Transforming IDEA Into Family Partnerships

Strong partnerships between families and schools are the foundation of a successful process to develop and implement an individualized education program (IEP). And with approximately 7.5 million students receiving special education services nationwide, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, effective communication between schools and families is more critical than ever. It’s often up to principals to create school cultures in which families are valued partners every step of the way.

To engage families as active partners in the special education process, we’ll look at how a fictional principal, Amina Reyes of Unity Grove Elementary, translates actionable strategies into best practices that meaningfully engage families.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations recognize families as essential members of the IEP team. Their meaningful participation is legally protected (see “IDEA’s Engagement Basics” sidebar on pg. 27) and must be sustained throughout the entire special education process, from initial evaluation through IEP development and implementation.

The Pre-Referral and Eligibility Process

Meaningful family engagement doesn’t happen automatically, though; it requires intentional leadership and thoughtful communication and engagement. Principals have a powerful opportunity to shape a school culture that embraces and prioritizes meaningful family engagement. When trust and collaboration are established early, families are more likely to engage openly and work alongside educators.

In Principal Reyes’ experience, many families might face challenges that can limit their ability to fully participate, including limited understanding of their rights, language barriers, power imbalances, and inconsistent messaging. Without support, such challenges can leave families feeling excluded or overwhelmed.

To foster a culture of open communication and connection, principals can empower families to meaningfully participate during the pre-referral and eligibility process and ensure that their voices are heard and reflected in the data so every child receives the support they need.

Although many educators are familiar with the legal requirements of IDEA, they often struggle to translate that knowledge into practices that truly empower families as equal partners. During a staff meeting, for example, Reyes was surprised to hear that several team members felt unprepared to collaborate with families of at-risk students and students with disabilities, particularly when families seemed hesitant to discuss their child’s needs. This feedback revealed a deeper issue: The team lacked the tools to engage families effectively. 

After listening to her team’s concerns, Reyes launched a professional learning series focused on family-​centered collaboration in special education. She secured a district specialist to deliver workshops on having responsive, strengths-based conversations with families and reinforced the strategies by modeling them in meetings with families. Targeted professional learning can shift educators’ focus from compliance to meaningful, proactive collaboration as a foundation to guide the pre-​
referral and special education eligibility process. Once staff started using the new strategies, they reported more empathetic communication and stronger, more collaborative partnerships with families.

Here’s how you, as a principal, can communicate IDEA requirements in ways that are easier to understand and lead to effective implementation from the outset:

Deepen your expertise. Use ongoing professional learning to enhance your understanding of IDEA regulations, including procedural safeguards and your leadership responsibilities in supporting collaboration. Clarify and communicate your role by engagingthe families of students receiving early support using schoolwide systems such as positive behavioral interventions and supports or multitiered systems of supports.

Strengthen staff capacity. Survey staff to assess their understanding and align professional learning opportunities. Simply asking what aspects they feel most—or least—confident about is a great starting place. Then provide high-quality, job-embedded professional learning that helps educators understand the family participation requirements outlined in IDEA and ways to apply them in practice.

Equip staff with practical tools, such as guides, checklists, and conversation-starters. Step-by-step checklists can help teams prepare effectively for IEP meetings. Reflective prompts such as “What aspects of IDEA implementation do you feel most confident about?” or “Where do you need more support?” can help teams identify areas where additional support or clarification might be needed.

Collaborate with special education teams. Establish a consistent routine for meeting with special educators to proactively identify common challenges, discuss family engagement practices, and align expectations. Create opportunities for collaboration, such as joint planning sessions or co-facilitated family workshops. Identify experienced special educators who demonstrate strong family engagement practices, and invite them to serve as mentors.

During IEP Development

Once students are determined to be eligible for special education services, the principal’s leadership sets the tone for how families are included in the development of an IEP.

It’s important for families to understand the IEP process. Schools should ensure that families understand their child’s present levels of performance and how special education and related services including accommodations can help their child make meaningful progress toward the achievement of annual IEP goals. Effectively communicating IDEA’s legal requirements to families means translating complex regulations into clear, accessible, and actionable information, often using tools such as newsletters, briefings, and workshops to explain timelines, rights, and responsibilities.

Families offer valuable insights into their child’s strengths, challenges, and needs that are essential to the development of an effective IEP. By creating feedback loops and fostering a culture of connection, principals ensure that IDEA is implemented not just with compliance but also with clarity, confidence, and care. This includes regularly scheduled check-ins that go beyond compliance to instead focus on monitoring progress, revisiting goals, and adjusting supports based on both family input and student needs.

