Parent & caregiver survey
For Colorado parents and caregivers navigating IEPs, Section 504 plans, and disability-related school supports.
Open parent surveySurvey link coming soon.
Independent • Parent-led • Colorado-wide
Every family deserves to be heard.
Amplifying the experiences of families, educators, and advocates to strengthen special education services, transparency, and accountability across Colorado.
Our purpose
Listening. Documenting. Strengthening accountability.
Colorado Parent Voices began when a parent started asking questions about a school closure and how it could affect students with disabilities. Conversations with other families raised broader questions about access to services, meaningful participation, and district transparency.
Our independent, parent-led project gathers experiences from parents, educators, and advocates across Colorado. We examine patterns, explain how to access public information, and connect visitors with established disability-rights organizations for individualized support.
We welcome positive experiences as well as difficult ones. Our surveys are not a substitute for legal advice or an individual complaint.
Encuestas en español
Su experiencia importa.
Colorado Parent Voices es una iniciativa independiente dirigida por una madre o un padre de Colorado. Recopilamos las experiencias de familias, docentes y personas defensoras de estudiantes con discapacidades para identificar patrones y promover la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas.
Las encuestas en español están en preparación. No incluya nombres ni información que permita identificar a estudiantes, familias o personal escolar. Si necesita una adaptación o ayuda para participar, escriba a [email protected]. No necesita revelar un diagnóstico.
La participación es voluntaria. El correo electrónico es independiente de las respuestas a las encuestas.
Share your experience
Take a statewide survey
Choose the survey that best fits your experience. Participation is voluntary. Please avoid including names or identifying details about students, families, or staff in written responses.
Educator & advocate survey
For teachers, related service providers, paraprofessionals, administrators, attorneys, and special education advocates.
Open professional surveySurvey link coming soon.
Accessibility & accommodations
Need an accommodation, an alternative format, or assistance accessing a survey? Email [email protected]. You do not need to disclose a diagnosis to request an accommodation. Email contact is separate from survey participation.
Research & findings
From individual experiences to a clearer picture.
As responses are collected, this space will share survey methodology, carefully aggregated findings, and resources developed from the research.
We will distinguish respondents' experiences from verified findings and will not describe voluntary survey responses as representative of all Colorado families or professionals without appropriate evidence.
Findings are not yet published
Reports and summaries will appear here after sufficient data has been gathered and reviewed for privacy and accuracy.
Have a question about the data or research approach? Contact us by email.
District transparency & accountability
Ask informed questions. Find the underlying records.
School closures, program relocations, staffing decisions, and service delivery can raise important questions. This section helps families and professionals locate public information and understand what to ask, without duplicating comprehensive legal-rights guides.
Request school district records
Colorado's Open Records Act (CORA) provides a process for requesting many public records. Learn the rules, identify the district's records custodian, and ask for existing documents rather than answers to new questions.
Colorado CORA information ↗Follow board decisions
Look for board agendas, meeting recordings, enrollment projections, facilities assessments, budgets, and written criteria used to select schools or programs.
Colorado Department of Education ↗Ask about disability-related impact
Questions worth asking include: Can the receiving building implement existing IEPs? What staffing, sensory spaces, transportation, and accessibility measures were evaluated? When can parents participate?
Read the parent-participation guide →Sample public-records request
“Under the Colorado Open Records Act, I request existing records reflecting the criteria, analyses, and recommendations used to select receiving schools or specialized program locations, including any facilities, accessibility, staffing, transportation, and cost assessments. Please provide responsive records electronically where available and notify me of any estimated fees before proceeding.”
Tailor the request to a specific decision, date range, and record type. CORA is not a substitute for a student's educational-records rights, and some records may be exempt or redacted.
Trusted support
Find established disability-rights resources.
We focus on research and district accountability rather than recreating legal guides or offering individual representation. These independent organizations and official agencies can help you learn about rights, services, and complaint options.
