Summer is quickly winding down. Back-to-school preparations are taking center stage. Parents of children with disabilities should review IEPs and accommodations their children need to participate fully in the academic and social life of the school. They also need to update medical information so school personnel can ensure their child’s health and safety.

At the same time, families of children with disabilities need to attend to a host of other issues that affect all kids and families. Here are some suggestions for smoothing the transition from those lazy days of summer to the rigors of a new school year.

Set the stage for learning at home.

• Reset internal clocks. Just as we need to reset our clocks when traveling to a new time zone, shifting from a less structured summer schedule to the highly structured school year requires adjustment. Staying up late, sleeping in, and hanging out in pajamas must give way to new bedtime and morning routines. A few weeks before school starts, introduce earlier bedtimes and earlier wake ups. Figure out how long it will take your child to get up, dressed, eat breakfast, and get to school.
• Make a homework plan. Work with your child to pick a homework spot and stock it with paper, pencils, calculators, and other supplies. Generally, doing homework earlier in the afternoon is better than waiting until later in the evening. Encourage your child to organize books and homework at night so backpacks, lunches and other necessary items are ready to grab on the way out the door in the morning.
• Look for the “Parent-Guardian MCAS Report.” In late September/early October, families whose children took the MCAS the previous spring will receive their child’s performance report. Be sure to note your child’s strengths and areas of concern, as well as any discrepancies with other school reports. Parents and teachers can work together to address those needs.

Set the stage for partnership at school.
When families and educators work together as partners to support children’s learning, children do better and so do the schools. Good communication is the building block of successful partnerships. Here are some tips:

• Meet your child’s teacher early in the school year. Let the teacher know you want to help your child learn. Ask the teacher to let you know about any concerns immediately.
• Attend open houses to get a sense of the whole school and the classroom your child will be attending.
• Join your school’s parent-teacher association or organization (PTA or PTO). These meetings are a good way to compare notes with other parents and to work together to improve the school.
• Join the School Council. Massachusetts law requires that each public school establish a School Council as a way to ensure that families have a meaningful role in shaping school policies and programs. Parents of students with disabilities and of English language learners bring important voices to these Councils. While many parents join the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, participation on the School Council is also an important way to help shape school policies that address all students’ needs.

Make the most of options available under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Before the first day of school, parents of children in Title I schools should receive a notice if their child’s school has been “identified for improvement” or has an “accountability status.” Both of these terms indicate that a school has not met state improvement goals. This notice must give clear timelines and contact information and will explain the following:

• What the accountability status means. It should identify the subject areas where the school did not meet state goals and how the school plans to improve student achievement.
• Parents of children in Title I schools must also be informed if their child’s school must provide one or both of the NCLB options below. Students with disabilities and students who are English language learners have the same right to these opportunities as all other students.

Many Massachusetts school districts give parents Public School Choice, an opportunity to choose among schools in the district. NCLB expands the school choice opportunity for students in underperforming Title I schools. SES means schools provide free tutoring or other instructional services that take place outside of school time. Low-income students in Title I schools may be eligible for SES if their school has not met improvement goals for three years in a row. Students with disabilities and students who are English language learners have the same right to these opportunities as all other students. For more information about Public School Choice or SES, please call the Massachusetts PIRC at the number below.

The special needs and concerns of students with disabilities make it easy to overlook general rights and opportunities that apply to all families. Yet, as students continue to take their rightful place as members of the whole school community, it becomes more important to know about opportunities parents have to participate in shaping their children’s education and the school environment.

For more information about helping your child transition back to school, and parent-school partnerships, call the Mass PIRC at 1-877-471-0980 or visit www.masspirc.org.