Indicator 8 Special Education Family Survey
The Special Education Family Survey is an annual survey conducted by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in partnership with The Ohio State University’s Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE) and the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center.
The survey gathers feedback from families of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to inform and strengthen family engagement efforts across Ohio’s districts, schools, State Support Teams (SSTs), and the Department. Data collected through this survey are used to calculate and publicly report Indicator 8 results each year in Ohio’s Annual Performance Report.
Federal Requirement
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states must measure the extent to which schools facilitate parent involvement for children receiving special education services (20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B)).
To meet this requirement, districts and community schools must collect parent involvement data at least once every six years. Indicator 8 reports the percentage of parents who indicate that their child’s school facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities.
Survey Administration
The survey is administered online using a secure platform. Districts and community schools share the survey invitation using statewide guidance.
Key features include:
- Short, mobile‑friendly survey available in multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Japanese, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Ukrainian.
- Approximately 10 minutes to complete.
- District responsibilities:
- Distribute survey invitations using existing communication channels (email, social media, automated calls, paper notices, district websites, etc.).
- Complete a short dissemination inventory documenting outreach methods.
- Submit the inventory to the OSU team as verification of participation.
Eligibility
Families are eligible to complete the survey if they:
- Have a child ages 3–21 with an IEP.
- Are enrolled in a district assigned to the active cohort.
- Complete the survey for their oldest child with an IEP, if multiple children qualify.
Cohort 1 Districts and Schools
As part of Ohio’s six‑year rotating cycle for Indicator 8, Cohort 1 districts and community schools participate in the survey during the current cycle. Participation in Cohort 1 fulfills a district’s Indicator 8 requirement for that entire six‑year period.
The survey for Cohort 1 will be open between April 7 and May 29, 2026.
Full Cohort Assignments (Cohorts 1-6)
Ohio’s complete cohort rotation for the current six‑year cycle, including all district and community school assignments for Cohorts 1 through 6, is available here:
Cohort Structure
Districts participate in the survey on a rotating
six-year cohort cycle to ensure a representative statewide sample.
- Participation fulfills the district’s Indicator 8 requirement for that entire cycle.
- District participation assignments are published annually in the Special Education Profile (Phase 1) each December.
- Districts selected for participation receive additional guidance and materials in Spring of their survey year.
2024 Example:
Indicator 8 Status in the Special Education Profile
The
Phase 1 release of the Special Education Profile reports
participation only, not survey results.
- Districts earn “Met” or “Not Met” status based on whether they achieved the established target response rate of 1.
- If a district has no survey responses during its assigned year, the Department may reassign that district to a future cohort within the six‑year cycle to ensure valid and reliable data.
Support and Contact
Districts selected for participation may direct questions to the OSU survey team at:
ohiofamilysurvey@osu.edu
This survey is a collaboration among:
Last Modified: 5/7/2026 10:38:29 AM