Illinois Statewide Technical Assistance Center for Parents

In cooperation with the Illinois Statewide Technical Assistance Center, the project advances the ISBE's priority to improve the delivery of training and technical assistance to parents of students with disabilities throughout the State of Illinois.

Our goal is to enhance the caregivers' ability to participate actively in their child's education. It is believed that such participation will help ensure that students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

We believe parents and educators must be equal partners in the process of educating students.

Research strongly supports school-parent partnerships as effective in improving school climate and student performance. According to a comprehensive survey of 85 research studies cited in two National PTA publications, National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs (1998), and Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs (2000), the influence of parent involvement is profound and provides comprehensive benefits for students, families, and schools when parents and family members become participants in their children's education and lives.

The ISTAC-Parents provides parent-to-parent guidance in meeting the needs of both parents and school personnel by:

• Providing support, training, and leadership for Parent Mentor grant sites.
• Supporting the Parent and Educator Partnership.
• Developing research-based, effective, and reproducible curriculum that enhances the knowledge and skills of parents of children with disabilities in effectively building equal partnerships with educators.
• Developing parent leadership among parents and families of students with disabilities.
• Collaborating with school districts to cultivate school, family, and community partnerships.
• Maintaining a website for parents and educators to access information.
• Providing resource materials in English, Spanish and accessible formats.
• Providing a Lending Library.
• Offering a message board for parents and educators to provide continuous input on special education issues.