Chapter 8: Communication and Collaboration with Families

Educators know that parents are important if not “the most important” teacher a child will have in their lifetime. Educators also know that establishing strong home-school partnerships matter when considering children’s academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs and development. This is both sound and conventional wisdom, with consistent research to back it up (Montoya-Ávila et al., 2018; Sheridan et al., 2019; Yamauchi et al., 2017). Educators also know when schools involve parents in important decision-making about their child’s schooling, meaningful gains can be made. This is particularly important for children with disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities) who are also English learners (ELs) given their unique learning needs and the additional services they receive to enable them to be successful in the classroom. Specific laws and mandates clearly recognize parents’ significant contributions including requiring parental involvement in meetings (34 CFR §300.322), providing prior written notice regarding decisions around identification, placement, and evaluation (34 CFR §300.503), conducting independent evaluations (34 CFR §300.502), accessing educational records (34 CFR §300.501), and requesting the explanation and interpretation of records (34 CFR §300.613(b)(2)) amongst other educational rights. Beyond their participation in procedural decision-making, educators keenly recognize the strengths and expertise families bring with them to the table regarding how best to support their child’s unique needs and strengths.