Survey For Investigating Trust Between Special Education and General Education Leadership Teams

Your participation is completely voluntary. You may stop at any time without consequence. Your responses will be kept confidential and de-identified before analysis. No individual, school, or district will be identifiable in any published output. This survey takes approximately 12–15 minutes to complete.

By selecting 'I agree,' you confirm that you are (1) 18 years of age or older, (2) currently employed as a special education director, general education principal, superintendent, or district-level education leader in a U.S. public school district, and (3) consent to participate in this study.

*

I agree

Section 2: About You

These questions help us understand who is responding so we can identify patterns across different roles, district sizes, and regions. No responses can be traced back to you individually

D1. What is your current role? *

Special Education Director / CoordinatorGeneral Education Principal/Asst. PrincipalSuperintendent/Other General Education District Level RoleBoth special and general education responsibilities (combined/dual role)Other (please describe)

D2. How many years have you been in your current role?*

Less than 2 years2-5 years6-10 yearsMore than 10 years

D3. What is your district's approximate student enrollment?*

Fewer than 1,000 students1,000-5,000 students5,001-15,000 studentsMore than 15,000 students

D4. Which best describes your district's geographic setting?*

D6. What is your highest level of education completed?*

Master's DegreeEducation Specialist (Ed.S.)Doctoral Degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.)Other:_______________________

Section 3: The Professional Relationship

Research Question 1: How do leaders describe the nature and sources of distrust, and where do accounts align or diverge?

The following statements are about your professional relationship with [special / general] education leaders in your district. Please rate your level of agreement with each. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest experience.

Section 3: The Professional Relationship*

Rows	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
R1. I have a trusting professional relationship with [special / general] education leaders in my district.
R2. [Special / General] education leaders in my district understand the demands and constraints of my role.
R3a. When conflict arises between special and general education leadership in my district, it is addressed in a timely way.
R3b. When conflict arises between special and general education leadership in my district, the outcome is one that both parties find acceptable.
R4. I feel comfortable raising concerns or disagreements directly with [special / general] education leaders in my district.
R5. The relationship between special and general education leadership in my district has generally improved over time.

R6. In your own words, how would you describe the current state of the professional relationship between special and general education leadership in your district? Please respond in 2–4 sentences.*

Section 4: Shared Accountability

Research Question 2: To what extent do leaders report shared versus separate accountability for the outcomes of students with disabilities?

Section 4: Shared Accountability *

Rows	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
A1. When a student with an IEP is not making adequate academic progress, I feel equally responsible for that outcome as [special / general] education leaders in my district.
A2. In my district, students with disabilities are treated as the collective responsibility of both special and general education leadership.
A3. [Special / General] education leaders in my district are held accountable for the academic outcomes of students with IEPs.
A4. [Special / General] education leaders participate in school-wide instructional planning meetings in my district.
A5. For quality assurance purposes, please select 'Agree' for this item.
A6. My district has shared goals for students with disabilities that both special and general education leaders participated in developing.

A7. In your district, who bears primary responsibility for the academic outcomes of students with IEPs?*

Primarily special education leadershipPrimarily general education leadershipShared equally between bothIt depends on the student's setting or placementResponsibility is unclear in my district

Section 5: Budget and Resource Allocation

Research Question 3: How do leaders experience budget processes, and what role does financial transparency play in cross-system trust?

Section 5: Budget and Resource Allocation*

Rows	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
B1. I have a clear understanding of how special education funds are allocated in my district.
B2. Budget decisions affecting special education programs are made transparently in my district.
B3. Both special and general education leaders have meaningful input into how special education resources are allocated.
B4. Resource allocation decisions in my district have been a source of tension between special and general education leadership.
B5. I believe special education resources in my district are distributed based on individual student need (equitably) rather than divided equally among all students regardless of need.

B6. Is there anything about budget or resource allocation in your district that you believe contributes to tension between special and general education leadership? Please respond in 2–4 sentences. You do not need to share specific dollar amounts. *

Section 6: Professional Development and Preparation

Research Question 4: What professional development experiences do leaders identify as most meaningful for building or restoring trust?

Section 6: Professional Development and Preparation*

Rows	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
P1. I have the instructional knowledge I need to make informed decisions about the education of students with disabilities in my current role. [LS]
P2. I have participated in professional development alongside [special / general] education leaders in my district in the past two years. [LS]
P3. My district provides professional development that intentionally brings special and general education leaders together to learn and plan collaboratively. [LS]
P4. I have received training in conflict resolution or collaborative leadership as it relates to working across special and general education systems. [LS]
P5. I believe targeted professional development could meaningfully improve the relationship between special and general education leadership in my district. [LS]

P6. Please rank the following professional development areas in order of how much you believe they would improve the special-general education leadership relationship in your district. Select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd priority from the dropdown menus. *

Section 7: Structural and Policy Conditions

Research Question 5: What policy or structural changes do leaders believe would most dismantle the conditions that generate distrust?

Section 7: Structural and Policy Conditions*

Rows	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
S1. The governance structure of my district makes it easy for special and general education leaders to collaborate. [LS]
S2. In my district, student placement decisions and staff training and preparation decisions are made simultaneously and in coordination with each other. [LS] years. [LS]
S3. The compliance requirements associated with IDEA make it harder — not easier — for special and general education leaders to build trust. [LS]
S4. The formal organizational structure of my district keeps special and general education leadership separate rather than integrated. [LS]
S5. I believe policy changes at the district, state, or federal level are necessary to meaningfully improve the relationship between special and general education leadership. [LS]

S6. If you could change one structural or policy condition in your district, state, or school system to improve the relationship between special and general education leadership, what would it be? Please respond in 2–4 sentences. *

Section 8: Final Reflections and Interview Opt-In

C1. Is there anything else you would like to share about the relationship between special education and general education leadership in your district that this survey did not ask about? Please respond in 2–4 sentences. *

C2. This study includes a follow-up interview phase. Interviews are conducted virtually, last approximately 45–60 minutes, and are scheduled at your convenience. Would you be willing to be contacted about participating in a follow-up interview? *

If you are interested in the follow-up interview phase, please enter your email address and someone from our team will be in touch.

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If you would like to have the results of the study emailed to you at the conclusion of the study, please enter your email address and we will send them to you.

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