What is SPPI 14?

- What is State Performance Plan Indicator 14? Hello, and welcome to the first of three videos about State Performance Plan Indicator 14 or SPPI 14, Measuring Post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. I am Michele McKinley and I am the Executive Director of Special Programs for Maynard Independent School District in Maynard, Texas, near Austin. I also serve as the President of Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education, also known as TCASE. During my 30 years in the field of education, I have held positions such as Director of Special Education, Special Education Supervisor, Transition Coordinator, and Special Education Teacher. I am excited about the opportunity to spend time with you today. In this first video, I will share SPPI 14 basics for administrators. In the second video, I will show you how to read and use data from the SPPI 14 report. Finally, in the third and final video, I will share ways to improve the SPPI 14 outcome data for your local education agency or LEA. SPPI 14 measures the percent of youth who are no longer in high school, had individualized education programs, or IEPs, in effect at the time they left school, and were enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school, enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one year of leaving high school, and enrolled in higher education, or in some other post-secondary education or training program, or competitively employed, or in some other employment within one year of leaving high school. Simply put, SPPI 14 looks at what students with disabilities are doing within one year of leaving high school and tells us if our students are experiencing successful post-secondary outcomes. SPPI 14 results are reported through three cumulative indicator measures, Measure A, Measure B, and Measure C, which build on each other. Let's take a look at them now. We will delve even deeper into these measures in video two. Indicator Measure 14A is the percentage of respondents who are enrolled in higher education. This includes respondents who, over the past year, were enrolled in a two year or four year college or university for at least one complete term. Indicator Measure 14B is the percentage of respondents who are enrolled in higher education, as reported in Measure 14A, plus those who are competitively employed. Competitive employment includes respondents who, over the past year, worked for a minimum of three months for 20 hours or more per week, were paid at least minimum wage, and their employer was a company or business employing people with and without disabilities. Competitive employment also includes respondents in the military or in supported employment who met the same criteria. Indicator Measure 14C is the percentage of respondents who are enrolled in higher education, as reported in Measure 14A, plus those who are competitively employed, as reported in Measure 14B, plus those who are participating in other education or other employment. Other education includes completing at least one term of continuing education that is not a two year or four year college or university. This includes a high school completion program, a short-term education or employment training program, a vocational or technical school program of less than two years, a religious or church sponsored mission, volunteer training, or community service training. Other employment includes working a total of three months or more in self-employment, a family business, sheltered employment, or employment while in jail or prison. Other employment also includes all the employment situations listed in Indicator Measure 14B if the respondent worked three months or more but worked fewer than an average of 20 hours per week or was paid less than the minimum wage. Beyond the three Indicator Measures, the SPPI 14 report also provides detailed information on support and services accessed for post-secondary education and for employment. How do we get this data? One year after exiting high school, students are contacted by phone, text, email, or mail to complete a survey to tell us what they are doing now. Questions may include things like: Are you in school? Did you join the military? Are you working? Are you using disability supports in college? In high school, what best prepared you for adult life? Once the data collection window has ended, the state creates and distributes a statewide report, 20 regional-level reports, and over 1,200 LEA reports. Are you curious about using the information in the reports you receive? Good. Check out video two in this series to get more information on using the data from these reports to improve post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities.