NCEO Report 452

Acknowledgements

To support state education agency (SEA) staff in effectively communicating assessment data with stakeholders, the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) facilitated a Peer Learning Group (PLG), Transforming SSIP Stakeholder Engagement Through Effective Communication of Assessment Data. Held between September and November 2024, NCEO facilitated six virtual meetings for SEA staff, including state special education and assessment office representatives, and parent center representatives. In sum, the 58 participants represented 26 states (12 parent centers and 19 SEAs). The content of this planning guide was developed collaboratively with the PLG participants as they shared their perspectives and experiences working with stakeholders. We greatly appreciate their hard work dedication to improving outcomes for all students.

List of States Participating in PLG

The participating states and entities were: Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, Virgin Islands, and Wisconsin.

Introduction

Federal Law and Reporting Requirements for Engaging Stakeholders

The federal Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) approved instructions require states to meaningfully engage stakeholders in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), of which the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) is Indicator 17 (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.a). The requirement for stakeholder engagement is especially critical for Indicator 17, the SSIP, which is designed to drive improved outcomes for students with disabilities through implementing evidence-based practices. States must document how stakeholders—including families and others, who may include educators, school and district leaders, community organizations, and more—are involved in identifying priority needs, selecting the State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR), implementing improvement strategies, and monitoring progress (see U.S. Department of Education, n.d.b). Ongoing, authentic stakeholder engagement ensures that SSIP efforts are responsive to and grounded in, the lived experiences of those groups most impacted by the initiative.

The Role and Value of a Communication Plan

A communication plan is an essential tool for helping SSIP teams engage stakeholders effectively and efficiently. It provides a structured approach for identifying key audiences, tailoring messages, selecting appropriate formats, and tracking the success of communication efforts over time. By using a communication plan, SSIP staff can align messaging with stakeholder needs, answer critical questions, and foster transparency and trust. This resource supports teams in organizing, documenting, and evaluating their communication strategies, ensuring that data and other information about the SSIP are shared in ways that are accessible, meaningful, and actionable to a range of audiences. Ultimately, a strong communication plan enhances stakeholder understanding and participation, which are foundational to the success and sustainability of the SSIP.

How States Can Use a SSIP Data Communication Plan

SSIP staff responsible for communicating data to stakeholders are encouraged to form a small planning team. The team can use the questions that follow as prompts for group discussion. Table 1 shows a format the team can use to create their data communication plan. Working row by row, creating new rows as needed, the team collaboratively plans targeted communication strategies for each audience they identify. This approach promotes shared ownership, ensures alignment across messages, supports sustainability and helps surface insights about stakeholder needs. Teams may also refer to the Sample SSIP Data Communication Plan shown in Table 2, which offers concrete examples to guide planning and spark ideas (see Ressa et al., 2025).

SSIP Data Communication Planning Questions

SSIP staff can use the following questions to guide their completion of an SSIP Data Communication Plan (see Table 1 for a sample table that can be adapted). Each header in this section corresponds with a column in the table. Users can add, delete, or modify any of the questions in this section to adapt it to the SSIP in their state.

Target audience

• Who are primary SSIP stakeholders?
• How much detail do they want and need?
• What engages your audience?

Communication goals and strategies

• What is the primary goal or purpose of the communication activity?
• What is the strategy you will use to achieve the goal?

Audience burning questions or worries

• What does this audience typically want to know related to the communication goal or purpose of the communication activity?
• What questions or worries do they have related to the communication goal?
• What do you know about how your audience gets information?

Data communication format(s)

• What data communication format(s) will you use (e.g., what is the product you are disseminating)?
• What message are you delivering?
• Is your data quantitative or qualitative?
• How can your data be represented so that your audience can best understand/access it?

Dissemination activities and tools

• What activity will be used to disseminate the information (e.g., in-person meeting, webinar, posted on website)?
• Through what medium will you disseminate the information (e.g., presentation, static report, dashboard)?
• What tools will you use (e.g., slides, spreadsheet, social media)?
• How can you use existing communications tools (newsletters, websites, etc.)?

Dissemination frequency and/or dates

• How frequently does it make sense to communicate with the audience to achieve your communication goal?
• What month(s) or dates will this take place?

