The development of collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals is too

Partnerships between school staff, families, and community members are vital for ensuring the success of all students in inclusive schools. This article reports the results of a synthesis of two original studies: one study that examined the perspectives of family members and another study that examined the perspectives of community partners in developing partnerships with school staff at six inclusive knowledge development sites located in five geographic regions within the United States. The current synthesis study analyzes the original studies' overlapping themes to inform concentrated efforts aimed at strengthening family and community partnerships in inclusive schools. Themes of this synthesis study include positive, inviting, and inclusive school culture; strong administrative leadership driven by a clear vision of inclusion; attributes of trusting partnerships; and opportunities for reciprocal partnerships and involvement. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

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We strongly agree with the fundamental premise of Mahoney et al. (in this issue) that parent education can be philosophically compatible with family-centered approaches. We agree that parent education has fallen into disfavor over the last 20 years, and we welcome the opportunity to reexamine this important component of early intervention. Within this general agreement, we highlight some cautions about traditional parent education and offer a transformed focus of partnership education.

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students with and without disabilities being educated in inclusive schools, documenting their perceptions of the culture of their school, inclusion, and the practices that were implemented to support all students. Focus groups were conducted with 86 students with and without disabilities from six schools that were recognized as exemplars of inclusive schoolwide practices. Three major themes emerged: (a) students' sense of belonging in their school culture, (b) inclusion and its impact on students, and (c) school and classroom practices, such as positive behavior support systems, co-teaching, and instructional practices related to student self-determination and direction, feedback and re-teaching, multiple means of representation and expression, and technology utilization. Implications of these findings for implementing inclusive practices in other schools are discussed.

The rapid increase of culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the United

Focus group interviews were conducted to obtain participants' preliminary reactions to the responsiveness of group action planning, a person-centered planning approach, as a support strategy for Hispanic families of individuals with disabilities. Focus group participants were 38 Hispanic parents of youth/young adults with developmental disabilities and 22 professionals who provided support services to Hispanic youth/young adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Both constituency groups identified advantages and disadvantages of group action planning. We focus our key recommendations on the implications of this information for education and human service systems as well as directions for future research.

Participant direction is a service delivery model in which the consumer of public benefits, or his or her surrogate decision maker, exercises some level of choice and control over the consumer's supports and services. In this case study, the authors examined the decisions and experiences of parents/guardians who directed supports and services for an adult with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (SIDD). Respondents included the parents/guardian of the adult as well as others in the circle of support identified by the parents/guardians. Data analysis revealed an overarching theme in which respondents perceived participant direction as a means to achieve an end, with the end being their desired outcomes for the adult with SIDD. Implications for policy include developing and providing supportive services to adults with SIDD and their parents/guardians due to the increased responsibilities associated with directing supports and services for the adult with a SIDD.