WI State Performance Plan--Parent Involvement: Frequently Asked Questions about the Parent Survey Data Collection

Frequently Asked Questions about the Parent Survey Data Collection

General Information

Question 1: Is our LEA required to conduct a parent survey to collect the data for Indicator 8?

LEAs are required to conduct the survey in the same year in which they complete the procedural compliance self-assessment. Please see the list found at http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/xls/selfassmt-cycle-2012-2016.xls to determine when your LEA is required to conduct the parent survey to collect data for Indicator 8.

Question 2: We contacted parents in the fall when we did our self-assessment. Is this different?

Yes. The procedural compliance self-assessment included parents as a source for substantiating procedural compliance. It addressed Indicators 11, 13 and 15. The Parent Survey collects data for Indicator 8, schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities.

Generating the Letters

Question 3: I am unable to find the downloadable spreadsheet.

The Indicator 8 Downloadable Spreadsheet is available through the Special Education Web Portal using the login ID and password assigned access to the web portal in the director of special education role. If you have the password but are unable to locate the Indicator 8 file, please contact DPI.

Question 4: What should be in the letter to parent for Username and Password?

When the school completes the mail merge, the Username and Password are filled into each letter from the Excel file. The Username is a unique code for each parent. The Password is the LEA number. When the parent opens up the DPI web page, she is told to click on a link to the survey, and to put the Username and Password into the text boxes that appear in the next screen.

Question 5: Must we fill in all of the telephone contact numbers on the letter to parents?

Your district may select what supports you wish to provide to parents who are asked to complete the survey. You may use all of them if you wish. WSPEI and WI FACETS personnel are familiar with the survey and are prepared to assist districts. If you wish to use a local family resource center or cultural liaison, you will need to familiarize them with the survey and how to provide assistance. If you will not use a resource, you may remove it from the letter before generating the mail merge.

Question 6: The mail merge is not working.

Differences in versions of Word and other factors can cause difficulties, including moving the merge fields on the letter. Print the form letter before you begin as a reference for where the merge fields should be. Download both the form letter and the completed Excel data file into the same folder. After you “select recipients” (Excel file), check the merge fields to see if they moved. If they did, clicking “undo” should move them back without affecting the step in the merge process. Be sure that only the rows on the Excel file that contain student names are selected (checked) before you merge. You may need to “insert merge fields” in place of those on the form letter in order to connect the letter with the current data file.

Who Should Receive the Letter?

Question 7: What if a student on the list left the district . . .
--And we have the forwarding address?
--And we don't have the forwarding address?
--And the student went to a correctional facility?

-If the student moved during this school year and you have the parent’s current address, send the letter. If the student went to another facility during this school year and you have the parent’s current address, send the letter.
-If the student graduated or moved out of the district before this school year, do not send the letter to that parent. Keep a record of parents who were deleted from the mailing so that you will not follow up with those parents as unused Passwords.
-If you have no forwarding address or if the child died, delete that parent from the mailing. Enter the parent’s Password on the online survey and decline to complete the survey.

Question 8: What if the child was dismissed from special education?

If the child was dismissed during this school year, send the letter to the parent. If the child was dismissed prior to this school year, the child should not be on the enrollment list from which the sample was generated. If he is, do not send the letter but keep a record so that you will not follow up later.

Question 9: To which parent should we send the letter if there are two parents who are divorced, both with educational rights?

Your Excel spreadsheet includes additional parent Passwords that are not assigned. Assign a Password to the second parent and send letters to both parents.

Question 10: If our list of students includes siblings, should the parent receive a letter for each of them?

Yes. Each letter will include a different student name and a different Password. You may enclose the multiple letters in one envelope, if you wish.

Question 11: If a student was already 18 at the beginning of the school year, should we send the letter to the student?

No. The survey is written for parents. Open the online survey and enter the assigned parent Password. In the Consent screen, check the "No" box. The survey will then close, but it will have recorded the Password as used.

Question 12: Should the letter be sent to a foster parent, who is typically most involved with the child's education on a day-to-day basis?

The letter should be sent to the person who meets the legal definition of "parent" in Chapter 115.76 (12)(a). A foster parent may be that person, as specified in Ch. 115.76 (12)(a)10.

After Parents Receive the Letter

Question 13: What should we do if a parent calls and says s/he does not want to complete the survey?

If a parent states that she does not want to complete the survey, you can go into the online survey and enter the parent's Username and Password. There is a Welcome screen and then a Consent screen, in which you can check the "No" box. The survey will then close but it will have recorded the Username as used.

Question 14: A parent called because his Username and Password is not working. We tried it and get the message "Log in failed."

