Abstract

Special education leaders must take their cue from the law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in its 1997 and 2004 revisions, has intensified its requirements for the role of parents in the provision of special education services. School districts must ensure not only that caregivers receive all appropriate notices of meetings and reports but also that they understand the proceedings of individualized education program (IEP) conferences, have been provided with interpreters wherever necessary, have been consulted regarding the scheduling of such meetings, and have documented all efforts at these communications with parents.