Part B (ages 6 through 21)


The term family involvement is widely used to describe collaboration across families and service providers.  The preferred term is family partnership, as it portrays equal worth in the collaboration.

Parents can be partners with schools by: helping the school understand their child, participating on the IEP team helping to design the IEP, working with the IEP team to design and implement appropriate evaluation and services and becoming meaningfully involved in the school community.

Students can be actively involved in their program by: expressing preferences and interests, particularly during transition planning, helping design the IEP, and practicing self-advocacy skills.


Federal Sources Federal Sources


U.S. Department of Education
President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education (PCESE) – Final
Report



Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
General IDEA Guidance from OSEP
This site is a "one-stop shop" for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, released on August 3, 2006.
Building and Strengthening Partnerships for Family Involvement in Education
Parental Partnerships Facilitated by the Office for Civil Rights
Helping Your Child Series


National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
NCLB and IDEA: What Parents of Students with Disabilities Need to Know and Do
A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievemen


Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers (the ALLIANCE)
A New Wave of Evidence:  The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement
Educating Our Children Together
Engaging Families to Improve Achievement: Advice from the Research
The Impact of Parent/Family Involvement on Student Outcomes
Taking a Closer Look: A Guide to Online Resources on Family Involvement
When It’s Your Own Child: A Report on Special Education from the Families Who Use It


National Center for Education Statistics
Child Care and Early Education Arrangements of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: 2001
Parents' Reports of School Practices to Provide Information to Families: 1996 and 2003


National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
Families and Communities Resource Section
Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE)


National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
Teaching Parents and Families About Transition (Specific Practice)


Consortium For Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) – Home Page
The Impact of Parent/Family Involvement on Student Outcomes: An Annotated Bibliography of Research from the Past Decade


Project FORUM at NASDSE
Parent Participation in State Monitoring
Child and Family Outcome Measures for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers with Disabilities
Communities of Practice: Activities Sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs
Family Involvement and Family Perceptions/Satisfaction: SEA Data Collection
Parent Centers and State Education Agencies: Collaborative Models


Center for Mental Health in Schools
School-Based Mutual Support Groups
Parent and Home Involvement in Schools


National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
Addressing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: Overrepresentation in Special Education: Guidelines for Parents.


National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)
Reaching out to parents of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system


Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Military Personnel: Medical, Family Support, and Educational Services Are Available for Exceptional Family Members.


IDEA Partnership Organizations IDEA Partnership Organizations


Education Commission of the States
Recent State Legislation: Parent/Family—Parent Rights
Recent State Legislation: Parent/Family


National Association of School Psychologists

Family-School Partnerships: Information and Approaches for Educators
Immigrant Parents and the School


National Education Association
Conference Planning Sheet for Parents

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