Positive family-school-community relationships are associated with student success. Creating successful relationships with parents is an important but difficult task for teachers to master. Therefore, teacher candidates need opportunities to learn how to develop collaborative relationships with parents of all children, including children with…

The purpose of this paper is to support school professionals in their work with parents as they meet IDEA (2004) requirements during IEP meetings. The authors share tools to help recognize when IDEA principles are violated and provide alternative responses that school professionals and parents can offer. Definitions and brief explanations of the…

To examine the characteristics and problems of training procedures for parents of handicapped children, the paper focuses on the rationale for parents as teachers, the effectiveness of different models of training procedures evident in early intervention programs, and the combination of factors (parents' motivation and needs, professional ability,…

At Montpelier (Vermont) High School, faculty members, in collaboration with University of Vermont colleagues, received a federal U.S. Department of Education grant to make personalized learning plans based on students' strengths and goals a reality for disabled and nondisabled students. The process empowered students and enhanced family…

Examines the importance of including families in the education of young handicapped children and discusses trends in the foci of family involvement programs of recent years. Describes the family involvement component of the Precise Early Education of Children with Handicaps (PEECH) outreach project. (Author)

The Louisiana Department of Education provides formalized preschool programs for handicapped children in 65 public schools, with 40 of those programs serving sparsely populated areas. The statewide program was evaluated from January 1985 to June 1986 using a multiple-model research design that included data collection via 39 program visits, 59…