Disability Justice
Explore existing education and disability-rights resources, including IEPs, Section 504, behavior, exclusion, and dispute resolution. Disability Justice was formerly Disability Law Colorado.
Explore Disability Justice resources ↗PEAK Parent Center
Colorado-based information and support for families navigating disability and education systems.
Visit PEAK Parent Center ↗Colorado Department of Education
Official special education rules, procedural information, and dispute-resolution resources.
Visit CDE ↗IDEA regulations
Read the federal rules governing special education services and parent participation.
Read IDEA regulations ↗Where can I file a complaint?
A short directory to help distinguish state special education complaints, federal civil-rights complaints, and due process.
Go to the complaint guide →Parent participation in location decisions
Questions to ask when a school closes or a specialized program changes buildings, with links to the actual rule.
Read the Colorado-specific guide →Colorado Parent Voices is not affiliated with these organizations. External links are informational, not endorsements. We do not provide legal representation.
Know your options
Official complaint filing links
This is a navigation directory, not a substitute for agency instructions or individualized legal guidance. Different processes address different issues, and deadlines can overlap. For comprehensive rights education, see Disability Justice.
Colorado Department of Education (CDE)
For alleged violations of IDEA, Colorado special education law, and applicable restraint or seclusion requirements. Complaints generally address events within the preceding year.
Important: CDE currently requires written complaints to be submitted by mail or hand-delivery to both CDE and the involved educational agency; it does not accept these complaints by email.
CDE complaint instructions and formsU.S. Department of Education — Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
For allegations involving disability discrimination, Section 504, ADA Title II, or retaliation. OCR complaints ordinarily must be filed within 180 days, subject to exceptions.
File an OCR complaintColorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD)
For potential discrimination under Colorado law, where the Division has jurisdiction. Review the state's guidance and confirm the applicable filing deadline. Submitting an intake inquiry may not itself constitute filing a formal charge.
Find Colorado civil rights complaint guidanceU.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
For possible ADA violations involving public entities, including public schools. The DOJ explains which federal agency may handle different types of disability discrimination complaints.
DOJ ADA complaint guidanceBefore you file
Keep a timeline of events and copies of relevant communications and records. Check each agency's requirements and deadlines directly. Colorado Parent Voices is an independent information resource, not a government complaint portal or legal service. Do not send private student records through this website.
SB26-125 update: CDE reports that the state disability-discrimination complaint system contemplated by the law has not yet received the funding needed to operate. For discrimination concerns, review OCR and CCRD options.
Plain-language guide
Where should I file my special education complaint?
Start with the concern you want an agency to review. Different processes have different powers, deadlines, and requirements. A single situation can raise more than one type of concern.
Required services were missed, or special education procedures were not followed
Consider a CDE state complaint. Examples include alleged failure to implement an IEP, evaluation or procedural violations, and certain restraint or seclusion concerns. Generally, alleged violations must be within one year.
Read CDE filing instructions ↗My child experienced disability discrimination or retaliation
Consider the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). This can include unequal access, disability-based exclusion, or retaliation within OCR's jurisdiction. The ordinary deadline is 180 days; exceptions may apply.
How to file with OCR ↗We disagree about identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE
A special education due process complaint may be an option. This is more formal than a state complaint and generally has a two-year filing limit, subject to exceptions. Mediation may also be available.
CDE due process information ↗I want to explore a state disability-discrimination complaint
Review Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) jurisdiction and intake procedures. CDE reports that the separate SB26-125 disability-discrimination complaint system has not been funded. Confirm where your claim belongs and the applicable deadline.
Colorado Civil Rights Division ↗Before you file: a practical checklist
- Write a timeline with dates, the concern, and what happened.
- Identify the specific service, accommodation, decision, or action at issue.
- Keep relevant IEPs, 504 plans, prior written notices, emails, and service records in a secure place.
- Read the agency's instructions for required information, delivery methods, and deadlines.
- Consider seeking independent advocacy or legal advice when deadlines or overlapping claims are involved.
Important: Filing with one agency does not necessarily extend another agency's deadline. Do not send confidential student documents to Colorado Parent Voices.
