The Parent Interview

1. Parent Survey Project:Results from Year One Conducted bySRI Internationalfor theOffice of the Independent Monitor March 13, 2006

2. The Parent Interview • Occurred March – April 2005 • By telephone, 10-15 minutes • Conducted weekdays and weekends from 9 am – 9 pm with some parents contacted up to 25 times • Overall response rate of 70% (1,377 Interviews) • Random sample of 2,000 parents • Representative sample stratified by disability incidence (high and low) and primary home language • Included parents who speak English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Armenian, and Russian

3. Non-Response Bias Test • Conducted to determine appropriate weighting to ensure that the findings accurately represent the population of LAUSD students receiving special education • During the data collection period, SRI provided the names of non-responders (difficult to reach parents) • During the data collection period, updated contact information was obtained from the District and provided to SRI • The analysis found parents with students with emotional disturbance were underrepresented and weights were adjusted accordingly

4. The interview tells us about parents’: • Awareness of special education rights and responsibilities, and the LAUSD reform process. • Participation in the IEP process including mediation and hearings. • Involvement in IEP decisions about services and placement for their children. • Satisfaction with special education programs and services.

5. Parents’ awarenessof special education rights and responsibilities and the LAUSD reform process

6. The school district has trainings and workshops to inform parents of students with disabilities about services and rights (True) There is no federal law that protects the rights of parents of children with disabilities (False) The school district has an office where parents can call if they have concerns, questions, or complaints about their children’s special education program or services (True) Parents do not have the right to disagree with the school or the district about their children’s special education program or services (False) The school district is attempting to improve its special education programs to meet the requirements of a federal lawsuit filed by parents (True) 65% 32% 80% 63% 40% Parents’ awareness of special education rights and services Percentage of correct responses

7. OIM parent survey reports Somewhat/ very dissatisfied Very 15% satisfied 31% Somewhat satisfied 54% Parents’ satisfaction with information from the school about their children Thinking about this school year, how satisfied are you with how well your child’s school keeps you informed about his/her behavior and academic performance? Would you say you are • Very satisfied • Some what satisfied • Somewhat dissatisfied, or • Very dissatisfied?

8. Parents’ participation in the IEP process, mediation, and hearings

9. Attendance at the IEP Meeting • 86% of families attend IEP meetings • Of those who attend, 87% reported receiving a copy of the IEP at the end of the meeting • Of those 14% of parents that did not attend, 55% are aware that an IEP was held • Work/schedule conflicts are the most cited reason for not attending the IEP meeting • 45% report that the school tried to find ways to help them participate in the IEP meeting

10. Parents’ report of disagreements with the school about special education services 37% Disagreed with the school about child’s services. 21% Considered dispute resolution, mediation, or hearing. 9% Participated in dispute resolution, mediation, or hearing. 80% of families who went to mediation hearings were successful in getting at least some of what they wanted.

11. Parents’ satisfactionwith the IEP process

12. OIM parent survey reports Not at all 3% Somewhat 8% Mostly 22% Fully 67% Parents’ report of treatment during IEP meeting Thinking about the most recent IEP meeting you attended, to what extent do you feel you were treated as an equal and an important member of the IEP team? Were you: • Fully, • Mostly, • Somewhat, or • Not at all treated as an equal and important part of the IEP team?

13. OIM parent survey reports School 25% Family 5% School and family 70% Parents’ report of their involvement in the development of IEP goals I would like you to describe your involvement in decision-making about the IEP goals… • Did the school mostly come up with the goals on the IEP, • Was it mostly you and/or your child, or • Was it a combination of all of you together? • 66% of parents report being given a choice about placement options.

14. OIM parent survey reports Wanted to be less involved 1% Wanted to be more involved 38% About the right amount 61% Parents’ satisfaction with the amount of involvement in the IEP How do you feel about your family’s involvement in decisions about your child’s IEP overall? • Wanted to be more involved • Wanted to be less involved • About the right amount

15. Parents’ satisfactionwith LAUSD programs and services

16. OIM parent survey reports None of the services 4% All of the services 29% Some of the services 37% Most of the services 30% Parents’ report of the amount of services in the IEP that are being received To what extent is your child getting the services written in his or her IEP? Would you say he or she is receiving: • All of the services, • Most of the services, • Some of the services, or • None of the services in the IEP?

