Parent participation in their child's education is required under P.L. 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Childrens Act of 1975 and is further supported in IDEA 1997. The key to successful integration of students with disabilities is through parents, teachers, and related service providers working collaboratively as a team. Children with disabilities can make faster gains when there are partnerships among and between parents, teachers and related service personnel. Parent/teacher collaboration involves sharing of the student's areas of strength and need, therefore teachers get to know the child as a person within the context of a family. In addition, parents can help work on IEP goals and objectives at home that may result in faster gains. Partnerships between teachers and related service providers ensure that goals and objectives are worked on in all environments resulting in faster growth of skills and abilities. The following resources will help you explore the topic of collaboration.

Books Published by Houghton Mifflin Company

• Hunt, N., & Marshall, K. (1999). Exceptional Children and Youth (2^nd ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, pp. 26-27, 88-89.
• Kirk, S.A., Gallagher, J.J. & Anastasiow, N.J. (2000). Educating Exceptional Children(9^th ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, - Chapter 2.
• Lerner, J. (2000). Learning disabilities: Theories, Diagnosis, and Teaching Strategies. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, pp. 163-175.

Books Published by Other Companies

• Bauwens, J., & Hourcade, J. J. (1995). Cooperative teaching: Rebuilding the schoolhouse for all students. Austin, TX: Pro-ed.
• Cramer, S. F. (1998). Collaboration: A success strategy for special educators. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
• Friend, M., & Cook, L. (1996). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. White Plains, NY: Longman.
• Mostert, M. P. (1998). Interprofessional collaboration in schools. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
• Simpson, R. L. (1996). Working with families and parents of exceptional children and youth: Techniques for successful conferencing and collaboration (3^rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
• Thomas, C. C., Correa, V. I., & Morsink, C. V. (1995). Interactive teaming: Consultation and collaboration in special programs. (2^nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
• Thousand, J. S., Villa, R. A., & Nevin, A. I. (Eds.) (1994). Creativity and collaborative learning: A practical guide to empowering students and teachers. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
• Turnbull, A. P., & Turnbull, H. R. (1997). Families, professionals, and exceptionality: A special partnership (3^rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
• Walther-Thomas, C., Korinek, L., McLaughlin, V., & Williams, B. T. (2000). Collaboration for inclusive education: Developing successful programs. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Journals

• Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation
• Intervention in School and Clinic
• Parent Advocate News

Fact Sheet

• Questions often asked by parents about special education services (NICHCY) -- http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/otherpub/lg1txt.htm

Web site Resources

• Beach Center on Families and Disability -- www.lsi.ukans.edu/beach/index.htm
• Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships -- http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/center.htm
• Family Education Network -- http://www.familyeducation.com/home/
• Family Involvement in Education -- http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/pfie.html
• Family Village -- http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/
• National Network of Partnership Schools -- http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/p2000.html
• National Parent Information Network -- http://npin.org/index.html
• Trends and Issues in Educational Management (ERIC) -- http://eric.uoregon.edu/issues/

Online Resource Documents

• Collaboration between home and school -- http://specialed.about.com/education/specialed/library/
  blschwaub2.htm?terms=collaboration&PM=113_400_T
• · Collaboration: The prerequisite for school readiness and success -- http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/1993/kunesh93.html
• Creating, invigorating, and sustaining effective teams -- http://ericae.net/ericdb/EJ535698.htm
• Families and teachers as partners -- http://npin.org/library/1998/n00088/n00088.html
• Inclusion and teaming: It's a natural collaboration - http://ericae.net/ericdb/EJ484917.htm
• Meeting the challenge of consultation and collaboration: Developing interaction teams -- http://ericae.net/ericdb/EJ550656.htm
• A qualitative analysis of parent's and service coordinators' descriptions of variables that influence collaborative relationships -- http://ericae.net/ericdb/EJ532374.htm
• Preventing and resolving parent-teacher differences -- http://npin.org/library/1998/n00044/n00044.html
• Related services for school-aged children with disabilities (NICHCY) -- http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/newsdig/nd16txt.htm
• Teachers involve parents in schoolwork (TIPS) -- http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/tips.htm
• Teacher-parent partnerships -- http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/1992/swick92.html
• Trends and issues: Relationships with the community -- http://eric.uoregon.edu/issues/relat/index.html