Affiliations

Below are some of the databases that have information related to individuals with disabilities, teachers working with individuals with disabilities or system level data on special education. There are other large-scale databases available through NCES, organizations, or state agencies.

National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS)

The National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS) follows a nationally representative sample of more than 3,300 children with disabilities or at risk for disabilities and their families through their experiences in early intervention and into early elementary school. They study is designed to provide information about the characteristics of children and families, the services they receive, and the outcomes they experience.

Website: http://www.sri.com/neils/

Pre-elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS)

The Pre-elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS) follows a nationally representative sample of more than 3,000 children age 3 to 5 who are receiving special education services. The study focuses on the children’s preschool experience and outcomes, their transition to kindergarten and their kindergarten and early elementary education experiences and outcomes.

Website: http://www.peels.org/default.asp

Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS)*

The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) follows a nationally representative sample of approximately 14,000 students in special education as they transfer from elementary to middle school and middle to high school to examine their progress in education, the social arena, self-care and independence, and vocational endeavors.

* SEELS Data CDs are available on request. Please download data use agreement form, and email the filled form to Dr. Margaret McLaughlin at mjm@umd.edu

Website: http://www.seels.net/

National Longitudinal Transitional Study-2 (NLTS2)

The National Longitudinal Transitional Study-2 (NLTS2) involves a large, nationally representative sample of 13,000 students who are ages 13 to 16 at the outset of the study. Data is collected on the individual household characteristics; achievement scores on standardized assessments; aspects of their school, school programs, and classroom experiences; secondary school performance and outcomes; adult services and supports; and early adult outcomes in employment, education, independence, and social domains. The study will be conducted over a 10-year period, following the oldest cohort of students for 9 years or until age 26.

Website: http://www.nlts2.org

Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE)

The Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) involves extensive interviews with a national sample of 8,000 school personnel, inclusion regular and special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, preschool special education teachers, and paraprofessionals serving students with disabilities. The study focuses on the adequacy of the workforce and attempts to explain variation in the workforce quantity and quality based on state and district policy, working conditions, preservice education, and continuing professional development. In addition, SPeNSE examines other indicators of teacher quality such as tested ability, teaching credentials, professionalism, demographic representation, and classroom teaching practice.

Website: http://ferdig.coe.ufl.edu/spense/

State and Local Implementation of IDEA (SLIIDEA)

The State and Local Implementation of IDEA (SLIIDEA) provides information annually on the status of the implementation of the law and its effects on policies and practices at the state, district, and schools levels, with a focus on implementation issues in six cluster areas of IDEA: improved student performance, including graduation rates; supporting least restrictive environment; successful transitions for preschool children; successful transition to post-school; positive behavioral supports; and positive parent involvement.

Website: http://www.abt.sliidea.org/

Special Education Expenditure Project (SEEP)

The Special Education Expenditure Project (SEEP) examines how federal, state, and local funds are used to support programs and services for students with disabilities, with special attention to the fiscal provisions enacted under the IDEA Amendments of 1997. In addition to determining the total and per pupil amounts spent on special education and related services throughout the United States, SEEP will collect data in such ways to increase understanding of the overall patterns of allocation of education dollars to students with disabilities.

Website: http://www.csef-air.org/

School and Staffing Survey (SASS)

Every four years NCES conducts the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) in an effort to provide information on a variety of topics, including the teaching workforce and current school staffing issues. The extensive survey design includes questionnaires of teachers and principals in the schools, as well as information about the surveyed school districts. In addition to public schools, the SASS database includes responses from individuals involved with charter schools, private schools, and those schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Supplementing the teacher questionnaire is the Teacher Follow-Up Survey (TFS), which collects data from a portion of the responding teachers one year later to investigate the retention and attrition of teachers.

Website: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/