Many parents and educators have questions before individualized education program (IEP) meetings. However, barriers to effective family/school partnership continue to exist, despite widespread consensus regarding the merits of a family-centered approach to providing services and supports, decades of research documenting positive outcomes from family participation in a child's schooling, and federal special education legislation that strongly encourages parental involvement in educational planning. There is a wealth of information available regarding professional practices that can promote positive working relationships with families. A new tool, Family Assessment Portfolios (FAPs), can help promote good home/school collaboration. Although FAPs are not a panacea for all of the challenges associated with home/school communication and collaboration, they can be used to: (a) empower families by involving them in the assessment process; (b) enhance opportunities for families to communicate the information they most want schools to know; (c) familiarize future educators with students (e.g., likes, dislikes, strengths, needs, and communication skills); and (d) increase the likelihood that special education services and interventions will truly address a child's most important needs. (Contains 5 figures.)