The Readability of P.L. 94–142 Parent Materials: Are Parents Truly Informed?

Abstract

P.L. 94–142 requires that parents become involved in the educational decision-making of their handicapped child. For parents to become involved, they need to be familiar with the various complexities of the law so they can make informed decisions about their child's education. State and local education agencies inform parents primarily through printed materials. This study surveyed materials used by the 50 states and evaluated their comprehensibility. A computer program, using four common readability formulas, analyzed selected passages for their readability. Other factors also analyzed included print size, use of examples, comprehensibility, and page density. Results indicated a range of reading levels from grades five through eight. These results are interpreted in the context of reading literacy. Issues involved in development of materials for parents and future analysis of these materials are discussed.