Mass. DESE details Indicator 14 survey process; surveys due Sept. 25, 2026

Kristin Castner, Indicator 14 Lead at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, opened a May 4 webinar explaining the state’s Indicator 14 data-collection process and said the session recording and slides will be posted on the Indicator 14 webpage.

The webinar laid out core deadlines and logistics: the data-collection window opens May 4 and runs through Sept. 25, 2026, and all online surveys must be completed and submitted to meet federal reporting timelines, DESE and consultant staff said. “The recording will be posted on our website sometime over the next couple of weeks,” Castner told attendees.

Why it matters: Indicator 14 measures whether students who had individualized education programs (IEPs) when they left secondary school are enrolled in higher education, competitively employed, in other post-secondary training, or otherwise employed within one year of exit. DESE said the data help school districts and the state evaluate how well transition services prepare youth for life after school.

Exiter lists and corrections: Castner said district Exiter lists for the 2024–25 cohort—generated from SIMS data submitted in 2025—have been uploaded to each district’s folder in the DESE Security Portal Dropbox. Districts should download the SIMS Exiter file, validate contact information and submit any corrections via an Excel spreadsheet placed in the Indicator 14 Dropbox folder. The spreadsheet should include the district name, org code, the student’s SASID, full name, birth date and whether the record should be added or removed, and a brief reason for the change. Arielle Levin, introduced as a DESE contact for districts, “does have DESE’s clearance to discuss that individual Exiters information,” the presenters said.

Survey administration and tracking: The Indicator 14 survey is online, available in multiple languages, and can be completed by the former student, by district staff working with the former student, or by a parent or guardian. DESE has added a dropdown in the survey for respondents to indicate which district they attended; if a district staff member completes a survey, they will be prompted to enter the staff member’s first and last name, role and (if available) the former student’s SASID to help DESE match responses to district records.

Outreach best practices: Rachel Wilkinson, consultant with Crescent Bend Consulting, urged districts to plan outreach (email, mail, phone, social media), use staff known to the former student to improve response rates and attempt contact multiple times. Wilkinson recommended at least three outreach attempts using varied channels and times; higher-performing districts often try more than three attempts. She also suggested publicizing the survey and offering local resource information to respondents as an incentive.

Definition of competitive employment: Wilkinson described competitive employment as a federally defined category that generally requires pay at or above minimum wage and customary wage for the position, comparable employer-provided benefits to non-disabled coworkers, work in integrated settings (not segregated), and inclusion of military service where applicable.

Reporting cadence and privacy: DESE staff said districts that opt into completion updates will receive notifications every two weeks through August and weekly from Sept. 1 through Sept. 25. Castner emphasized that personally identifiable student information should not be shared via email and directed districts to upload sensitive files to the DESE Dropbox for secure handling.

Next steps: Presenters said they will post the webinar recording and slides on the Indicator 14 webpage in the coming weeks and invited participants to submit questions via the webinar Q&A. For technical questions about Exiter lists or to change the district contact for updates, DESE requested districts copy IDEAdata@mass.gov when they email.

The webinar focused on practical steps and timelines; no formal votes or policy changes were taken during the session.