A Review of Web-Based Special Education Resources Provided to Parents by State Departments of Education

• Published in: The Journal of Special Education Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 180 - 190
• Main Authors: Farley, Jennifer, Huscroft-D’Angelo, Jacqueline, Trout, Alexandra L., Duppong Hurley, Kristin
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-11-2020; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities
• Subjects: Access to Information; Conflict Resolution; Educational Legislation; Equal Education; Federal Legislation; Individualized Education Programs; Information Dissemination; Internet; Navigation (Information Systems); Parent Education; Parent Materials; Parent Participation; Parenthood education; Parents & parenting; Resource Materials; Special Education; State Departments of Education; Students with Disabilities; Web Sites; Websites; state agencies; informational resources; parents
• ISSN: 0022-4669; 1538-4764
• DOI: 10.1177/0022466920903114

Parents who are knowledgeable of special education are more likely to engage in their child’s education. Parents seek information about special education from a number of sources including State Departments of Education (SDEs). However, little is known about the web-based special education resources SDEs provide to parents. We sought to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive review of SDE websites and special education resources. Two-thirds of SDEs provided special education resources in a parent-designated section of their website. The number of resources provided varied greatly by state and the majority of resources were specific to conflict/dispute resolution. Future research should explore how information provided can best support increased parental knowledge to improve parental engagement. Limitations and implications are discussed.