Ask the parent if he is willing to complete the survey over the phone with you or to mail in a paper survey that you will send to him. Then try some of the other Usernames and Passwords yourself. As long as you do not submit the survey, using a Username and Password to enter the survey will not invalidate it. If none work, call or email DPI and report the problem.

Question 15: Where are the paper surveys for the school to send to the parent upon request?

Copies of the paper surveys for each age and language are on the DPI survey page. The weblink address is sent in February to districts scheduled to complete the survey. Download by clicking the link(s) for the language and age you need, NOT the pdf logo. Only the school can send a paper copy of the survey. Be sure to fill in the Username and Password on the paper survey before mailing. If no Username and Password is received, your district will not be credited with that survey response.

Question 16: What address should be on the return envelope that is sent with a paper survey?

North Central Regional Resource Center
5 Pattee Hall
150 Pillsbury Dr. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Please do not violate the confidentiality of the survey by having the surveys returned to your school.

Question 17: Where are the scripts for reading the survey to the parent in plain language?

The scripts are on the DPI survey page. The weblink address is sent in February to districts scheduled to complete the survey.

Following Up

Question 18: May we use WI FACETS staff or contracted help to call parents (disclosing parent names and phone numbers to non-employees)?

Yes, if you draw up a contract that is signed by a district representative and the helper who is not an employee of the district or CESA. The contract should include confidentiality language.

Question 19: If we send a letter to both parents who live at separate addresses, and only one completes the survey, must we include the other parent in our follow-up?

No. You have given the opportunity to both parents.

Question 20: How does an LEA know if their survey response rate met the required minimum? If the LEA reaches the minimum but would like to keep trying to increase its response rate, would it have access to the information needed to continue?

Two to three weeks after the survey is first made available to parents, DPI will notify all LEAs by e-mail of their returns. Any LEA that did not have at least 20% of its sample returned, or 6 surveys, whichever is greater, must follow up with the parents whose Usernames and Passwords were not returned. The parent Usernames and Passwords that were returned will be available to LEAs. LEAs are encouraged to continue their follow-up even if they have reached the minimum. They will have three monthly opportunities to check new return reports. This strategy was very successful in increasing the parent survey return rate in the last three years. LEAs that have no surveys returned in the first report or fewer than 20% in the second report will be contacted individually by DPI.

Data Reports

Question 21: When will the data from our cohort of LEAs be reported to the federal Office of Special Education Programs?

DPI submits statewide data on Indicator 8 in the Annual Performance Report by February 1 of the year following the collection of the data. Data collected in 2011 will be submitted in 2012.

Question 22: What data from our LEA will be reported back to the LEA?

When the data is analyzed for each LEA, DPI provides two detailed reports to the LEA. Each report tells the number of parents that responded to the survey for that age group. If there are fewer than 6 responses for either age group, the LEA does not get a detailed report for that age group because we promise the parents confidentiality of responses. Reports tell:

Percent of parents that agreed with each statement, 1 through 25, on the age 6-21 survey in your school district.
Percent of parents that agreed with each statement, 1 through 22, on the age 3-5 survey for your school district.

Only 18 items are analyzed for the federal report, so there will be some items on LEA results that cannot be compared to statewide results.

Question 23: How and when will LEAs receive their individual reports?

LEAs will be notified by e-mail that their reports are available through the Special Education Web Portal after the Annual Performance Report has been submitted (see #21). These reports are only available using the login ID and password assigned access to the web portal in the director of special education role. Public reporting on the Special Education District Profile of the DPI website will consist of one percentage calculated from item 25 on the 6-21 survey and item 21 on the 3-5 survey for each LEA. This percentage is the lowest ranked item of the statements that we analyze for the federal report. LEAs can compare their percentage to the statewide percent of parents that agreed that schools facilitated parent involvement.

Question 24: How is the single percentage calculated for each LPP District Profile?

Multiply the number of respondents for the Part B survey by the percentage given for question 25. This is "a." Next, multiply the number of respondents for the 619 survey by the percentage given for question 21. This is "b." The numerator for the final percentage is a+b. The denominator is the sum of the respondents for both surveys (Total N). Divide a+b by the Total N. The result is the percentage reported on your LEA profile for Indicator 8. The reasons for using this calculation are explained in the Annual Performance Report on the DPI website.

Question 25: Who should we contact at DPI for help?

Please contact Daniel Parker at daniel.parker@dpi.wi.gov or 608/266-5194.

Last updated on 12/6/2011 3:30:09 PM

WI State Performance Plan (SPP), Indicator #8: Parent Involvement