Parent engagement in the transition planning process for students with IEPs is an essential indicator for positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities graduating from high school. Barriers to parent participation include lack of communication, trust, and knowledge of the process in which they are participating. Educators must seek…

Communicating with parents is a key role for teachers to foster relationships that will support student learning. This essay and discussion article focuses on a range of strategies teachers can use to promote effective communication with parents of children with special needs. The increasing prevalence of students with disabilities in our schools…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand parental or guardian involvement and the challenges and barriers to their involvement in the individual education process (IEP) of middle school students as viewed by special education teachers at an urban middle school in southeastern Wisconsin. This study began with the…

Self-determination skills are a potential predictor of post-school success for individuals with disabilities. This study examined the perspectives of special educators of students in preschool through age 22 in one school district who participated in multiple professional development and coaching sessions on self-determination including the…

Although parent involvement is a cornerstone of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), few individual parents of children with disabilities participate in civic engagement to voice their suggestions for the next IDEA reauthorization. To address this gap, a civic engagement training was conducted with 95 parents of children with…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires professionals on Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams to provide family members of children with disabilities every opportunity to participate in IEP meetings. Despite this requirement, findings from qualitative and survey research suggest that many parents have reported they…

La Sierra Charter School was established in 2000 in an effort to provide a tuition-free school of choice for students who were not experiencing success within the local public schools, yet remained committed to "honor, leadership, postsecondary ambition, and service" (Tulare County Office of Education, 2020). La Sierra's programs are…

This report is the results of an online survey of likely 2022 voters, conducted August 30-September 12, 2022. The data show that voters and parents alike have a clear vision of their priorities for education and schools, school funding, and parental involvement. [This report was prepared with Lake Research Partners. For "Across the Aisle:…

In response to legislative mandates that schools use evidence-based instructional practices, the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center has identified evidence-based practices and predictors in the area of secondary transition for high school students with disabilities. This article provides an overview of practices and…

Semi-structured interviews using Cognitive Interview method techniques were conducted with nine Culturally and Linguistically Diverse parents of students with disabilities in this exploratory study. Parents recalled experiences asking questions and making advocacy statements at Individualized Education Program meetings. Four major findings were…

The long-range goal of Louisiana's teacher professional accountability programs is to enhance student learning by providing opportunities for teachers to strengthen skill areas and by identifying those aspects of teaching performance that may need improvement. "Strategies for Effective Teaching in the 21st Century" is intended to be used…