Potsdam Institute for Applied Research
(PIAR) at SUNY Potsdam

Office of Special Education
The State Education Dept./The University of the State of New York/Albany, NY 12234

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What is State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 8 - Parental Involvement Surveys?
Where can I get more information to share about the Parent Involvement survey?
Why does our district have to ask parents to fill out this survey?
What is the Potsdam Institute for Applied Research?
How do I contact the Potsdam Institute for Applied Research (PIAR)?
How do school districts get copies of the paper survey?
Are paper surveys available in languages other than English?
Can parents be provided with surveys in more than one language?
How long do I have to distribute the surveys and when must the surveys be returned?
Should I distribute a cover letter with the paper survey?
To whom are the surveys returned?
How many surveys have to be returned?
What is my district's minimum number of required surveys?
Why do I have a minimum required number of surveys?
How many surveys should I order?
Which of my families should get a survey?
If a family has more than one child with a disability, is a parent survey completed for each child?
Is the number of surveys the district needs to return based upon the number of surveys ordered?
What happens if our district does not return the minimum required number of surveys?
What is the best strategy for completing this project?
How do I keep track of the number of surveys being returned from my district?
Can parents complete the survey on the Internet?
Where can I find the survey on the Internet?
How do parents log in to the survey on the Internet?
When does our district get the results from the survey responses?
Do children of school employees who have disabilities, but don't reside in the district, receive a parent survey to complete?
Is only one parent survey sent for a child with a disability if the parents are divorced/separated?
Are parent surveys sent to the parents of parentally placed students with disabilities?
Are parent surveys sent to the parents of home-schooled students with students with disabilities?

What is State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 8 - Parental Involvement Surveys?

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, New York State must report to the U.S. Department of Education each year on a number of measures, or indicators in its State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR). SPP Indicator 8 Parent Involvement measures the "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." The New York State Education Department (NYSED) collects data for Indicator 8 using the NYSED SPP Plan Indicator #8: Parental Involvement Survey.

Where can I get more information to share about the Parent Involvement survey?

The New York State Education Department website for State Performance Plan Indicator 8 - Parent Involvement is located here: https://www.nysed.gov/special-education/state-performance-plan-spp-indicator-8-parent-involvement A fact sheet for school districts, a flyer for families and a list of the questions on the survey may be found here.

Why does our district have to ask parents to fill out this survey?

School districts are required by NYSED to coordinate the collection of data for SPP Indicator 8. School districts are required to survey parents once every six years, unless the NYSED requires re-submission as a result of lack of responses to the survey in a previous year.

What is the Potsdam Institute for Applied Research?

The Potsdam Institute for Applied Research (PIAR) is a research institute located at SUNY Potsdam. PIAR has a contract with NYSED to coordinate survey distribution and collection, complete data analysis and reporting, and provide technical assistance to school districts to complete SPP Indicator 8.

How do I contact the Potsdam Institute for Applied Research (PIAR)?

PIAR can be contacted by e-mail at parentsurvey@potsdam.edu or by telephone at 315-267-3466 or 888-419-2698 (toll free).

How do school districts get copies of the paper survey?

Copies of the paper survey and return envelopes are obtained from the Potsdam Institute for Applied Research (PIAR) through the website https://www.piar.potsdam.edu/parentsurvey

Are paper surveys available in languages other than English?

Yes, surveys are available in Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Yiddish. For other languages, it is the school district's responsibility to provide translation services.

Can parents be provided with surveys in more than one language?

No, only one survey should be distributed for each child with a disability, aged 3-21.

How long do I have to distribute the surveys and when must the surveys be returned?

The surveys may be distributed between September 1st and August 31st of the year in which a school district is required to report on Indicator 8. Surveys must be postmarked by August 31st of the reporting year.

Should I distribute a cover letter with the paper survey?

It is recommended that school districts provide a cover letter to parents selected to complete the parent surveys. The New York State Education Department provides an example of a sample letter to parents at https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/special-education/spp-indicator-8-sample-parent-letter.docx

To whom are the surveys returned?

The surveys are returned to PIAR at SUNY Potsdam. Each survey distributed should be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

How many surveys have to be returned?

The number of surveys to be returned depends on the number of students with disabilities, age 3-21, in each school district. NYSED calculates the number of surveys to be returned.

What is my district's minimum number of required surveys?

The school district's minimum number of required surveys is the number of surveys which must be returned to meet the school district's target for SPP Indicator 8. When you check the Response Rate link on the Parent Survey website, the district's "goal" is the required number of surveys as calculated by NYSED. An approximation of the number of required surveys may be obtained by using the NYSED Office of Information Reporting Services' found at https://eservices.nysed.gov/pdsystem/samplesizecalculator.jsp

Why do I have a minimum required number of surveys?

The SPP/APR requires a statistically sound survey return rate from school districts. A required minimum number of surveys are needed to have confidence that the responses are representative of the families of the students with disabilities with an individualized education program (IEP) in a school district.

