New Jersey Department of Education

Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Indicator 8: Parental Involvement (Survey)

New Jersey State Performance Plan (SPP)

Important Survey for Parents of Students with Disabilities

The New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education (OSE), is responsible for conducting an annual survey of parents who have a child with a disability, ages 3-21, to determine how schools are supporting parent involvement in their child’s educational program. The survey is conducted as part of a federal requirement for New Jersey’s State Performance Plan for Special Education (SPP), Indicator #8: Parental Involvement. 

The parent survey is distributed each year (multiple languages are available) to parents of students with disabilities who are in the current representative cohort of local school districts located throughout the state (see cohort members below). Every school district in New Jersey will participate in this study as a member of a cohort approximately once every six years. 

Individual responses to the survey are anonymous and confidential. Parents’ names and children’s names will not appear on the survey or on any report that is generated as a result of the survey. Because the information from all surveys must be summarized for each district as well as for the entire state, there will be a tracking number on each survey to identify the district, not the student, associated with each survey. The State Performance Plan/Annual Performance, to be completed each year on February 1st, will report the results statewide. The results for each participating district will be publicly reported as part of the special education district profile during the next school year in accordance with federal regulations. 

Parents’ responses to the survey questions will provide important information to help the state and districts determine how schools support parental involvement in their child’s program and to inform state and local improvement strategies, as needed. Parents who receive a survey are encouraged to complete and return the survey as soon as possible. 

Participation in the survey is made available to participating parents both on the web through a link sent in an email, and through paper forms sent in the mail.  A pre-paid, self-addressed return envelope is enclosed with the mailed paper survey, and is addressed to a private agency that will scan and summarize the information on each survey.  

Links to sample copies of the surveys for parents of preschool students and parents of school-age students are on this page. 

Sample Surveys (2024)

Additional Resources


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