Colorado special education rights
Parent participation in placement and school-location decisions
Colorado's Exceptional Children's Educational Act rules distinguish a child's educational placement from the building or location where an IEP is implemented. Understanding the difference can help parents ask specific questions.
What does Colorado Rule 4.03(8) say?
Educational placement: Under Rule 4.03(8)(a), educational placement concerns the special education and related services a child receives, rather than automatically meaning a particular school or classroom. Placement is based on the IEP and determined by the IEP Team.
Building or location change: Under Rule 4.03(8)(b)(iii), a move to another building that does not change educational placement may occur without a new IEP meeting or reevaluation. But the rule says that location decisions must consider the impact on the child's total educational program and must include parent participation.
Not always the same procedural steps: For a location-only change, the rule generally does not require prior written notice or an IEP Team meeting, subject to Rule 4.03(8)(c). If the move actually changes educational placement or services, other IEP and notice requirements may apply.
Federal protections: IDEA regulations at 34 CFR § 300.501(c) require parents to be members of groups making decisions about their child's educational placement.
What might meaningful participation look like?
The rule does not prescribe one specific format for parent participation in a location-only decision. Families can ask when their input will be requested, what information is being considered, and how the district will consider disability-related needs. Whether a particular process meets the rule depends on the facts.
Can the receiving school implement the IEP?
Ask about specialized classrooms, service spaces, staffing, transportation, sensory needs, accessibility, safety, and opportunities to participate in school activities.
When and how will parents participate?
Ask who makes the location decision, when parents can provide input, and how concerns will be evaluated before or during implementation.
Will the student's services or placement change?
Ask whether the move affects IEP services, setting, educational opportunities, or supports. Request an explanation of which procedural requirements the district believes apply.
Questions parents can send to a district
- How will my child’s total educational program be considered when deciding the new school or program location?
- How and when can I participate in that location decision under 1 CCR 301-8 § 4.03(8)(b)(iii)?
- What information shows that the receiving building can implement my child’s IEP, including required services and accommodations?
- Does the district consider this a location-only change or a change in educational placement, and why?
- If I believe the participation requirement was not followed, whom should I contact and what dispute-resolution options are available?
Read the actual rules: Colorado ECEA rules, 1 CCR 301-8, § 4.03(8) ↗ · IDEA parent-participation regulation, 34 CFR § 300.501 ↗ · CDE state complaint process ↗.
This is general educational information, not a legal determination about any particular district or closure. A districtwide decision is not expressly named as an exception in this location-change provision; the application of the rule to particular decisions may be disputed and should be evaluated based on the facts.
About the initiative
Built by a parent, for a broader conversation.
Colorado Parent Voices is an independent, parent-led initiative. It is not affiliated with a school district, the Colorado Department of Education, or any government agency.
The project grew from questions about school closures and their effects on students with disabilities. Its purpose is broader: to listen to parents, educators, and advocates across Colorado and help make their experiences visible.
Our core work is voluntary statewide surveys, transparent reporting of methodology and findings, and practical information about district decision-making. For individualized disability-rights advice or advocacy, we direct visitors to established organizations such as Disability Justice.
Privacy and transparency
The surveys are intended to avoid collecting names and email addresses. However, detailed written responses or combinations of demographic details can still identify individuals. Please do not include student names, staff names, student ID numbers, or other identifying information. Complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed.
Survey findings may be shared in aggregated public reports, educational materials, research collaborations, and advocacy efforts. Individual responses will not be sold or intentionally shared in identifiable form. We will review results to reduce re-identification risk before publication.
We use a separate project email rather than a personal email because concerns about retaliation are real for some families and professionals. Contacting us is optional and separate from survey participation.
Contact & accessibility
Questions? We’d like to hear from you.
Reach out about the project, survey accommodations, available resources, or questions about published findings.
Email Colorado Parent Voices
[email protected]Please avoid emailing private student records or sensitive personal information unless a secure method has been arranged.