Special Education Listserv
Subject: Special Education Exit Data
Source: Mary Corey, Director, Data Coordination
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors/Administrators
Date: March 10, 2009
PRIOR YEAR REPORTING OF EXIT CODES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
In the June 2008 cycle of MOSIS, exit codes were reported in two places for students with disabilities. One was in the "Special Education Exit Code" field of the MOSIS Student Core file which was used to populate Screen 12 of Core Data. The second was in the "Exit Code" field of the MOSIS Student Enrollment and Attendance file which was used to populate Screen 13 of Core Data. In most cases, these two codes should have been in alignment for each student with a disability, with the exceptions including the special education exit codes of "Return to Regular Education" and "Parent Withdrew Student" and the exit reporting for Early Childhood Special Education.
CHANGES TO REPORTING FOR 2008-09
In order to simplify the reporting of exit codes, DESE is 1) eliminating the reporting of Early Childhood Exit data and 2) eliminating the requirement to report any Special Education Exit Codes other than 01-Return to Regular Education and 17-Parent Withdrew Student. Although Special Education Exit Codes will remain available in MOSIS for 2008-09, any codes other than 01 and 17 will not be used to populate the Core Data Screen 12.
***It is important that all students who exited Special Education during 2008-09 have the IEP field in the June Student Core file populated with the students' final IEP disability code. If the IEP disability code is not provided, the data will not be populated to Screen 12.
For 2008-09, Screen 12 will be populated using a combination of the two exit fields. If a student's Special Education Exit Code in the MOSIS Student Core file is 01 or 17, then that student will be populated to Screen 12 using those codes. Otherwise, the student's last exit code from the MOSIS Enrollment and Attendance file will be used to populate Screen 12.
REPORTING CHANGES APPLIED RETROACTIVELY TO 2007-08 DATA
The methodology described above for 2008-09 has been applied retroactively to 2007-08 exit data. The change was made for two main reasons. The first is to use the same methodology in years for which exit data was or will be reported through MOSIS and the second is to use a single, consistent exit code (to the extent appropriate) for population to Core Data Screens 12 and 13. With the two separate exit codes, there were situations where the codes did not align. For example, the Special Education Exit Code may have been "Moved, Known to Continue" while the Exit Code may have been "Dropout." This would have resulted in the same student being counted as Moved, Known to Continue on Screen 12, but a Dropout on Screen 13. Primarily using the Exit Code will result in the student being counted as a dropout on both screens.
DISTRICTS MUST REVIEW PRIOR YEAR'S DATA AND RESUBMIT, IF NECESSARY
The data update for 2007-08 could have changed the number of special education exiters displaying on Screen 12 if the two exit codes were not in alignment. Reports detailing the before and after counts of exiters are available at:
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/DataCoord/documents/2008_MOSIS_Reload2.pdf.
Please review this report. If the revised data on Screen 12 is not correct, the June MOSIS files for 2007-08 will need to be resubmitted.
Additional technical assistance will be provided on this topic based on the types of questions we receive. Watch SELS for future announcements.
If you have questions regarding this change, please contact the Special Education Data Coordination Section at 573-751-7848 or webreplyspedc@dese.mo.gov.