How many surveys should I order?

NYSED requires school districts to distribute the survey to: Families of all preschool and school-age students with disabilities with an IEP in the school district; or If sampling, 10 times the minimum number of students with disabilities with an IEP required for the sample calculated using the NYSED Office of Information Reporting Services' Calculator to Determine Sample Size. For example, if the minimum required number of surveys is 68, the district would distribute surveys to families of 680 students with disabilities with an IEP. However, if the target is 68 and the district does not have 680 students with disabilities with an IEP, a survey must be distributed for every student with a disability with an IEP.

Which of my families should get a survey?

NYSED requires school districts to distribute the survey to: Families of all preschool and school-age students with disabilities with an IEP in the school district; or If sampling, 10 times the minimum number of students with disabilities with an IEP required for the sample calculated using the NYSED Office of Information Reporting Services' Calculator to Determine Sample Size. A survey should be sent to each family of a student with a disability with an IEP. Families with more than one student with a disability with an IEP should receive a survey for each student.

If a family has more than one child with a disability, is a parent survey completed for each child?

Yes. If a family has more than one student with a disability, a parent survey should be completed for each child to ensure that the demographics of and experiences related to each student are accurately reflected in the school district's reporting.

Is the number of surveys the district needs to return based upon the number of surveys ordered?

No. The number of surveys to be returned depends on the required sample size of students with disabilities, age 3-21, in each school district.

What happens if our district does not return the minimum required number of surveys?

NYSED will review the data from school districts not returning the minimum number of required responses and may reassign these school districts to conduct the survey again in a subsequent school year to improve their response rates and ensure there are valid results on this Indicator.

What is the best strategy for completing this project?

The best strategy for successfully completing this project will vary for each school district. NYSED recommends that a variety of strategies be used to ensure success. For all strategies, ensuring that parent responses are confidential should be a priority. Strategies include distributing surveys at school meetings, such as open houses, conferences, and committee on special education (CSE) and committee on preschool special education annual meetings; enlisting the assistance of parent advocates; providing a reader to assist literacy challenged parents; providing a computer in a confidential setting to allow parents to complete the survey online; providing translators if the survey is not available in the language of the parent; and distributing the survey by mail. One word of caution: If your district has fewer than 900 students with a disability with an IEP, it may be difficult to achieve the required minimum number of surveys returned if only a mass distribution strategy is used. PIAR can provide technical assistance related to alternate strategies for districts with fewer than 900 students.

How do I keep track of the number of surveys being returned from my district?

Go to the "Check Response Rates" link at https://www.piar.potsdam.edu/parentsurvey Enter the first 6 digits of your school district's BEDS code to review the number of surveys ordered, the target for your school district and the number of surveys which have been returned.

Can parents complete the survey on the Internet?

Yes. Parents can complete the survey on the Internet by going to https://www.piar.potsdam.edu/parentsurvey and selecting the "Online Survey" link.

Where can I find the survey on the Internet?

The survey can be found on the Internet by going to https://www.piar.potsdam.edu/parentsurvey and selecting the "Online Survey" link.

How do parents log in to the survey on the Internet?

To log into the "Online Survey", parents should enter the 6 digit number located at the bottom of the paper survey received from the school district.

When does our district get the results from the survey responses?

Results from the survey responses will be provided to school districts in the spring of the year following data collection. For example, if surveys were distributed during the 2022-2023 school year, reports will be sent in the spring of 2024.

Do children of school employees who have disabilities, but don't reside in the district, receive a parent survey to complete?

No. If a school district admits a nonresident tuition student, the student's school district of residence maintains CSE responsibility. Therefore, the parents would complete the parent survey during the year in which the district of residence is sampled for SPP Indicator 8.

Is only one parent survey sent for a child with a disability if the parents are divorced/separated?

Yes. Only one parent survey should be completed per child to ensure that the demographics of the students with disabilities in the school district are accurately reflected in the school district's reporting.

Are parent surveys sent to the parents of parentally placed students with disabilities?

Yes. Under Education Law section 3602-c, for students with disabilities who are parentally placed in nonpublic schools, the school district in which the nonpublic school is located has CSE responsibility. Therefore, the parents would complete the parent survey during the year in which the district of location of the nonpublic school is sampled for SPP Indicator 8.

Are parent surveys sent to the parents of home-schooled students with students with disabilities?

Yes. For home-schooled students who are students with disabilities, the CSE would develop an individualized education services program (IESP) for the student. The IESP would be developed in the same manner and have the same contents as an IEP. Where the student is educated at home, the school district of location is the same as the student's school district of residence.




Potsdam Institute For Applied Research
J. Patrick Turbett, Director
44 Pierrepont Ave.
Potsdam NY 13676
Phone: (888) 419-2698
Email: parentsurvey@potsdam.edu