Parent Involvement

Indicator 8: Percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities. For more detailed information regarding this indicator, please review Indicator #8 of the State Performance Plan.

Data - District Profiles

Parents are an important part of their children's education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that parents have the opportunity to participate equally with others on Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams.

• Parents may participate in any meetings about their child's identification, evaluation, and educational placement as a child with a disability, and any meetings about the provision of a free appropriate public education to their child.
• Parents' rights and procedural safeguards should be explained to them throughout the special education process.
• The WI Department of Public Instruction must evaluate how schools facilitate parent involvement in a sample of school districts and report it on the State Performance Plan.
• The State Superintendent's Council on Special Education includes parents of children with disabilities.
• The Department of Public Instruction established WSPEI and added a consultant position to support the development of partnerships among schools and families in the education of children with disabilities.

Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey Timeline

• January: Local Education Agencies (LEAs) receive instructions from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) via e-mail on how to access the spreadsheet in Special Education Web Portal that includes sample size demographics.
• January: After receiving e-mail from DPI, LEAs prepare and send a mailing to parents, using data from the Excel file supplied by DPI, making the online survey available to parents on February 1.
• February 1: Survey window opens.
• February 1 - May 30: Parents complete parent survey. LEAs provide paper services to parents upon request. DPI updates LEAs of current response rates so LEAs can implement follow up procedures. Final Return rate must be 20% of sample size and no fewer than six returns.

Training and Technical Assistance

• Indicator 8 Guide 10/2012
• Parent Survey Effective Practice Checklist 10/2012
• Information Update Bulletin 08.03, Wisconsin Schools Facilitate Parent Involvement
• Parent Survey Resource Web Page
• Frequently Asked Questions About the Parent Survey Data Collection
• WI Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative (WSPEI)
• Sample Survey for Ages 6-21, English
• Sample Survey for Ages 3-5, English