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

The data collection for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) State and Local Implementation Study 2019 will examine how states, districts, and schools are identifying and supporting children and youth with disabilities. The study is one component of a Congressionally-mandated National Assessment of IDEA. The purpose of this data collection is to develop an up-to-date national picture of how states, districts, and schools are implementing IDEA in order to provide ED, Congress, and other stakeholders with knowledge that can inform the next reauthorization of IDEA and, ultimately, how services are provided to children. This study of IDEA is necessary because a decade has passed since the previous IDEA national implementation study, and subsequent developments may have influenced the context and implementation of special education and early intervention. The surveys will be administered in Fall 2019. All respondents will have the opportunity to complete an electronic survey (or paper survey, if preferred). The survey respondents are described briefly below: State Surveys: The study team will administer three separate electronic surveys that focus on the Part C program for infants and toddlers (administered to the Part C infants and toddlers program coordinator), the Part B program for preschool-age children (administered to the Part B program for preschool-age children coordinator), and the Part B program for school-age children and youth (administered to the special education director). Three surveys are necessary because different state administrators are likely to oversee IDEA programs for children at those different age levels. The state surveys will be administered to the respondents in each of the 61 state-level entities that receive IDEA funding: all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 8 U.S. territories, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. School District Surveys: The study team will administer two separate electronic surveys that focus on the Part B program for preschool-age children (administered to the Part B program for pre-school age children coordinator) and the IDEA Part B program for school-age children and youth (administered to the special education director). If a district does not have a Part B program for preschool-age children coordinator, the study team will work with the district to identify the survey’s most appropriate respondent, likely someone in the pre-school special education leadership. Two surveys are necessary because different district staff members are likely to oversee IDEA programs for students at those different age levels. The study team will administer the Part B program for preschool-age children survey to a nationally representative sample of 602 school districts and the Part B program for school-age children survey to a nationally representative sample of 665 school districts. (Of the 665 districts selected overall, 63 do not offer pre-kindergarten instruction and are not eligible for the preschool-age district survey.) School Surveys: A single school survey covers the Part B program for school-age children, the Part B program for preschool-age children, the transition from the Part C infants and toddlers program, and transition planning for secondary school students. The school survey will be administered to the school principal or lead special education staff. The study team will administer an electronic survey to a nationally representative sample of 2,750 schools from the 665 selected districts.

The latest form for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) State and Local Implementation Study 2019 expires 2022-10-31 and can be found here.