Assignment task: More than one out of every eight students in America is classified as having a disability under the provisions of IDEA (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). However, nearly every metric used to measure post-high school success (employment, independent living, post-high school education/training) shows that most students with disabilities do not succeed (NCES, 2010). The chief safeguard for special education students is their parents, who are explicitly written into nearly every aspect of the special education process. Research shows that as parents become more involved and empowered in the special education process, student outcomes improve (Stoner et al., 2005), underscoring the importance of collaboration between parents and educators (Fish, 2006). Goodall and Bruder (1986) emphasized that educators seek and use parental knowledge because no one knows a child better than his or her parent. Unfortunately, parents often do not possess the confidence with the legal and procedural knowledge they need to assert their role in the special education process. Three reasons parents play an essential role in educating children with special needs: When teachers and parents work together to support students' learning and social/emotional needs, that student does better in school. Not only does it help students learn and achieve academically, but it also helps students develop positive peer relationships as well. Parents and guardians understand entirely a child's physical, social, developmental, and family history. Therefore they are the only ones who can provide information about the child's strengths and weaknesses that would be useful in creating a solid IEP to help that child succeed. Parents may not be educators, but they bring their years of experience in other professions and aspects of life to the process, along with their experience with their child."
Can you help me come up with a conclusion for the paragraph above?