Individual and School District Variables Associated with Family Engagement in Special Education

Abstract

States assess the special education services provided by each school district using various indicators, including Indicator 8, which measures how effectively school districts facilitate family engagement in special education. A multilevel analysis was conducted on a dataset of families (N = 6,894) nested within school districts (N = 109) to examine factors associated with Indicator 8. Families of older students reported lower Indicator 8 scores than those of younger students. Black families rated their schools’ engagement efforts lower than White families, while Multiracial families rated them higher than White families. Families of male students reported higher Indicator 8 scores than those of female students. A significant interaction was found between the racial composition of school districts and Black families when compared to White families. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing engagement strategies for older students, female students, and Black students, especially those who attend school districts with a higher ratio of White students.

Keywords

Indicator 8 family engagement special education multilevel modeling

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