17. OIM parent survey reports Not enough 25% Enough 54% Somewhat enough 21% Parents’ perceptions of whether their children received enough services Overall, do you think your child is getting enough special education services?

18. OIM parent survey reports Almost no A great effort deal of 25% effort 30% A little effort Some 20% effort 25% Parents’ efforts to get special education services for their children Overall, how much effort did it take for you or your family to get services specified in your child’s IEP during the last 12 months? Would you say it took: • A great deal of effort, • Some effort, • A little effort, or • Almost no effort?

19. OIM parent survey reports Somewhat/ very dissatisfied Very 15% satisfied 26% Somewhat satisfied 59% Parents’ satisfaction with special education services Thinking about this school year, would you say you are: • Very satisfied, • Somewhat satisfied, • Somewhat dissatisfied, or • Very dissatisfied with your child’s special education services?

20. Differences by Disability Incidence • Parents of students in the low-incidence disability categories are more likely to: • Attend IEP meetings • Have disagreed with the school about their children’s services • Have considered participating in informal dispute resolution, mediation or hearing • Have participated in informal dispute resolution, mediation or hearing

21. Differences by Disability Incidence • Parents of students in the high-incidence disability categories are more likely to: • Report that they were treated as an equal and important member of the IEP team • Report feeling that their children do not receive sufficient services

22. Differences by Primary Language • English speaking parents are more likely to: • Report having received LAUSD information booklets and are the most aware of special education rights and resources • Feel that their children are receiving all of the services specified on the IEP • Describe that securing services at the IEP meeting took almost no effort

23. Differences by Primary Language • Spanish speaking parents are: • More likely to report feeling treated as an equal and important member of the IEP team • More likely to describe their involvement in the overall decision-making as positive • Less likely to be aware of the federal law that protects their children’s special education rights

24. Differences by Primary Language • Other-language speaking parents are: • Less likely to be aware of the LAUSD office where parents may call with concerns, complaints, and/or questions regarding their children’s special education services and programs • More likely to have an interpreter provided by the District than one provided by the school

25. Provision of Interpreters at the IEP Meeting • 64% of parents for whom English is not their primary language have requested an interpreter for their IEP meeting • 95% of parents who requested one, an interpreter was provided • 45% of parents report that interpreters frequently translate only those conversations directed toward the parents and do not provide the parents with translations of conversations among other IEP team members

26. Differences by Race/Ethnicity • Parents of Latino students are: • More likely to report having a positive experience with IEP meetings • More likely to report that their children are receiving enough services • The least aware that IDEA protects their children’s special education rights • The least aware of their right to disagree with their school about special education services

27. Differences by Race/Ethnicity • Parents of African-American students are: • Less likely to attend IEP meetings • More likely to report that their children are not receiving enough special education services • More likely to want greater involvement in the IEP process

28. Differences by Race/Ethnicity • Parents of White students are: • The most likely to have received the District’s information booklets that explain their special education rights • More likely to demonstrate higher levels of awareness of: • Their right to disagree with their children’s school • Federal special education rights • The LAUSD office to call about concerns, questions, and complaints

29. Differences by Race/Ethnicity • Parents of students in the Other race/ethnicity are: • More likely than all other groups to be knowledgeable about the special education trainings and workshops for parents offered by LAUSD • More likely than White and African-American parents to feel that their children are making progress toward their IEP goals

30. Differences by Grade Level • Parents of pre-school and elementary school students are: • More likely to have attended IEP meetings and to have participated in dispute resolution activities • More likely to be satisfied with their level of involvement in IEP decisions • More likely to report that it takes “a great deal of effort” to secure services for their children

31. Differences by Grade Level • Parents of high school students are: • More likely than parents of pre-school and elementary school students to report wanting greater involvement regarding their children’s services • More aware than parents of pre-school and elementary school students that LAUSD is attempting to improve special education programs

32. National Comparisons • Fewer LAUSD parents of students 13 years and older attend their children’s IEP meetings than do parents of same-age students nationally • LAUSD parents are less likely than parents nationally to have participated in dispute resolution processes, such as mediation and hearings • LAUSD parents of students 13 years and older are more likely to a report a joint school and parent partnership in developing their child’s IEP goals, than parents of same-age students nationally • LAUSD parents are less likely to feel they are involved “the right amount” in IEP decision-making • LAUSD parents are more likely to report that it requires a “great deal of effort” and less likely to say it requires “almost no effort” to obtain services for their children

33. Questions?