Special Education Family Survey (Indicator 8)

What Ohio Parent Mentors and State Support Teams (SSTs) Need to Know

Ohio is preparing for the next six-year cycle of the Indicator 8 Family Special Education Survey, which will run from 2026 to 2030. This survey is required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It allows families of students with IEPs to share feedback about how well schools involve them as partners in their child’s education.

To support higher family participation to inform planning, draft cohort assignments for all school districts and community schools have been shared early. This is a direct response to recommendations from the State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children (SAPEC). This early notice allows Parent Mentors, State Support Teams (SSTs), and district partners to plan and coordinate outreach well before the survey window opens.

Why This Survey Matters

The Indicator 8 survey:

• Is sent to the families of students with IEPs
• Happens every year, but each district participates once every six years
• Helps districts, schools, and ODEW:
  • Understand how families experience communication and collaboration
  • Identify strengths and areas for improvement
  • Make informed decisions about family engagement practices

Family voice matters, and strong participation leads to stronger outcomes.

What Parent Mentors & SSTs Can Do Now

1. Review Cohort Assignments

A draft list of district and community school assignments for 2026–2030 is now available for download here. 

If you support any assigned districts:

• Share the information with your district contacts
• Begin conversations early, especially with Special Education Directors or Coordinators

Important: Cohort 1 will begin administering the survey in the spring. Districts in this group should start planning now.

2. Support Communication: Parent Mentors and SSTs play a key role in helping districts:

• Develop clear, family-friendly messaging about the survey
• Plan how invitations will be shared (email, text, backpack mail, websites, social media)
• Reinforce that the survey is:
  • Available in multiple languages
  • Digital and mobile-friendly
  • Designed to improve services, not evaluate individual families

3. Help Remove Barriers to Participation: You can support access by:

• Encouraging districts to reach all families of students with IEPs
• Considering families who may need:
  • Translated materials
  • Alternative formats
  • Extra reminders or personal outreach
• Helping answer questions and address concerns families may have about confidentiality or purpose

4. Promote the Importance of Family Voice: When working directly with families, remind them:

• Their feedback helps schools understand what’s working and what’s not
• Responses are used to improve collaboration, communication, and support
• Every response strengthens Ohio’s ability to advocate for families statewide

What’s New About Cohort Assignments?

In previous cycles, districts were assigned to cohorts randomly, with large districts evenly distributed across years. While simple, that approach didn’t always reflect the diversity of Ohio’s communities. For the 2026–2030 cycle, the assignment process was revised to improve access and representation. Districts and community schools were grouped and assigned based on:

• District typology (urban, suburban, rural, small town)
• Race and ethnicity of student populations
• Disability identification patterns (including SLD and OHI)

This updated process helps ensure that no single survey year over- or under-represents particular communities, leading to more meaningful statewide data and stronger improvement efforts.

How You Can Help Right Now: If you work with districts, community schools, or ESCs in upcoming cohorts:

• Encourage staff to prepare early
• Help spread the word to families when survey windows approach
• Reinforce that every family’s perspective matters

Your partnership is essential in helping Ohio achieve strong participation across all communities and ensuring family voices are heard.