Notice and consent: The school's responsibility to inform parents

Parental involvement in planning and placement for 20 children initially referred for special education is described in light of the PL 94-142 requirements for informed parental consent. The pattern of notification and parental involvement in the planning and placement team in four elementary schools is described, and the level of parental understanding for four components of the special education decision (eligibility, placement, program goals, and review date) is examined. Comparisons indicate that parent's versions of each decision component were clear and accurate no more than 50% of the time for any of the four components, even though parents were present at the team meeting where these decisions were rendered. The highest accuracy in parental reports was for the placement decision, while unclear or erroneous versions of decisions regarding eligibility, program goals, and review date were even more frequent. Results are interpreted in light of the amount of change demanded of local school systems to insure that parents are giving informed consent for special education planning and placement decisions.