Reports generated from SEA-STARS provide the information needed for mandatory data reporting to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and assist Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) administration with compliance monitoring and developing internal regulations.

The development and maintenance of SEA-STARS is a collaborative effort between the Department of Special Services and the Department of Information Technology.

All schools in FCPS are currently using SEA-STARS to complete local screenings, special education eligibilities (initial and reevaluation), 504 qualifications (initial and reevaluation), IEPs, 504 plans, Transfer IEPs, Transfer 504s, and individual service plans (ISP). Within the last year, SEA-STARS housed over 29,930 Current IEPs and more than 21,104 eligibility documents. In addition, there were roughly 13,384 Section 504 Plans, 2,759 Section 504 Initial Qualifications, and more than 1,594 Section 504 Reevaluations.

As of 10/27/2023, there are 6,822 FCPS staff members actively using SEA-STARS. The FCPS staff members who manage the SEA-STARS program are responsible for adding new system requirements, providing procedural and technical support, and training all new users. Multiple types of SEA-STARS training are available based on users' needs and roles within the school division. 

The following chart summarizes the number of SEA-STARS training certifications completed by FCPS staff members during the 2022-23 school year.

SEA-STARS Certification Summary School Year 2022-23

Decisions regarding participation in the Virginia Accountability System are made via the IEP/504 team and are documented on the IEP/504 Plan in the SEA- STARS system. 

SEA-STARS training materials are developed cooperatively among the departments supporting the system. Reference materials and an online Help system are available via the FCPS Employee Hub and inside the SEA-STARS system. To minimize the outside-of-classroom time for teachers, specific SEA-STARS training modules are now accessible via the FCPS online learning management system (MyPDE/eLearnIT).  In-person training is also available, as needed. 

As part of the FCPS COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan, Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams and Section 504 Plan knowledgeable committees will determine whether students with disabilities who had an IEP or 504 Plan during the Pandemic Period (April 14, 2020 - June 10, 2022), received an appropriate education to meet their individual needs during the Pandemic Period and whether compensatory education and/or related services are owed to students with disabilities as a remedy. In accordance with this plan, the FCPS SEA-STARS staff has worked with the Department of Information Technology and Due Process and Eligibility to develop functionality in SEA-STARS to meet the plan criteria.

Reports have been developed and made available to the appropriate users in SEA-STARS that identify students who are eligible for COVID-19 Compensatory Services, as well as track the status of these students (i.e., whether the IEP/504 meeting to discuss these services has occurred).

Additionally, reports have also been developed that assist users in tracking the service delivery hours of those students who have been found eligible to receive COVID-19 compensatory services, as well as identify which staff member is the primary case manager for these students.

A COVID-19 Compensatory Services Student Management Screen has also been developed and made available in SEA-STARS for users who will be assisting in delivering COVID-19 Compensatory Services. This screen assists users in accessing students who are eligible for COVID-19 Compensatory Services and their information about COVID-19 compensatory services, as well as features that allow users to track the services they have delivered to ensure the student’s hours are met.

FCPS is collaborating with the SEA-STARS vendor, Edupoint, to create functionality to generate IEP and 504 documents in the students’ corresponding language. FCPS has a targeted implementation date of September 2024. To facilitate timely communication with parents, DSS Data Management continues to collaborate with the Department of Information Technology (DIT) to submit a current PDF copy of each student's IEP or 504 Plan and the quarterly IEP progress reports from SEA-STARS to the Student Information System (SIS) ParentVUE.

During the 2024-25 school year, FCPS will improve the oversight of private and home instruction students receiving special education services and those eligible to receive special education services. SEA-STARS will provide data to track the delivery of COVID-19 compensatory services, analyzing the number of services provided by schools and private providers to students.  This will enable DSS to report division-wide progress toward the completion of COVID-19 compensatory services to the FCPS Leadership Team and school board on student progress and the program's overall cost. This information will allow FCPS to redistribute instructional resources and staff to schools or programs based on need and overall progress.