Sent to me,posting it here..

RED ALERT!

ATTENTION PARENTS OF CHILDREN
WITH DISABILITIES: THE TIME IS
NOW TO SPEAK UP AND BE HEARD!

The National Parent Network on Disabilities is currently seeking for your input on areas up for reauthorization in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to submit to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Department of Education. Please take a few minutes to answer these important questions for the sake of all parents and children with disabilities. We need to make sure the parent community is heard on such a vital issue as education of children with disabilities. These surveys must be returned to NPND by FEBRUARY 11TH to be included in our report to the Department of Education. Please see the bottom of this survey for return information.

Please answer the following questions by choosing the answer that best fits your individual experience. Should you come to a question that does not really apply to you, please feel free to skip it. If you have any additional comments, please feel free to add them to this survey as well.

Accountability:

1. Do you feel that all provisions of IDEA are currently being enforced by your local and state school districts? _______ Yes or _______ No

2. Do you feel that all provisions of IDEA are understood by your local and state school districts? _______ Yes or _______ No

3. Does your child’s teacher understand IDEA and its provisions? _______ Yes or _______ No

4. If your state and/or local schools were not in compliance with IDEA, would you like some sort of penalty in place to make the school system accountable for non-compliance with the law? _______ Yes or _______ No

5. And, if you answered yes to question #4, what do you think should be a consequence of not following the law? _____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
6. On a scale from one to five, with five being the highest and one being the lowest, how would you rate your child’s school in its enforcement of IDEA? ____________________________

7. Have you ever had an experience where your child’s school refused to enforce IDEA and its provisions? _______ Yes or _______ No

8. If you answered yes to question #7, would you please briefly state the events that occurred: __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

9. Is your child fully included in his or her educational setting, in an age-appropriate classroom? _______ Yes or _______ No.

10. Does your child currently participate in the school’s standardized testing? _______ Yes or _______ No. If you answered no, please explain why: ____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

If you answered yes, please share how this procedure is tailored to fit your individual child’s needs: ___________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

11. Do you think alternative means of testing (for example, oral exams) would be a better way to measure learning and skills improvement in children with disabilities? _______ Yes or _______ No.

Personnel Issues:

1. Is your child currently being taught by qualified teachers (those who have been especially trained to help children with disabilities to learn)? _______ Yes or _______ No

2. On a scale of one to ten (with ten being the highest and one being the lowest), how would you rate your child’s teacher(s) as to:

Concern for your child _________

Ability to teach your child _________

Openness to your suggestions _________

Working to create a teacher/parent partnership _________

Willingness to modify lessons to meet your child’s needs _________

3. Has your child ever been the victim of violence at school? _______ Yes or _______ No

4. If you answered yes to question #3, would you please briefly describe the event: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

5. Has your child ever had any behavior problems referrals? _______ Yes or _______ No
If so, would you please explain the facts of what happened: ________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

6. If your child has had any behavioral problems or referrals, has your child had a functional
behavioral assessment? _______ Yes or _______ No

Parental Involvement:

1. When you go to your child’s school about any issue (for example, school work, parent/teacher conference, or a discipline problem), what kind of reception do you receive from teachers and administrators when offering your help?

A. Highly interested B. Somewhat interested C. Not very interested

2. Are you allowed to visit your child’s classroom unannounced? _______ Yes or _______ No

3. If you answered no to question #2, would you please share why you are not allowed to do so? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you feel like an equal participant in your child’s IEP (Individualized Education Program)? _______ Yes or _______ No

5. What areas do you think parents should be involved in? ______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

6. Have you ever been met with a total disregard for your concerns about your child’s specific needs because the local school system was taking a one-size-fits-all approach? _______ Yes or _______ No

Transition to Post-School Endeavors:

1. Does your child participate in his or her own IEP meeting? _______ Yes or _______ No
If your child does not, could you please share why? ________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
If yes, how does the IEP meeting go with your child present? _________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

2. Does your child’s IEP have some type of long-term plan (for example, vocational training or work or independent living)? _______ Yes or _______ No

Excessive Paperwork:

1. Have you ever been denied your rights simply because you could not understand the paperwork the school system asked you to fill out? _______ Yes or _______ No

2. Are you given copies of the IEP and the minutes from the meetings? _______ Yes or _______ No

Local School Districts’ Discretionary Funds (20%):

1. DID YOU KNOW that twenty percent of your federal funding for special education is spent by your local school district in any way it deems acceptable? _______ Yes or _______ No

2. Do you know how your special education dollars are spent in your school district?
_______ Yes or _______ No

Use of Insurance under Part C:

1. How many times have you been asked by your local school district to turn to your private insurance for funding of services such as therapy, specialized, methodology programs, like intervention, for children with disabilities aged birth to three years? _________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

FINAL COMMENTS:

1. Of the above listed areas, which three would you say are currently working well for you, your child and your family?
A. _________________________________________________________
B. _________________________________________________________
C. _________________________________________________________

2. Of the above listed areas, which three would you say are currently working least for you, your child and your family?
A. _________________________________________________________
B. _________________________________________________________
C. _________________________________________________________

FINALLY, DO YOU, AS A PARENT, FEEL THAT THE RIGHT TO A FREE, APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR CHILD IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE? _______ Yes or _______ No

Please feel free to make any additional comments here: ________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

If you are willing, please provide us with your contact information:

Name: _________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Phone: (______)_______-_____________________

Email: _________________________________________________________

Your Child’s Age: _________________

Your Child’s Disability: ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Please return these surveys to NPND staff via e-mail NPND at [email protected] , or by fax at (770) 577-7774, or by mailing it to National Parent Network on Disabilities, 6613 E. Church St., Suite 100, Douglasville, GA 30134. Thank you for taking the time to get involved and share your views. Hopefully, your input will help us ensure that truly NO child is left behind. Thank you for your commitment and time.