Parent beliefs and knowledge about special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The shifting emphasis within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) legislation toward greater parental involvement is supported by the literature suggesting that engaging parents in their child's education will improve the effectiveness of schooling, especially programs directed toward educating students with disabilities. Despite the overwhelming evidence supporting parental involvement and legislative changes toward greater collaboration with school professionals, many parents believe that a lack of involvement is an important obstacle to education reform. Parental involvement appears to have a meaningful and positive effect on students' academic development as well as on families, but the complex laws and procedures surrounding education programs may promote parents' frustration and misunderstanding when the spirit of the law is to promote the reverse. In this study, the authors compared parents' beliefs and knowledge about special education as a function of their child's status within the school system. The authors reasoned that their outcomes would provide useful information for identifying areas within the IDEA with relevance for improving parent involvement in special education. (Abstract from ERIC)