Data on the use of federal funding for special education is limited. 

Nearly seven million students with disabilities receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). That equates to about 14 percent of students in K-12 public education. In 2021, the federal government awarded states over $13 billion in IDEA grants to provide special education services. However, it is unclear how states spend IDEA grants in combination with other revenue sources to educate students with disabilities. Federal policymakers need accurate, up-to-date estimates of national special education spending to determine how much funding to appropriate for IDEA services.

NORC is supporting recruitment, rostering, and administration of two surveys to generate up-to-date estimates on special education spending.

Under a subcontract to the American Institutes for Research, NORC is supporting sampling, recruitment, rostering, and data collection activities for two web-based surveys for a pilot study that includes approximately 80 school districts and 400 teachers and administrators. NORC brings essential knowledge and resources to the study, including expertise in collecting data from educators and educational institutions across the country seamlessly and efficiently.