Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma has partnered with a special education advocate to launch a parental survey aimed at improving school supports for students who have experienced extended absences.
DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton) and Dr. Deanna Conley, owner of PROSPER Special Education Advocacy Services, created the survey to gather data on students who missed 10 or more consecutive school days during the 2024-2025 school year due to medical or social-emotional needs. The survey is not intended for absences related to vacations.
“Every child deserves a quality education, and this fact is particularly important for children experiencing significant disruptions in their attendance at school,” DiPalma said. “I urge every parent whose child has experienced an extended absence to take part in this survey so that we and local school departments can better understand the underlying issues that are affecting your child’s education and what can be done to remedy the situation.”
Local school districts are currently responsible for continuing to educate students who experience extended absences due to documented medical or mental health needs, but Conley said many are struggling to meet that obligation.
“They are facing a resource crisis and struggle to staff these types of flexible and often short-term instructor positions,” Conley said. “As a result, some of our most vulnerable students across the state are encountering a lapse in their education.”
Conley said the survey aims to document the number of affected students and hear from caregivers about barriers they have encountered in securing academic and related services for their children.
“The data from this survey will play a vital role in establishing the need for the development of future policy and programs to better support both districts and families as they navigate these periods of extended absences from school,” she said.
Parent responses are confidential and will only be used to improve school supports for students, unless a parent chooses to be contacted at the close of the survey. Parents with multiple affected children are asked to complete separate surveys for each child. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete.
The data is being collected by DiPalma and Conley to help inform future education policy decisions. The survey is not affiliated with the Rhode Island Department of Education or any local school districts. Results will be compiled and made available for public review in the spring.
The survey, “Supporting Students and Families During Extended Absences,” is available online.