48)
F / 100% (61/61) / 98% (168/171)
G / 100% (46/46) / 98% (52/53)
Source: Monthly EI/ECSE reports to ODE.
The programs that did not meet the 45-day timeline during this report period completed the steps required in Strategy 2 of this improvement plan. While two programs (programs C and D) showed a decrease in compliance during this report period, analysis of the issues with meeting the requirement were different than in the previous report period. Both programs developed and are implementing corrective action plans to address the current problems.
ODE will continue to monitor the 45-day timeline to determine the need for sanctions. All EI/ECSE programs will continue to report monthly to ODE on completion of EI eligibility evaluations and initial IFSP meetings in 45 days.
Page 1