Annual Post-School Survey Timeline

June 1-November 1: Schools and districts make survey phone calls to special education leavers
November-December: CCTS reviews and summarizes survey data
January: Finalized state, ESD, county, and district-level reports and presentations are available for download

In Washington state, the Post-School Survey opens June 1 and closes November 1 at 11:59 p.m. every year. During that window of time, school and school district representatives make phone calls to former special education students, also referred to as "leavers.”

After the survey closes in November, CCTS reviews, analyzes, and summarizes the data that were collected. In January, finalized data are available for districts, ESDs, agencies, and other stakeholders to access.

Leaver Criteria for 2026 Survey

Age 16-22*
Permanently exited school in the 2024-25 academic year
- Aged out
- Dropped out
- Graduated with a diploma
- Expected to return but did not
Had active IEPs at the time of exit

The Post-School Survey is conducted with all special education leavers one year after exiting high school. Leavers are former students ages 16-22* who permanently exited high school and had an active IEP at the time they left.

For the 2026 survey, phone calls will be made to students who left at any point in the 2024-25 school year. They may have left because they aged out, dropped out, graduated with a diploma, or were expected to return but did not.

*Prior to the 2026 survey (2023-24 leaver year), leaver age criteria was 16-21.

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