When Congress reauthorized IDEA in 2004, they expressed the intent to align IDEA with NCLB. In reviewing VDOE's proposed special education regulations,  many of which place new restrictions on parental participation, it is useful to consider the requirements about parental participation in NCLB.

No Child Left Behind requires all schools that receive Title I funds to have "meaningful parental involvement policies." The requirements for parental involvement policies are extensive and are described in 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6318.

Each school district must work jointly with parents to develop a parental involvement policy to improve student academic achievement and school performance. School districts must evaluate the effectiveness of their parental involvement policies every year. (Section 6318(a)(1))

Each Title I school must work jointly with parents to develop a written parental involvement policy. The parental involvement policy must be distributed to parents and be made available to the community. If parents are not satisfied with the parental involvement policy, the school district shall submit parental comments to the state. (Section 6318(b))

Each school "shall convene an annual meeting to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend ... offer a flexible number of meetings ... and may provide transportation, child care, or home visits ..." [and]

"shall involve parents in an organized,  ongoing and timely way in the planning, review and improvement of programs ... [and]

"shall provide timely information about programs ... a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet ... [and]

"... if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children.  (Section 6318(c))

NCLB also requires schools and parents to develop a "school-parent compact" that describes how the school and parents will accept responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

This compact "shall describe the school's responsibility to provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive, effective learning environment" and how "each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning..." [and]  "address the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through ... parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents on their child's progress, reasonable  access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class, and observation of classroom activities." (Section 6318(d))

The Virginia Department of Education adopted the requirements about parental participation in NCLB:  http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2006/adm001a.pdf

Conclusion: NCLB, the law that governs education for students who attend public schools, places a high value on parental participation. VDOE's proposed special education regulations would eliminate or weaken many current requirements about parental participation. Weakening or eliminating parental participation in educational decision-making for children is inconsistent with the parental participation requirements in NCLB. Any regulation that weakens or eliminates parental participation should be eliminated.