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Episode 45

Release Date: April 25, 2024

Guests: Susan Bineham, Texas Education Agency

A key aspect of any state’s SPP/APR is stakeholder engagement, but in a state with as many seats around the table as Texas, bringing people together and keeping them there can require no small measure of special planning. On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman is all in with Susan Bineham, Texas Education Agency’s SPP/APR coordinator and manager of the Office of Special Populations and Student Supports (OSPSS). They’re putting their cards on the table to talk about the importance – and logistics – of how the state brings together parents, community members, and others to get the most of their IDEA data.

Episode 44

Release Date: April 11, 2024

Guests: Nancy Johnson and Rachel Wilkinson, IDC TA providers

And we're back! Last time on A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman discussed IDC's annual review of state SPP/APR submissions with TA specialists Rachel Wilkinson and Nancy Johnson. Now for the big finish. Join us for part two of this illuminating conversation full of insights into the patterns, trends, and tips that your own state might find invaluable during its next SPP/APR period.

The SPP/APR indicators measure child and family outcomes as well as compliance with the requirements of IDEA. This quick-reference resource from IDC includes a list and brief definition of all the Part B FFY 2020–2025 SPP/APR indicators (including the new Indicator 18!), as well as a list of file specifications associated with each of the seven IDEA 618 data collections, all in one convenient package. Print one out here or contact your IDC State Liaison for a laminated version you can carry along wherever you go.

Episode 43

Release Date: March 28, 2024

Guests: Nancy Johnson and Rachel Wilkinson, IDC TA providers

Every year, IDC reviews and offers feedback on dozens of state SPP/APR submissions. From that vantage, our TA specialists gets a unique view of national patterns and trends. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman sits down with our own TA specialists Rachel Wilkinson and Nancy Johnson to share a glimpse of this perspective, offering invaluable insights, advice, and tips that you might be able to use in your own SPP/APR.

Episode 42

Release Date: March 14, 2024

Guests: Kelley Blas, Kristen DeSalvatore, and Austen Ferrier, IDC TA providers

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: Three former state data managers walk into a U.S. Department of Education-funded data center. Not ringing a bell? Relax. It’s no joke; it’s this week’s episode of A Date with Data. Join host Amy Bitterman as she sits down with former data managers-turned-IDC’s own Kelley Blas, Kristen DeSalvatore, and Austen Ferrier. They’re discussing how their insider experience shapes the technical assistance that they provide to states to improve the quality of IDEA data.

Episode 41

Release Date: February 22, 2024

Guests: Leah Voorhies, assistant superintendent of student support and state director of special education, and LauraLee Gillespie, special education coordinator of the Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPS)

Utah: land of bees! In our last episode, we learned more about how the state is prioritizing general supervision as part of Differentiated Monitoring and Support or DMS 2.0. On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman brings it all home with Leah Voorhies, assistant superintendent of student support and state director of special education, and LauraLee Gillespie, special education coordinator of the Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPS). They’re talking about monitoring, support, and compliance with federal and state requirements. Don’t miss the conclusion of this buzzy back-and-forth.

Episode 40

Release Date: February 8, 2024

Guests: Leah Voorhies, assistant superintendent of student support and state director of special education, and LauraLee Gillespie, special education coordinator of the Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPS)

Utah: the Beehive State. With Differentiated Monitoring and Support or DMS 2.0 in full swing, general supervision is a high priority area for every state, and Utah is no exception. In fact, you might say they’ve been as busy as bees. On this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman sits down with Leah Voorhies, assistant superintendent of student support and state director of special education, and LauraLee Gillespie, special education coordinator of the Utah Program Improvement Planning System (UPIPS). They’re sharing the story of Utah’s general supervision system and how the state uses it to monitor and support compliance with federal and state requirements. Buzz, buzz, buzz. (That’s bee for “Don’t miss it.”)