To encourage engagement, the school needs to build transparency, share clear and accessible information ahead of meetings, invite families to share their perspectives, and maintain consistent, two-way communication throughout the process. While it is appropriate for a special education teacher to draft the IEP prior to the meeting to ensure efficient use of time, the IEP team—including parents—must be involved in decision-making as each section is discussed.

Here’s what principals and other leaders can do to equip families with the tools and confidence they need to actively participate:

Share information in advance. Provide families with relevant data, reports, and draft documents before the meeting. This could include evaluation summaries and eligibility materials; classroom and progress monitoring data and screening results; and draft IEP components such as proposed annual goals and suggested accommodations or modifications. Facilitation resources that help families navigate the meeting—guides that outline IEP team roles, plain-language summaries, and glossaries of key terms—can also be helpful. Encourage families to review the meeting agenda and materials and come prepared with questions, concerns, and ideas.

Invite input. Create a space for families to share their perspectives during meetings. Encourage parents to agree or disagree with the information presented and ask for clarification as needed.

Encourage ongoing communication. Invite families to communicate additional questions or feedback formally or informally by email, phone call, or scheduling a meeting. The IEP meeting shouldn’t be the only occasion when the school-based IEP team collaborates with families. If a parent has concerns or isn’t ready to provide informed consent, schedule a follow-up meeting to address their questions and continue working together to develop a mutually agreed-upon IEP.

Despite the team’s best efforts, systems sometimes emerge that signal a need for adjustment. These systems might result in low family engagement or cause situations in which families become frustrated or feel excluded.

For example, Reyes noticed that IEP meetings often felt procedural rather than collaborative. Parent input was not gathered beforehand, and services were predetermined. The IEP team would often review the IEP quickly and ask parents to sign, leaving little room for meaningful discussion or shared decision-making.

To foster more authentic collaboration, Reyes introduced a new meeting protocol that begins with pre-meeting conversations to gather family input. She asked special education teachers to share draft IEPs in advance and invite families to review and prepare questions. During the IEP meeting, Reyes set aside time for open discussion and encouraged staff to use plain language to support understanding. Reyes also implemented follow-ups to maintain communication with families.

During IEP Implementation

When monitoring IEP implementation to ensure supports and services are effective, principals can create systems that keep families informed. Ongoing communication that is clear, consistent, and responsive helps keep families engaged. This means going beyond procedural updates to build trust through two-way communication, acting on family input, and creating accessible systems of support.

Reyes realized that communication with families tapered off after IEP meetings because the school shared few updates about student progress or how supports were being implemented. Families who had been optimistic about their child receiving special education services often began to feel disconnected and uncertain about whether their child’s needs were truly being met.

To address this issue, Reyes established a system for ongoing communication. Staff started providing regular updates on student progress and how supports are implemented, using brief check-ins, progress notes, and digital tools. Reyes also introduced feedback opportunities for families and began using parent-teacher conferences to share updates and reinforce collaboration. Consistent, two-way communication helped families stay informed, engaged, and confident that their child’s needs were being met.

Take the following steps to regularly engage and empower families in the school community:

Be accessible and approachable. Make yourself visible and available to families between IEP meetings. It’s an ongoing relationship, so build a culture in which a quick chat during morning drop-offs or a text or email during school hours is welcome. Communicate and model compassion, active listening, and a problem-solving mindset in every interaction.

Gather and act on family input. Gather feedback from families through surveys, focus groups, or informal check-ins to better understand their experiences, needs, and concerns. Surveys can be brief—just two or three questions—and administered before or after the school year, on a regular schedule such as quarterly, or around IEP meetings. Focus groups could be held annually and conducted virtually to increase accessibility. Informal check-ins, such as monthly coffee chats, can be held in-person or online to maintain ongoing communication. Use input from families to inform school policies, improve communication practices, and tailor supports to build staff capacity and better meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Build systems of support. Create structures for regular communication between families and educators to monitor student progress. Ensure transparency about how IEP goals are measured, how progress is reported, and how adjustments are made when needed. Establish clear feedback loops so families know how to share input.

Partnering with families in special education is more than a legal requirement; it’s a powerful opportunity for principals to create schools where collaboration and trust drive student success. By translating IDEA into accessible practices, leaders can shift from compliance to a culture of connection that empowers families as equal partners.

Dena Slanda is a senior technical assistance consultant and the lead for intensive professional development for the Lead IDEA Center, based in Orlando, Florida.

Jenna Basile is a researcher and technical assistance specialist for the Lead IDEA Center, based in Arlington, Virginia.