State Recruitment Letter

APPENDIX B.1

STATE RECRUITMENT LETTER

Dear [TITLE] [LAST NAME]:

I want to alert you to the upcoming Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) State and Local Implementation Study 2019, sponsored by the U. S. Department of Education (ED). This important study will develop a national picture of state, district, and school implementation of IDEA. It will provide (1) the Department of Education, Congress, and other stakeholders with knowledge that can inform how services are provided to children with disabilities, and (2) states, districts, and schools with an understanding of how others are implementing IDEA.

Your state will be asked to complete three surveys as part of the study, in spring 2019. Closer to that time we will contact the following state leaders to request their cooperation with these:

• Special education director

• Part B 619 coordinator

• Part C coordinator

School districts in your state have been randomly selected to participate as well, as part of a nationally-representative sample. We are informing districts now about their selection and asking them to plan to complete two surveys next year, one focused on services for preschool-age children and one focused on school-age children. As recipients of IDEA funding, school districts are expected to complete these surveys (Education Department General Administrative Regulations Section, 34

C.F.R. § 76.591). We have also selected a set of schools in each district to complete one survey each. If you have the opportunity, please encourage school districts in your state to respond to our initial outreach about the study.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Amy Johnson, the Project Director at Mathematica (609-936-2714 or [email protected]) or the Project Officer at ED, Erica Johnson (202-245-7676 or [email protected]).

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and support of this important effort. Sincerely,

Notice of Confidentiality

Responses to this study’s data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. All information that would permit identification of the state or individual respondent will be kept confidential (per The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002), will be used only by persons engaged in and for the purposes of the survey, and will not be disclosed or released to others for any purpose except as required by law. Study reports may present information by state.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (Education Department General Administrative Regulations Section, 34 C.F.R. § 76.591). If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this survey, please contact the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4537 or email [email protected] directly. [Note: Please do not return the completed survey to this address.]