Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Flanagan, Barbara G.
Author's Email Address	flanagab@vt.edu
URN	etd-03132001-103550
Title	PARENTS’ VIEWS OF AND PARTICIPATION IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCESS
Degree	PhD
Department	Teaching and Learning
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Billingsley, Bonnie S. Committee Chair Crockett, Jean B. Committee Member Magliaro, Susan G. Committee Member Sherman, Thomas M. Committee Member Van Dyke, Ray E. Committee Member
Keywords	Parents' Participation Parents' Views Special Education Process
Date of Defense	2001-02-27
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Parents’ Views of and Participation in the Special Education Process by Barbara Grace Flanagan Committee Chairperson: Bonnie S. Billingsley Curriculum and Instruction (ABSTRACT) Parents’ views of and participation in the special education process are important in light of parents’ expanded membership in all decision making groups, specifically those that make eligibility and placement decisions guaranteed by The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA ’97). The purpose of this study was to understand how parents view the special education process and their participation from their child’s referral to eligibility determination. Furthermore, this study sought to determine how parents’ understanding and participation in the special education process could be enhanced. Nine parents’ journeys through the special education referral and evaluation process were chronicled through pre-and post-eligibility parent interviews and observations of eligibility meetings. This data was contexualized through educator post-eligibility interviews to determine representativeness of parents’ participation and meeting characteristics. Individual and cross case analyses were used to analyze data. Findings indicate that little has changed in the past 25 years in the day-to-day implementation of the special education evaluation process. That is, parents know little of the process and participate minimally. Furthermore, parents express feelings about their child and the process that indicate that they care deeply and feel a vested interest in outcomes. However, parents express a need for greater understanding and participation in the process. A model for the effective implementation of the special education process is offered
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