The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires state education agencies and local school districts to provide various data and information to the U.S. Department of Education. To meet these requirements, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), Office of Accountability, conducts the annual Special Education Family Survey. This survey aims to understand parents’ and caregivers’ perceptions of family engagement elements, including communication, school climate, partnership with the school, and graduation requirements.
Objectives:
1. Understand Family Engagement: Explore parents’ and caregivers’ views on school communication, school climate, partnerships, and understanding of graduation requirements and options for students with disabilities.
2. Highlight Perceptions: Present credible data reflecting diverse perspectives of parents and caregivers of students with disabilities, acknowledging potential limitations in data representation.
3. Inform Policy and Practice: Provide data- informed insights to guide local and state educational policies and practices.
In 2023, data were collected from parents and caregivers representing 140 Ohio school districts and community schools. All of Ohio’s school districts and community schools were randomly assigned to one of six cohorts. Cohort 4 administered surveys in the spring of 2023. Future survey administrations will include parents and caregivers from the remaining districts and community schools.
Consumers of these survey data should proceed with caution. Probability samples were not used to collect data from the Cohort 4 schools. A probability sample would allow for generalizing results to the broader population and calculating confidence levels associated with survey results. Despite this limitation, the data provide valuable insights and, along with other information, can inform trends and strategies to enhance local schools’ responsiveness to students’ and families’ needs.
This report offers a brief review of the findings from the 2023 survey participants. This list represents the schools included in the report.