This digest summarizes the rights and responsibilities of parents of children in the special education process under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. Among 12 rights listed are a free appropriate public education for every child, written notification for any proposed evaluations, re-evaluation or change in placement, informed consent concerning evaluation and programmatic decisions, evaluation of the child in his or her primary language, access to student records, participation in all individualized education program (IEP) or individualized family service plan (IFSP) team decisions, being informed of student progress at least as often as parents of children without disabilities, and voluntary mediation or a due process hearing to resolve differences with the school. Among the eight parental responsibilities listed are: asking for explanations of any unclear program aspects, making sure that IEP or IFSP goals and objectives are specific, monitoring the child's progress, keeping records, and joining a parent organization. The digest also suggests ways that parents can help the IEP or IFSP process, such as identifying the specific things the parent feels the child should learn, understanding the related services being provided, and discussing methods of effective discipline. Suggested organizational resources are also listed. (CR)