In 2016, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provided differentiated monitoring and support (DMS) to states as part of its results driven accountability (RDA) system. Under RDA, OSEP shifted from monitoring based solely on compliance to monitoring and support focused on both compliance and improving results for children with disabilities. OSEP selected states for technical assistance (TA) and monitoring visits based on their risk factors. OSEP differentiated its approach based on each state’s unique strengths, progress, challenges, and needs. In the fall of 2020, OSEP launched DMS 2.0. The DMS 2.0 process consists of five separate cohorts of states that OSEP will monitor on a cycle beginning in 2022.

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center, DaSy, the Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFR), and The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) provide targeted technical assistance (TA) to help states prepare for monitoring visits, focusing on key areas such as fiscal management, data systems, monitoring processes, and dispute resolution.

This article, authored by ECTA, highlights how this TA has led to meaningful system improvements, using Indiana and Montana as examples. Indiana improved its general supervision system by formally documenting previously informal monitoring processes and strengthening vendor oversight, while Montana enhanced policies, fiscal monitoring, and dispute resolution practices following OSEP feedback.

Continue Reading

Read the full impact story on the ECTA website.

Published April 2026.