With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, Congress set the stage for a mighty collision between requirements of IDEA and compliance obligations associated with NCLB, particularly concerning school reform efforts through high-stakes standardized testing. Rural schools face additional challenges of NCLB compliance because of limitations in resources, finances, staff recruitment and retention, and a lack of proximity to neighboring districts.

The focus of this qualitative inquiry was on parent perceptions of the IEP process. Fifteen parents from eight rural school districts in four SW Washington counties participated in sharing their stories and answering a limited set of open-ended questions within a semi-structured format. Questions concerned how they experienced the different aspects of the IEP process including their roles, how they felt the districts understood their children's unique needs and strengths, and how they viewed the standardized testing requirements of NCLB. Two overarching themes and one primary parent role was discovered. Trust was present when parent feelings were honored, when perceptions of collaboration were felt, and they perceived themselves as equal partners in the overall process. Disenfranchisement was noted when parents felt overwhelmed, marginalized, and were mired in paperwork requirements. The role of Advocate was recognized as the single most important responsibility parents felt towards their child. Implications for current educational practices and recommendations for possible future research are noted.