IDEA National Assessment Implementation Study

Contractor: Abt Associates, Westat, and Windwalker Corporation

Background/Research Questions:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) is the most recent authorization of a law passed in 1975 to promote a free appropriate public education for children with disabilities. Funded at $12.0 billion in FY 2008, IDEA supports early intervention services for infants and toddlers, special education services for children ages 3 through 21, and early intervening services for students not in special education but in need of academic or behavioral support. IES is conducting studies under Section 664 of IDEA 2004 to assess the implementation and effectiveness of key programs and services supported under the law.

The National Assessment Implementation Study (NAIS) is designed to provide a representative, national picture of state and local implementation of early intervention and special education policies and practices supported under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) with a focus on new provisions in the law. This contract will address the following implementation questions for the National Assessment of the IDEA 2004:

• How does each State determine, under IDEA 2004, significant disproportionality and to what extent have districts been so identified?
• Which early intervening and/or response to intervention (RtI) strategies do districts use, and how do rates of identification for special education vary according to the implementation of these strategies?
• How does the incidence of disputes between special education personnel and parents/ guardians vary over time and with the use of mediation?
• Across States, what are the different models of (1) service delivery for the Part C program, and (2) coordination of services provided through Part C and Part B?
• Do State or district policies explicitly reference State academic standards for students with disabilities, and do these policies require that IEPs reference those standards?
• What are States and districts doing to promote compliance with the "highly qualified" personnel provisions of IDEA and No Child Left Behind?

Design:

Data collection includes three surveys of state administrators: (1) Part B administrators responsible for programs providing special education services to school aged children with disabilities (6-21); (2) 619 coordinators who oversee preschool programs for children with disabilities ages 3-5, and; (3) IDEA Part C coordinators who are responsible for early intervention programs serving infants and toddlers. A fourth survey will collect district level data from a nationally representative sample of local special education administrators about preschool and school-age programs for children with disabilities ages 3-21. These data will be analyzed together with relevant information from State and Federal websites and from pre-exisiting surveys of SEAs and school districts. Data collection is scheduled to occur during the winter of 2008.

Duration: 30 months (September, 2007 to March, 2010)

Current Status:

Contract was awarded in September 2007. An analysis plan and all surveys have been developed and an OMB package has been submitted. The final report on this study will be announced on http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/.