School Board Gets 2010-11 State Special Education Parent Survey

By Eliza Hallabeck

Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson introduced a Connecticut Department of Education Bureau of Special Education survey prepared by Glen Martin Associates of Troy, N.Y., to the Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday, October 18.

Dr Robinson explained that the state surveys parents through an independent company in multiple districts annually on the subject of special education. This year, according to the survey, Newtown parents were surveyed along with parents in East Granby, Windsor Locks, Watertown, North Branford, New Canaan, Hamden, Hartford, and more. Parents in 30 towns were surveyed regarding the 2010-11 academic year.

According to the survey report, Glen Martin Associates expects the results to be available online for all towns by the end of 2011.

Overall, Dr Robinson said, Newtown’s responding parents reflected positively roughly 80 percent of the time, and roughly 20 percent responded negatively. She also said the dissatisfied responses will be used to better special education in the district.

“We’ll take these items, and we will drill down, take a look at them, and use these as a basis of trying to do more jobs through all aspects of special [education] better,” Dr Robinson said. “It does give us good information, and the questions are quite specific.”

In his review of the survey, board member David Nanavaty said the areas where improvement seems to be needed include parent training and support.

Dr Robinson responded to Mr Nanavaty saying the district has provided parent workshops concerning special education in the past.

“And they are not well attended, and now we need to revitalize those efforts to do that better,” said Dr Robinson.

She also mentioned that student participation in after-school programs was also identified as a problem area in the survey.

Following the meeting, Dr Robinson said the school district will use the survey to enhance special education in Newtown, and will not conduct a further survey on the subject. Dr Robinson said the survey conducted by Glen Martin Associates is a good survey, and it asked all the questions a survey created by the district would ask.

“It’s just a very interesting survey,” said Dr Robinson.

While the survey did not achieve a high return rate, Dr Robinson said it still gives the district something to work from, and provides more information to make things better for everyone.

She also said the survey will be available on the school district’s website, www.newtown.k12.ct.us, as soon as possible.

A PDF version of the survey is also attached to this story online at www.newtownbee.com.

Dr Robinson also said she received the survey the week before presenting it to the Board of Education.

According to the survey report, 459 parents of children receiving special education services in Newtown were sent the survey, and 128 of those parents responded.

Some favorable responses on the survey included 90.6 percent of responding parents saying they agreed with the statement, “[Planning and Placement Team (PPT)] meetings for my child have been scheduled at times and places that met my needs.”

Another statement, “If necessary, a translator was provided at the PPT meetings,” had 66.7 percent of responders disagree. And 96.6 percent of parents said their children have the opportunity to participate in school-sponsored activities, like field trips and assemblies, while 40.3 percent of responders disagreed with the statement, “My child’s school provides supports, such as extra staff, that are necessary for my child to participate in extracurricular school activities.”

A majority of responders said they agreed with the statement: “I am satisfied with the school district’s transition activities that took place when my child left birth-to-three [age group],” 31.4 percent of responders disagreed.

A relative high number of survey responders, 93.1 percent, agreed with the statement, “The PPT discussed an appropriate course of study at the high school for my child.”

And a relatively high number of responders disagreed with the statement, “I am involved in a support network for parents of students with disabilities available though my school district or other services.”

The survey asked parents 40 questions ranging in subject from parent training and support to satisfaction with a child’s program.