How to Start the School Year Strong
As the 2026–2027 school year begins, across the Nation, students are heading back to classrooms, reconnecting with friends and teachers, and beginning a new year filled with possibilities. Families are essential partners in education. You know your child—their strengths, interests, needs, hopes, and the supports that help them succeed. Sharing that knowledge with teachers and school staff can help start the year on a positive note.
Tips for Building Strong Family-School Partnerships from Day One
– Connect early. Introduce yourself to teachers and key school staff before concerns arise.
– Share what works. Let the school know about your child’s strengths, interests, accommodations, and successful strategies.
– Ask questions. Stay informed about your child’s learning, progress, and opportunities to participate.
– Get involved in ways that work for you. Attend school events, conferences, parent groups, or your district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG).
– Encourage your child’s voice. Help children and youth learn to share what they need to be successful.
Family engagement doesn’t mean attending every meeting or volunteering for every activity. It means having a voice, being informed, sharing ideas, and working together with educators toward a common goal: helping every child thrive.
5 Things You Can do for a Successful School Year
Whether you have a quick question or need help navigating a more complicated issue, CPIR is here to help families:
1. Understand your child’s rights
Learn about special education, IEPs, Section 504, early intervention, transition, and other education supports.
2. Prepare for school meetings
Get information and tools to help you prepare, ask questions, and participate confidently in decisions about your child.
3. Strengthen your family voice
Learn about opportunities to participate in Special Education Parent Advisory Groups (SEPAGs), school and district committees, family leadership activities, and systems advocacy. Connect with your school district and the Parent Center in your state for more information. Click here to find your Parent Center in your state.
4. Get individual assistance
When you’re not sure where to start, your Parent Center can help you understand your options, identify possible next steps and provide resources. To connect with your Parent Center click here.
5. Find information and resources
Connect with family-friendly resources on education, health, disability services, transition, and community supports. Visit the NJ Family Engagement Hub here to get started.
As we begin the 2026–2027 school year, let’s start with connection, build strong partnerships, and make family voice an important part of every child’s education. Here’s to a school year filled with learning, growth, belonging, and new possibilities!
Back to School 2026: What the Federal Changes Mean for Your Child’s IEP
Over the summer, federal oversight of special education shifted — but your child’s rights under IDEA did not. This resource breaks down what actually changed, what stayed the same, and what families should be paying attention to as the school year begins. Practical, clear, and essential reading before your next IEP meeting. Read more here.
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
This handout helps families better understand the communication cues of infants and toddlers by using weather-based categories to describe their emotional states. By learning to identify these patterns, ranging from “Clear Skies” to “Stormy,” families can strengthen their connection with their child and provide the appropriate support needed in the moment. Read the full handout here.
Partnering With Your Child’s School on Literacy — A Family Guide
Families play a powerful role in their child’s literacy development — and the strongest outcomes happen when families and schools work together. This resource from the National Center on Improving Literacy walks families through four key steps: communicating regularly with teachers, understanding the literacy instruction your child is receiving, practicing skills at home, and addressing concerns as a team. Includes practical questions to ask at school meetings and tools to support reading and writing at home. Available in English and Spanish. Download the guide here.
Back to School 2026 Edition: Tips & Tools for Students with Visual Impairments
Paths to Literacy has compiled a practical collection of back-to-school resources for IEP teams, teachers of the visually impaired, paraprofessionals, and families. Highlights include one-pager templates to share with new classroom teachers, functional vision and assistive technology assessments, data collection tools for tracking IEP goals, and lessons organized by access format. Free and publicly available. Explore the resources here.
Parents Need a Back-to-School Toolkit
The July/August 2026 issue of Parenting Special Needs Magazine is packed with practical tools for the new school year — including tips from other parents, a one-page student profile template to share with teachers, and guidance on navigating IEPs, therapies, and school partnerships. A great read for any family heading into a new school year. Read it here.