Chapter 2 Professional and Home-School Collaboration
2.1 Multiple Choice
1. ________ and ________ have established a high level of parental involvement in the education of their children with
disabilities.
A) Legislation; parental advocacy
B) Awareness; conviction
C) Litigation; mediation
D) Professional involvement; parental concerns
2. Prior to the passage of Public Law 94–142
A) Parents were actively involved in the IEP process for their children with disabilities.
B) Many schools did not encourage parents to participate in the education of their children with disabilities.
C) Parents had significant due process rights when they disagreed with their children’s IEP.
D) School personnel were only required to involve parents in the IEP process.
3. Which of the following IDEA 2004 provisions is required for involving parents in the special education process?
A) Parents must be involved in the decision-making process for their children with
disabilities.
B) Parents must be informed of any impending actions regarding their children with
disabilities.
C) School personnel must make due process rights available to parents of children with disabilities.
D) Parents have the right to a due process hearing, or engage in mediation or resolution if there is a
disagreement with schools.
E) all of the above
4. The IDEA mandates that parents be involved in the special education process. Which one of the following
activities is mandated by IDEA 2004?
A) Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children attend school.
B) Parents must be involved in all decision-making activities regarding the special
education of their child.
C) Parents must seek to resolve conflicts through a process called mediation.
D) Parents must participate in disability awareness programs.
5. Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding today’s families?
A) Today’s families face a host of challenges, including absent fathers.
B) The constellation of today’s families has changed dramatically in the last fifty years.
C) Today, more mothers work outside the home.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
6. Teachers must be sensitive to the background of the family to ensure that cultural differences do not interfere with
school-family relationships. They can best do this by
A) focusing communication efforts on the mother.
B) designing an interagency coordinating family plan
C) putting aside preconceived notions they have about various lifestyles.
D) focusing efforts on the child when the parents speak a different language.
7. Which of the following is a challenge parents may face when they learn that their child has a disability?
A) Parents may experience additional financial stress.
B) Parents may not have a realistic understanding of the child’s disability and consequently, may have unrealistic
expectations for their child.
C) Parents may face additional stress on their marriage.
D) all of the above
8. Which of the following are reactions that parents may experience when learning that their child has a disability?
A) denial and anger
B) grief, fear, and confusion
C) powerlessness, disappointment, and acceptance
D) all of the above
9. According to Meyer (2001., which of the following is not one of the concerns expressed by the siblings of children with
disabilities?
A) Siblings may feel isolated when they are not given ongoing information about their brother’s or sister’s
disability and its impact.
B) Siblings may feel guilty about having caused the disability or being spared from having the condition.
C) Siblings may develop exaggerated perceptions about their innate superiority over their sibling who has a
disability.
D) Siblings may feel resentment when the child with a disability becomes the primary focus of the family’s
attention.
10. The needs of siblings of children with disabilities sometimes are not addressed by both parents and educators. Which
of the following might be one strategy for addressing the important needs of siblings?
A) include the sibling in family and school meetings
B) ask the non-disabled sibling to take on additional duties and responsibilities
C) allow the non-disabled sibling to take on the second parent role in the areas of care and discipline
D) keep information concerning the disability away from the sibling to avoid worry
11. Which of the following represents an effective communication strategy?
A) Saving information about performance for the IEP meeting.
B) Using technical words when communicating about a child’s performance.
C) Letting the parent know you are the expert.
D) Using a home-to-school notebook.
12. Effective communication should
A) be regular and useful.
B) include both informal and formal means.
C) be characterized by a sensitivity to cultural and linguistic differences.
D) all of the above
13. Which of the following is an attempt to resolve disagreements between parents and school personnel through the
facilitation of a third party?
A) mediation
B) conflict resolution
C) special education dispute resolution process.
D) due-process hearing
2.2 True or False
1. Research indicates that all families go through specific stages of reaction when learning that their child has a disability.
2. Siblings of children with disabilities may exhibit adjustment problems.
3. Many parents feel that too little communication takes place between them and the school.
4. General education teachers and special education teachers receive extensive preparation for communicating effectively
with parents.
5. Teachers should rely on e-mail as their primary source of communication with parents.
6. The provision of home-based intervention is a common practice for preschoolers with disabilities.
7. The need for parental involvement decreases with the child’s age.
2.3 Short Answer
1. ________ are a type of communication that can take place without preparation. Teachers should avoid discussion of
confidential information with this type of communication.
2. ________ give feedback to parents on school work, homework, and behavior.
3. _______ is two or more individuals working together for a common purpose.
4. ________ is an instructional model where a special education teacher and a general classroom teacher share
instructional efforts and responsibilities in a general classroom.
2.4 Essay
1. In creating a culturally responsive classroom, teachers must create an atmosphere that is respectful of all
cultures. What steps should teachers take to accomplish this goal?
2. You have been hired to develop a parent involvement program for your school. Describe the most essential
components of your program that will assist parents in better meeting the needs of their children with disabilities.
3. You are given the task of developing an in-service education presentation for your school on the topic of “addressing
the needs of siblings of children with disabilities.” Describe the strategies for teachers you would include in your
presentation.
4. Brandes (2005) makes recommendations to enhance communication between school and parents. Discuss five
(5) of these principles.
5. Identify and briefly describe five (5) different types of communication to collaborate effectively with
parents.
6. Discipline in the home involves two parental actions. Identify and describe these two parental actions.
7. Describe ways that parents can work with school personnel to provide positive reinforcement and encouragement for
their children to succeed in school.
8. Discuss the models of co-teaching and advantages/disadvantages of each.
Chapter 2 Professional and Home-School Collaboration
2.1 Multiple Choice
2.2 True or False
2.3 Short Answer
2.4 Essay
