Study Brochure

APPENDIX B.4 IDEA STUDY BROCHURE

Study Participation

What are the study activities? District and school representatives will complete surveys during the 2019–20 school year and again in the 2022–23 school year:

DISTRICT: Two 60-minute surveys, one focused on the IDEA Part B Program

for School-Age Children, and one focused on the IDEA Part B Program for Preschool-Age Children

SCHOOL: One 45-minute survey focused on the IDEA Part B Programs for School-age and Preschool-Age Children

State representatives will complete surveys about IDEA Part C Infants and Toddlers Program in addition to the Part B programs.

The study will not collect any information from students or their families. Nor will information

identifying any student be requested from districts or schools.

Will information be kept private? Study reports will summarize information across districts and schools. The study team will not provide information that identifies individual survey respondents, districts, or schools to anyone outside the study team. Study reports may present information by state.

How many states, districts, and schools will participate? The study will survey all states and territories that receive IDEA funding and a nationally representative sample of 550 school districts and 2,200 schools.

Contact Us

How can I get more information about the study? Please contact Mathematica by email at IDEA@mathematica-mpr.com.

Who is conducting the study? The study is sponsored by the U.S. Department

of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research organization, was contracted to conduct the study.

P.O. Box 2393 Princeton, NJ 08543-2393

www.mathematica-mpr.com

IDEA

Implementation

Study

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) State and Local Implementation Study 2019

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences

OMB #XXXX-XXXX

OMB Expiration Date:

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a longstanding federal law that ensures the rights of children with disabilities from birth through age 21. IDEA assists states in providing early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and those at risk of developmental delay, and their families. The law ensures

that older children receive access to a free appropriate public education

that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. More than 7 million children receive services under IDEA.

IDEA State and Local Implementation Study 2019

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences has sponsored several studies to understand how IDEA is achieving its purpose.

One study provided a national picture of state and local implementation of IDEA in 2009. However, much of the education landscape has changed. It’s critically important to collect up-to- date information about the policies, programs, and supports provided to children with disabilities to understand

the implementation of IDEA in the current education environment. This study will examine the Part B Program for School- Age Children, the Part B Program for Preschool-Age Children, and the Part C Infants and Toddlers Program and could inform the next reauthorization of IDEA.

Study Information

You have been randomly selected, as part of a nationally representative

sample of school districts and schools, to participate in this study of IDEA implementation. This study will address a number of important questions:

• How do states and districts identify infants, toddlers, children, and youth for early intervention and special education services?

• What policies and programs do states and districts have in place to support infants, toddlers, children, and youth identified for early intervention or special education services?

• What types of supports do schools provide to children and youth with disabilities to support their academic and behavioral learning, both within and outside of general education classrooms?

• How do states and schools rely on evidence to inform their decisions?

• How are resources allocated for IDEA implementation?

Answers to these questions are key to providing policymakers and practitioners with the information they need to better understand IDEA implementation.