VDOE FOIA Response: Fairfax and Powhatan County Public Schools Core Special Education Assessment Data Collection

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) provided its collection data for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and Powhatan County Public Schools (PCPS) in response to a June 20, 2023, FOIA request for the following:

"Please provide me the summary reports for VDOE’s Core Special Education Assessment results for Fairfax County Public Schools. An example is attached for reference. Please search the period of 2019-today.

"For Powhatan County and Fairfax County, please provide the data collected in the tracking system to monitor the correction of the noncompliance findings that were identified. For reference, see the third paragraph from the bottom of page 2, which available here: VA-B-SPP-FFY20.docx (live.com)

This request was prompted after I read Virginia's FFY 2020 "State Performance Plan / Annual Performance Report: Part B", specifically the portion on page two that states the following:

"To ensure that all school districts correct any identified compliance deficiencies within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed one year from identification, VDOE has implemented a tracking system to monitor the correction of the noncompliance findings that were identified through local district self-assessments and the State's on-site reviews. Tracking of noncompliant findings in the self-assessment begins following receipt of the self-assessment reports and program improvement plans. Tracking of noncompliant findings resulting from VDOE's reviews begins from the issue date of the report findings."

Although VDOE was allegedly already tracking this data in one place, VDOE stated it required 8 hours — for a FOIA fee of $175 — to do the work to obtain the records.