US Education Department's annual report about states' implementation of IDEA
What does the report reveal about the provision of special education?
The US Department of Education released a summary of the findings of its annual analyses of the extent to which individual states and territories in the US are meeting the requirements and purposes of the Individuals Disabilities with Education Act. The summary, dated 18 June 2026, brings together the results of ED’s reviews of State Performance Plans and Annual Performance Reports for states’ implementation in 2024. It is entitled “2026 Determination Letters on State Implementation of IDEA.” This report includes analyses forth Parts B (services for children from 3-21 years of age) and C (ages birth-through-2).
The summary identified states as falling into one of four categories or groups: “A State’s determination may be:
Meets the requirements and purposes of IDEA;
Needs assistance in implementing the requirements of IDEA;
Needs intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA; or
Needs substantial intervention in implementing the requirements of IDEA.”
Probably much discussion (crowing or crying) will focus on where individual states fall in this categorization system. I encourage readers to skim over the summary ratings and dig into the reports for individual states.
Understanding the underlying data is important. Grading systems such as the one used by ED often use different types of data (e.g., categorical or nominal scores, ranks, etc.) to create their ratings, and sometimes those scores have logical inconsistencies. Thus, when observers say things like, “It’s a fact that the State of X is still in great need of improvement,” that statement should be considered carefully. It is probably far to sweeping or grand; there’s a lot to “unpack” in the grade State X got.
There are sensible articles about ED’s report available on the Intertubes. Here are a couple of examples:
On the Advocacy Institute’s blog for 23 June 2026 see “How the States Stack Up: 2026 IDEA State Determinations”;
On Disability Scoop, see Michelle Diamond’s “Most States Fail To Meet IDEA Requirements, Feds Say” from 9 July 2026.