As educators and policymakers increasingly use parental involvement as a mechanism to increase student achievement, scholars know surprisingly little about the disparities in frequencies of parental involvement for first-generation immigrant compared to native-born parents as well as how involvement may differ for parents of students with…

To provide a missing piece to the legal foundation of professional development and practice for the individualized education program (IEP) process, the authors report the results of a comprehensive systematic analysis of court decisions specific to IEP-related procedural violations after the 2004 amendments of the Individuals With Disabilities…

The article discusses the conceptual and procedural mandates of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), required under Public Law 99-457, as both a bold radical step taken by the federal government and as a logical extension of current service delivery practices serving disabled children. (Author/DB)

Parents (N=243) surveyed on their satisfaction regarding their handicapped child's individualized education program staffing reported four variables significantly affecting their satisfaction: (1) adequate time, (2) multidisciplinary input, (3) parent involvement, and (4) lack of blame attribution to the parents. Preparation for the staffing made…

Through naturalistic observational procedures, the study examined the dynamics of individualized education program (IEP) conferences involving parents of handicapped elementary grade students. Participants present, the nature and frequency of topics discussed, and the length of conferences were considered. (Author/SBH)

This study used ethnographic methodology to evaluate the impact of mediation on transition outcomes of six persons with mild mental retardation. Strategies used by focal persons, their parents, and agencies/schools are discussed in relation to (1) empowerment and self-determination, (2) social dimensions of transition planning and "balanced…