Parent Participation
Why is it important to have parent participation?
The evidence is clear and consistent: When schools and families work together, student learning and outcomes improve. So do:
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children’s attitudes toward school,
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their social skills and behavior, and
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the likelihood that they will take more challenging classes and pass them.
This holds true across families of all economic, ethnic/racial, and educational backgrounds—and for students of all ages.
Given the power that family involvement has to influence how our children achieve in school and in life, it’s not surprising that the nation’s special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), strongly supports parents’ right to be involved in the special education their child receives. As IDEA states:
"Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by… strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families … have eaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home."
Major components of Parent Participation
When are parents entitled to be present at meetings?
Parental rights of participation can be summarized as follows:
Parents have the right to participate in meetings related to the evaluation, identification, and educational placement of their child.
Parents have the right to participate in meetings related to the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to their child.
Parents are entitled to be members of any group that decides whether their child is a “child with a disability” and meets eligibility criteria for special education and related services.
Parents are entitled to be members of the team that develops, reviews, and revises the individualized education program (IEP) for their child. If neither parent can attend the IEP meeting, the school must use other methods to ensure their participation, including individual or conference calls.
Parents are entitled to be members of any group that makes placement decisions for their child. If neither parent can attend the meeting where placement is decided, the school must use other methods to ensure their participation, including individual or conference calls, or video conferencing.
Notification (including Prior Notice) and Scheduling
A prior written notice refers to messages that parents receive from the school system at specific times. It is meant to inform parents about any actions the school system is proposing or refusing to take including:
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the child's evaluation
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the child's identification as a "child with a disabilty" as defined by the IDEA
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the educational placement
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the school system's provision of FAPE to the child
A prior written notice notifiesa parent of upcoming meetings far enough in advance to ensure that they have the opportunity to attend and schedule the meeting at a mutally agreed on time and place. The notice about the metting that the school provides the parent with includes:
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the purpose, time and location of the meeting
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who will attend the meeting
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the parent may invite indivudals with knowledge or special expertise about the child
There are some meetings in which parents will not receive a prior notice which would include:
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Informal or unschedule meetings between school staff
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Conversations that include teachers talking about their lesson plans
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Preparations for such meetings like referrals
Information Provided to the Parent
The prior notice discussed previously must include:
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time
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purpose
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location of the meeting
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who will be attending the meeting
This notice also must inform the parents of the provision in Sec. 300.321(a)(6) and (c). These provisions outline the participation of other people on the IEP team that have knowledge about the child. They also must include the provision for Sec. 300.321(f). This outlines the participation of the Part C service coordinator. If the child is 16 the notice must also include that the meeting will be discussing their postsecondary goals and transition services, the student will be invited, and the identification of any other agency invited also.
I think that it is really important to make every detail very specific for parents so it can cause less anxiety for them and their child. The better written and further detailed the notices are the better I think.
To Ensure Parent Participation
If neither parent can attend an IEP Team meeting, the public agency must use other methods to ensure parent participation, including individual or conference telephone calls, consistent with Sec. 300.328. There are many ways to work with the parent to make sure that they can attend the meeting and I think that is so important because they need to be a part of it. I think it also tells a person how involved they are with their child's education.
Conducting a Meeting Without a Parent in Attendance
A meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if the public agency is unable to convince the parents that they should attend. In this case, the public agency must keep a record of its attempts to arrange a mutually agreed on time and place, such as--
(1) Detailed records of telephone calls made or attempted and the results of those calls;
(2) Copies of correspondence sent to the parents and any responses received; and
(3) Detailed records of visits made to the parent's home or place of employment and the results of those visits.
Use of Interpreters or any other Action
The public agency must take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the parent understands the proceedings of the IEP Team meeting, including arranging for an interpreter for parents with deafness or whose native language is other than English.
Parent Copy of the Child's IEP and Other Information
The public agency must give the parent a copy of the child's IEP at no cost to the parent.
What Does the Law Say?
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In Doug C. v. Hawaii (June 13, 2013), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an important decision about parental participation at IEP meetings.
Pete says that all special education staff who conduct IEP meetings should be familiar with this landmark ruling about IEP meetings and parental participation.
Doug C. requested a special education due process hearing against the State of Hawaii Department of Education because the school held his son's IEP meeting in his absence.
Doug C. lost the due process hearing and the District Court upheld the Hearing Officer. The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the decision.
Pitfalls to Avoid
One of the biggest pitfalls for school districts during IEP development is being too specific in content and providing too much detail or too many promises. The rule of thumb to remember when it comes to drafting an IEP is this: If you write it on the IEP, you’ve bought it. A well-crafted IEP should set forth sufficiently described goals and objectives, but it shouldn’t be so detailed that it can substitute for a daily lesson plan. Courts have ruled that there is no requirement that a student’s precise daily schedule must be developed when determining appropriate IEP placement. Instead, the daily schedule should be developed by a special education team at the school based on the IEP. Additionally, don’t include decisions about specific teachers, curriculum, methodology or school sites based upon parental preference. IDEA, as upheld by numerous court rulings, does not permit parents to dictate the specific teacher and methodology — those are a team decision.