Person(s) responsible

• Who are all the individuals that will be involved in the communication and dissemination activities?
• What is each person responsible for?
• How and when will the work get done?

Effectiveness measures

• How will you know if you achieved your communication goal?
• What data will you collect?
• Who will collect the data?
• How will you collect feedback?
• When will the data be collected?
• How will you use the data?

Table 1. Blank SSIP Data Communication Plan

Project Name:

Plan start date:

Plan review date:

Table 2 provides an example of a detailed SSIP data communication plan for "Project Launchpad: A Statewide K-3 Reading Program," which is planned for August 2025 with a review date of July 2026. The plan is organized by three key target audiences: Parents and families, School leaders, and the State Advisory Panel (SAP).

To communicate SSIP data to parents and families, SSIP staff will collaborate with the state’s Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) to share data through social media. The communications will address parents’ questions about how the SSIP benefits families of children with disabilities and how data shows its positive impact. The SSIP and PTI staff will share data biweekly through charts and storytelling on social media platforms and will measure success by tracking social media engagement, website visits, and surveys.

For school leaders, SSIP staff will provide student growth reports in easy-to-read formats such as PDFs and PowerPoint presentations with tables and charts. These reports will help answer leaders’ questions about whether students are making improvements, where gaps remain, and what strategies can be used to target areas of lower growth. SSIP data leads and systems coaches will meet with school leaders virtually three times per year—in October, January, and April—to review progress and ensure leaders are prepared to share results with families. SSIP staff will measure communication effectiveness through surveys that assess leaders’ understanding of the data and how they use it to support improvement efforts.

The State Advisory Panel (SAP) will also serve as a key audience, with SSIP staff sharing summative assessment results disaggregated by student demographics to examine reading proficiency and identify learning gaps. Communications will focus on panel members’ questions about the SSIP’s overall impact on students and families and whether intended outcomes are being achieved. Data will be presented through PowerPoint slides and printed static reports during the annual October SAP meeting. SSIP staff will measure communication effectiveness through a post-meeting survey designed to capture panel members’ understanding of the data and their ability to contribute to identifying next steps.

Table 2. Sample SSIP Data Communication Plan

Project Name: Project Launchpad: A Statewide K-3 Reading Program

Plan start date: August 2025

Plan review date: July 2026

Notes. PDF = Portable Document Format; PTI=Parent Training and Information Center; SAP = State Advisory Panel; SSIP = State Systemic Improvement Plan

References

• Ressa, V. A., Bunch-Woodson, K., Hurtado, E. T., Imura, M., Strunk, K., Lazzarus, S. S., Hinkle, A. R., Arnold, J., & Peterson, T. (2025). Updated state discussion guide: Communicating assessment data to empower SSIP stakeholders (NCEO Report 448). National Center on Educational Outcomes. https://files.nceo.info/files/YyxKDEmnGc/nceo-report-448?preferredLocale=en-US
• U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.-a). Part B State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (Part B SPP/APR) general instructions. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/1820-0624_FFY20Part_B_SPPAPR_Instructions_FINAL.pdf
• U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.-b). Part B State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) Indicator Measurement Table for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023 Submission. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/FFY2023-Part-B-SPP-APR-Reformatted-Measurement-Table.pdf

All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:

Bunch-Woodson, K., Hurtado, E. T., Ressa, V. A., Hinkle, A. R., & Liu, K.K. (2025). State discussion guide for communicating SSIP data with stakeholders (NCEO Report 452). National Center on Educational Outcomes.

The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326G210002) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Consistent with EDGAR §75.62, the contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Project Officer: David Egnor

In collaboration with:

NCEO Core Staff

Andrew R. Hinkle, Co-Director

Kristi K. Liu, Co-Director

Jessica Bowman

Gail Ghere

Linda Goldstone

Michael L. Moore

Darrell Peterson

Mari Quanbeck

Virginia A. Ressa

Kathy Strunk

Yi-Chen Wu

National Center on Educational Outcomes

University of Minnesota

2025 East River Parkway, Room 1-330

Minneapolis, MN 55414

Phone 612/626-1530

http://www.nceo.info

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NCEO is an affiliated center of the Institute on Community Integration