National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education (ED).
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing a new information collection request (ICR).
DATES:
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use
www.regulations.gov
by searching the Docket ID number ED-2026-SCC-2674. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov
by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the
regulations.gov
site is not available to the public for any reason, the Department will temporarily accept comments at
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov.
Please include the docket ID number and the title of the information collection request when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that comments submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the National Center for Education Evaluation, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 5C133, Washington, DC 20202-1200.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Matt Soldner, (202) 453-7441.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Department, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.
Title of Collection:
National Special Education Spending Study.
OMB Control Number:
1850-1000.
Type of Review:
Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses:
14,956.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours:
15,406.
Abstract:
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the U.S. Department of Education (ED), requests clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for data collection activities for the National Study of Special Education Spending—Full Study (NSSES). The study will produce national estimates of spending on special education services for students with disabilities (SWDs), including expenditures made by states, districts, and schools, and provide policymakers and education leaders with critical information on the factors that influence special education spending, what this spending pays for, and to what extent federal appropriations from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) cover special education spending.
IES previously received OMB approval for the study's recruitment and sampling activities (OMB #1850-1000). That approval supported developing a nationally representative sample of local education agencies (LEAs) and schools; contacting state education agencies (SEAs) and LEAs to secure their participation; and collecting the directory and enrollment data needed to sample students. IES contracted with the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) and its partner organizations—the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC) and Allovue, a PowerSchool company (Allovue)—for the study's design, pilot study, and initial recruitment activities for the full study. IES will contract with an organization to carry out the full study's data collection.
This request covers the full study's data collection activities, including surveys of SEA staff, LEA administrators, and school-based personnel, as well as collecting financial data from LEAs. These data collection activities will take place during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years and are designed to produce nationally representative estimates of special education spending overall and by student disability category, LEA and student characteristics, and geographic context. All collection activities support the NSSES. District-level financial data files may also support future intramural or extramural research on district-level spending and use of funds.
The data collection plan and survey instruments were developed and refined through an OMB-approved pilot study (OMB #1850-0952 v.10, v.12), which tested recruitment strategies, survey content, and data collection procedures. Pilot study findings informed revisions to the study design, including improvements to data collection
( printed page 52299)
instruments and procedures to reduce burden and enhance data quality.
Ross Santy,
Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.
www.regulations.gov
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)