This paper describes effective practices for developing Individual Education Plans in small rural schools along the U.S.-Mexican border. Since immigration levels in this area are high and many immigrants are limited-speakers or nonspeakers of English, border school districts are concerned about issues involving communication with parents and students. The basis of the IEP is obtaining the informed consent of parents; informed consent means reaching understanding despite differing education levels, cultures, and languages. Principals and administrators working in border school districts have identified the following as effective practices for IEP meetings: (1) obtain background information on the student as soon as possible; (2) establish a positive environment with parents during the meeting; (3) determine the language of comprehension and use this language; (4) preface the meeting with a brief summary of the student's background and define the purpose of the meeting; (5) keep the level of communication simple and understandable; (6) serve as an advocate of the student; (7) include pauses during the meeting to monitor parental comprehension; (8) summarize the points agreed upon in the IEP; (9) allow parents to sign the IEP documents first to reflect the significance of parent participation in the process; and (10) involve the parents in developing specific instructional goals and objectives. (LP)