Special Education
Representative Projects
New Hampshire State Education Department (NHDOE):
Special Education Parent Involvement Survey
The NHDOE Bureau of Special Education contracted with MI to administer an annual statewide survey to all NH parents of children with disabilities. This system of soliciting parental input is a federal accountability requirement for IDEA Part B State Performance Plan Indicator 8. The parent survey was developed by a group of NH stakeholders, based on a carefully selected set of items from the National Center for Special Education Accountability and Monitoring. MI annually distributes 30,000 hard copy surveys in both English and Spanish to school districts for distribution to parents, and also provides a web-based survey as an alternative. As part of the evaluation services, MI provides NHDOE with aggregate and disaggregate data as needed for Annual Performance Reports including individual district-level response rates, a complete Rasch analysis of survey results, and recommendations for ongoing program improvement.
MI also administers the Illinois Parent Involvement Survey.
West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE):
Alternative Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards
Research Study
WVDE applied for and received a federal grant to develop an alternative assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). The Department engaged MI to conduct a research study to determine characteristics of special education students who would best benefit from such an assessment. The study involved (a) an analysis of state assessment data for three consecutive years to identify characteristics of students for whom the current assessments did not provide an adequate measure of progress, (b) field research involving teacher interviews, IEP reviews, and the collection and analysis of individual achievement data, and (c) a final report with implications for assessment modifications and decision-making.
New York State Education Department, Office of Vocational and
Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID):
Personnel Development for Special Education and Related Services, Data
Management System and Survey
MI was contracted by VESID to develop, analyze, and report on a survey of university personnel aimed at addressing shortages in special education and related services. Central to this work is a web-based data management system and interface for university staff to report pre-service enrollment, completion, unused capacity, and needs. MI uses SelectSurvey, one of the premier software tools for survey development, to implement this system. In tandem with SelectSurvey, MI uses SQL Server’s Report Builder to allow clients to track longitudinal trends in pre-service programs and to conduct various data mining queries. MI’s report templates are produced in a non-technical, user-friendly menu model, permitting users to compare enrollments in one or more program areas by year, by monolingual or bilingual status, and to compare an institution’s data against that of the State. To support the completion of the survey and ensure accuracy, MI has established a Help Desk and implemented a rigorous data verification follow-up plan.
New York State Education Department, Office of Vocational and
Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID):
Preschool Special Education Quality Indicator Study
This project involved our researchers in two major tasks: (1) the identification of program components that constitute quality in preschool special education, and (2) the analysis of how particular program components—vision, policies and procedures; staff qualification; professional development; stakeholder support; family communication; curriculum and instruction; climate; agency collaboration—affect disabled children’s rate of placement in school-age programs. Several field-oriented products were developed via this project including a self-assessment/needs assessment guide enabling programs to analyze their strengths and weaknesses relative to the quality indicators. The final report—Special Education Quality Indicator Study—is available from VESID.
New York State Education Department, Office of Vocational and
Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID):
Class Size Research Study
The Class Size Research Study was funded by VESID in response to Board of Regents mandate relief actions to allow school districts to increase the size of special education classes. The purpose of the research was to examine the impact of the class size change on students, parents, teachers, related personnel, and the special education delivery system. This was achieved through a descriptive analysis, which involved surveys of relevant groups and student record review, and an experimental investigation, which involved classroom observation of special education instructional processes using a computerized system. The study offered important guidelines for determining class size options for diverse categories of students with disabilities.
New York State Education Department, Office of Vocational and Educational
Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID):
Temporary Task Force on Preschool Special Education
The Temporary Task Force on Preschool Special Education was created by New York state legislation to study critical issues of preschool special education and to make recommendations on how to improve the system to the Governor, legislative leaders, and the Board of Regents. The issues included (1) the transition between preschool special education and other early childhood programs and how to provide services in the least restrictive manner; (2) the methodology used to set the rates for reimbursing providers for tuition costs; and (3) a comparison of New York’s overall system with those of other states to identify best practices. MI was commissioned to document all proceedings of the Task Force and its designated work groups. This service entailed the production of the minutes of all meetings. The culminating product was the compilation of a final policy report that reflected the findings and recommendations of the Task Force and its work groups.
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